MARAWI CITY (MindaNews / 21 July) – The provincial government of Lanao del Sur and Relief International have agreed to cooperate in building the capacities and mobilizing community women as peace builders, as residents continue to secure their villages amid continuing threats of violent extremism.
“We are interested to see how our assistance to the people of Marawi has impacted on their recovery,” Mark Atterton, Relief International Director for Africa and Asia, said during his visit on Thursday to Marawi City where people affected by the five month-long siege in 2017 continue to rebuild their lives and their communities.
“Further, we would like to listen to the stories of Maranaw women as they engage in community peacebuilding initiatives,” he added.
Vice Governor Mohammad Khalid Raki-in Adiong, together with Alliah Lucman, Provincial Gender and Development Focal, briefed Atterton on the progress of the Marawi rehabilitation program during his courtesy visit to the officials of the provincial government.
In a press conference held on the same day at the provincial capitol, Adiong and Atterton agreed to continue the cooperation of the provincial government and Relief International in building peace in the province.
Lucman and Atterton later unveiled a public marker in Barangay Basak Malutlut, this city. The public billboard affirmed the women’s role as nurtures of families and builders of peace in the communities with the message, “Ina, sindao tano sa torogan; Bae, gonanao tano sa kalilintad” (Mothers, we are the light of the house; Women, we are guide to peace.)
“This marker is symbolic of our common aspiration and faith in the capacity of women to take active role in the building of peace in all communities in the Bangsamoro region and in fragile settings around the world,” Atterton said.
Relief International, in partnership with Balay Mindanaw Foundation, is implementing a peacebuilding project in eight municipalities of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao called the Women Engaged in Responsive Solutions to Conflicts and Violence in Mindanao or WE RESOLVE.
The project, which is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, intends to build communities of peace in 40 barangays in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao that are considered as fragile settings because of recurrent armed conflicts.
Relief International is also supporting COVID-19 response by protecting the most vulnerable children in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao from the impact of the pandemic, as well as the region’s routine immunization program.
Atterton is based in the United Kingdom and is responsible for programs spanning the 10 countries in Africa and Asia where Relief International operates.
In the Philippines, Relief International had been working with communities for over 40 years (MindaNews)
