DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 21 June)— The City Council of Davao passed a resolution on Tuesday honoring MindaNews’ Carolyn O. Arguillas for becoming the first Filipino laureate in the 11-year history of the Luxembourg Peace Prize (LPP).
Arguillas is the laureate for Outstanding Peace Journalism, in recognition of her “unwavering commitment to journalism ethics and her contributions to constructive and inclusive media coverage.”
In a two-page resolution authored by Davao City’s 1st District Councilor Pilar C. Braga, the City Council commended and congratulated Arguillas for “bringing honor to the Philippines in general and to Davao City and Mindanao in particular.”
It noted the LPP’s citation that Arguillas’ contribution to peace journalism has “helped shape the media landscape towards a better reporting and understanding of Mindanao.”
“Her commitment to responsible reporting combined with her unwavering dedication to peacebuilding, has made her an influential figure in the pursuit of a more inclusive society,” the resolution quoted the LPP as saying.
Arguillas was editor in chief of MindaNews until June 1 this year. She now heads its Publications, Archives and Library, and serves as Special Reports editor. She is also a professorial lecturer at the College of Mass Communication at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.
The veteran journalist is one of the founding members of the Mindanao Institute of Journalism, which started as the Mindanao News and Information Cooperative Center, established in 2001 by journalists who believe that stories of Mindanao can best be told by Mindanawons who have a fine grasp of the context and nuances of a multi-ethnic and widely misunderstood island.
MindaNews is the institute’s news service arm.
Again quoting the LPP, the local council said: “Over the past two decades, MindaNews under her leadership has earned recognition for its constructive coverage of peace efforts, fostering an environment of dialogue and understanding.”
The news agency, according to the LPP, “has played a significant role in achieving milestones in the country’s peace processes, including the signing of a peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro people in the southern part of the country and the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.”
Other peace journalism laureates awarded by the LPP are Steve Youngblood (2021), a Kansas City, USA professor and Director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism and Associate Professor of Communications at Park University in Parkville, Missouri; Jamil Simon (2019), a visionary peace activist, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, and an expert in communication strategy; Annabel McGoldrick (2017), a psychotherapist, scholar and activist at the University of Sydney; and Jake Lynch (2017), chair of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney.
The LPP’s Outstanding Peace Journalism award “seeks to recognize journalists or media publications who have used their craft to contribute to peace.”
Copies of the resolution are to be given to Arguillas, MindaNews, the Office of the Mayor, Office of the Vice Mayor, “and other concerned schools and agencies for their guidance and information.” (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
