2024 January 24th, HWPL Day and 10th anniversary of the Mindanao Peace Agreement

The 24th of January is HWPL Day in the Philippines to commemorate the signing of the Mindanao Peace Agreement. Mindanao used to be the land where conflict between the Philippine government and Moro groups lasted over 40 years. Not only was the duration of the conflict so long but also it ruined many people's lives as it resulted in more than 120,000 casualties.

What is surprising is that Mindanao is now seeing the spread of peace. Year 2024 is the 10th anniversary of the Mindanao Peace Agreement. In other words, peace in Mindanao has been successfully maintained for decades! Seeing how the wave of peace is maintained on this island after 40 years of conflict gives people around the world hope for sustainable peace.

More or less, everyone around the world has been experiencing the effects of the war over the last couple of years. Not only the people who are living in the land where the war is happening but all people around the world were affected by the war to a certain extent. War not only destroyed the lives of civilians but also had a huge influence on the global economy and global society.

After directly and indirectly experiencing the consequences of global conflict and war, I believe that everyone is desperate for peace. Not just a peace for a moment but a peace that can last forever. But we do have a hope that peace can be sustainable and we can actually achieve it. Mindanao has been living proof of sustainable peace. 

I hope that in the month of January, and especially on 24th of January, everyone give themselves a chance to think about peace and what initiatives or small actions they can take in order to support the global peace!