03
Apr

Prof. Almahdi “Aldean” Alonto Joins Panel: Bangsamoro Accords Take Center Stage at Philippine Book Festival

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MSU Main Campus - Marawi City > 16-Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions (SDG Goals) > Prof. Almahdi “Aldean” Alonto Joins Panel: Bangsamoro Accords Take Center Stage at Philippine Book Festival

Aliah P. Cali-Pascan, DPA, JD

The significance of the Bangsamoro accords and their potential inscription into the UNESCO Memory of the World Registry was the focus of a prominent panel discussion at the ongoing Philippine Book Festival, held at the Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall.

The discussion, titled “Collaboration for the Inscription of the Philippine Accords of the Bangsamoro to the Memory of the World Registry of UNESCO,” featured key experts and leaders from various organizations dedicated to peace and cultural heritage. Notably, Professor Almahdi “Aldean” Alonto, Peace Education Officer of the Institute of Peace and Development in Mindanao (IPDM) at Mindanao State University, was among the esteemed panelists.

The panel also included representatives from the Research and Legal Services of the Bangsamoro Parliament, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the international peace advocate Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL).

The event addressed the crucial importance of preserving the Bangsamoro accords as a testament to the Filipino Muslims’ rich heritage and their long and arduous quest for peace. The discussion delved into the collaborative efforts necessary to secure UNESCO recognition for these documents, acknowledging their profound historical and cultural significance.

Professor Alonto, leveraging his expertise as IPDM’s Peace Education Officer, contributed valuable insights into the accords’ vital role in peace education and reconciliation within the Bangsamoro region. Panelists engaged in detailed discussions regarding the accords’ historical context, legal implications, and cultural significance. A point of contention arose concerning the precise nature of the collaboration, highlighting the complexities inherent in such a significant historical undertaking.

The panel discussion aimed to raise public awareness about the Bangsamoro accords and their potential inscription into the UNESCO registry, fostering a deeper understanding of the region’s history and the ongoing pursuit of lasting peace. The event underscored the critical role of collaborative partnerships between diverse stakeholders in preserving and promoting the invaluable cultural heritage of the Bangsamoro people.

source: pia.gov.ph and the article below.

About the author

The institute for peace and development in Mindanao (IPDM) was created by the MSU Board of Regents during its 182nd Meeting on December 7, 2001. The institute assumed the functions of two defunct units: the Muslim Christian Center for Peace Studies and the Muslim Mindanao Development Institute. It is now the central coordinating unit for all existing peace and development programs of the campuses of the University. MSU was established on September 1, 1961 as one of the government responses to the so-called “Mindanao problem.” The problem includes a violent struggle of segments of the Filipino Muslim population to redress long-standing grievances and assert Muslim selfhood and identity in the face of real and imagined threats of cultural and spiritual assimilation by the majority Filipino Christian population. The University was mandated to accelerate the “integration” of the cultural communities in Mindanao into the mainstream body politic and to accelerate the development of its service areas through instruction, research, and extension. In the pursuit of these objectives, the University also seeks to infuse spiritual and moral values, national consciousness and solidarity, and mutual understanding among Filipinos, which are necessary for peaceful coexistence and sustainable development. IPDM was therefore, created with the expectation that it would contribute to the easing of tensions and the promotion of justice and peace between Filipino Muslims and Christian by expanding knowledge, improving understanding and heightening sensitivity in relations between the peoples of Mindanao in particular, and the Philippines in general.

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