A pivotal highlight of the event was the unveiling and launching of the learning book, “Dialogue Beyond Borders: Reimagining Women, Peace, and Security through the Yogyakarta-Bangsamoro Experience.” This seminal publication documents the unique knowledge exchange and comparative lessons between peace advocates from the Bangsamoro region and Yogyakarta, Indonesia, capturing innovative approaches to integrating cultural and religious perspectives in advancing the WPS agenda.

The assembly was honored by the presence and profound insights of distinguished dignitaries. DBM Secretary Dr. Amenah F. Pangandaman underscored the indispensable link between policy and budget, asserting that strategic financial investment is the cornerstone for translating WPS advocacy into tangible, life-changing programs. MSU System President Dr. Paisalin P. Tago championed the academia’s unique duty and capacity to serve as an engine for peace and social transformation in Mindanao. Dr. Amina T. Rasul-Bernardo, President of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID), delivered a compelling call for unwavering, cross-sectoral solidarity to advance a peace that is both culturally-grounded and truly inclusive.

Guided by the adept moderation of Dr. Princess Sheryn A. Mamucao, the dialogue was ignited by the welcome remarks of Chancellor Bai Hejira Nefertiti M. Limbona. With compelling clarity, Chancellor Limbona reframed the entire discourse, identifying the systemic resistance to women’s voices and presenting womanhood itself as a source of “biological intelligence” for peace. She powerfully stated, “A woman’s body is a living system of biological intelligence, emotional attunement, and evolutionary design all devoted to sustaining and protecting life.” She positioned the Diploma in Women, Peace and Security (DWPS) as the critical mechanism to achieve a dual mission: “to enhance the natural intelligence of women and the re-wiring of men’s neurons,” ultimately forging a peace that is as vigilant and life-sustaining as motherhood itself.

A distinguished panel of resource speakers then brought this vision to life, featuring Dr. Arceli B. Naraga, Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development; Dr. Raquel D. Santiago-Arenas, Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension; Associate Professor Grant Warren D. Lu, Chairman of the Technical Working Group for the Diploma in Women, Peace and Security; Ms. Manalisa Mangelen, Head of Human Resource Management Development at Amanah Islamic Bank and DWPS Alumna; and Ms. Raiza A. Abas, Chief Administrative Officer and GAD Coordinator of the Office of the Chief Minister, BARMM, and DWPS Alumna.

The resource speakers collectively illustrated a powerful continuum from theory to transformative action. The journey begins with a curriculum co-created with community elders, ensuring the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda is culturally grounded and academically robust. This academic framework produces direct, actionable outputs, as students channel their learning into concrete policy papers and program designs aimed at empowering women within their own organizations and communities. Simultaneously, the university demonstrates application through existing extension projects, such as those led by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension, which provide climate-smart agriculture and economic empowerment to mothers and wives in MILF camps. These projects serve as tangible evidence that WPS principles are already transforming lives by restoring dignity and fostering self-reliance. For graduates, the program provides the essential language and framework to systematize their advocacy, bridging the gap between academic theory, community-level implementation, and policy-influencing practice.

Three critical pathways for WPS localization were demonstrated. First, academic institutions are powerful catalysts for change when they deliberately co-create knowledge with communities and take a stand for gender justice. Second, impact is achieved through a dual approach: empowering students to become architects of gender-sensitive policies and programs, while simultaneously implementing direct empowerment projects that address the economic dimensions of security for women in conflict-affected areas. Finally, sustainable localization requires equipping a cadre of advocates, from students to civil servants, with the tools to translate the WPS framework into both formal policy and practical, on-the-ground community action.

The event concluded with a resounding consensus: the localization of WPS is an active, intentional process that thrives when academia, government, and communities unite. The discussions proved that through programs like the DWPS, peace is not merely studied – it is diligently built, nurtured, and lived from the ground up.

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