[The Path of Peace - Ep. 8] "Peace or War?": The January 24 Promise in Conflict-Torn Mindanao

What moves a community weary from four decades of conflict to choose a path of reconciliation?

On January 24, 2014, in General Santos, Mindanao—a region where long-standing conflicts had claimed over 120,000 lives and displaced 3.5 million people—a pivotal moment occurred. During his 8th World Peace Tour, 84-year-old HWPL Chairman Man-hee Lee addressed a gathering of over 1,000 students, youth leaders, and religious representatives with a direct question: "Do you want peace, or do you want war?"

When the audience unanimously answered "peace," Chairman Lee called upon Catholic and Muslim leaders to move beyond rhetoric and sign a civilian peace agreement on the spot.

A Grassroots Breakthrough: The Civilian Peace Agreement

The January 24 agreement was signed by Fernando Capalla (Archbishop Emeritus of Davao, representing the Catholic community) and Esmael Mangudadatu (Governor of Maguindanao, representing the Islamic community).

Unlike state-level negotiations led strictly by government bodies and armed groups, this agreement brought local religious figures, civic leaders, and youth into the peace process as active stakeholders.

• Governor Esmael Mangudadatu: "Christians, Muslims, and Jews are brothers. We must never fight each other, but work together to achieve world peace."

• Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla: "We long for order within our individuals and communities. It is through this order that we find true Shalom and Salam."

Complementing State-Level Peace Frameworks

The signing occurred at a critical time when the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were conducting formal talks in Kuala Lumpur, leading to the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in March 2014.

While state-level discussions established legislative frameworks, the civilian peace agreement helped foster a culture of trust and reconciliation among local residents. In 2015, MILF Chairman Ahod "Al Haj Murad" Ebrahim noted that the civilian peace agreement between Catholic and Islamic leaders in January 2014 provided substantial support toward achieving the official peace agreement between the MILF and the Philippine government.

From a Signed Document to a Lasting Peace Movement

The impact of the 8th World Peace Tour expanded into long-term community action across Mindanao:

• 12,000-Strong Peace Walk in Zamboanga: In August 2014, over 12,000 residents walked together in Zamboanga—a city that had suffered severe casualties during armed clashes just a year prior.

• Peace Monuments: HWPL Peace Monuments were erected in Maguindanao in 2015 and inside MILF camp territory in Sultan Kudarat in 2016, marking historical shifts from conflict zones to centers of peace.

• Civic Engagement: Local radio and television networks, including PTV, reported that the sincerity of an international peace advocate traveling to a high-risk region inspired local citizens to take ownership of peacebuilding.

By engaging citizens and religious leaders alongside formal political institutions, the 8th World Peace Tour demonstrated that sustainable peace requires both structural agreements and grassroots commitment.

Source: https://tinyurl.com/yfxe9vth