Four Faculty Members of Mindanao State University – Maguindanao Completed the Kingian Nonviolence Principles and Practice Course with Kahayag Foundation and University of Rhode Island
The Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, along with the Kahayag Foundation, hosted a 3-day seminar-workshop on Nonviolence Principles and Practice, inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings. The event took place from April 8-10, 2024, at Bahayahay Farm in Tugbok, Davao City. It was by special invitation only, with a diverse group of 15 participants from government, security, academia, civil society, faith-based institutions, and indigenous communities, including Undersecretary Cesar Yano of OPAPRU and former Undersecretary Gloria Salcedo of the Department of Education. Conversely, MSU-Maguindanao sent Grant Warren D. Lu, Director of the Institute for Peace and Development of Mindanao; Alvin Lois E. Pembarat, Assistant Director of IPDM; Sarah Jane Mokamad, Chairperson of the Social Work Department; and Bai Aljanna S. Macalandong, a BPA faculty member handling peace studies courses.
The workshop, led by Kahayag Foundation’s Ms. Irene Santiago, a former member of the GPh-MNLF Implementing Panel of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, commenced with reflections on its origins in India, its pandemic-related challenges, and its contemporary relevance amid global calls to end violence.
Professor Emeritus Paul Bueno de Mesquita from the University of Rhode Island (URI), Kingston, USA, serving as the Director of the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, was the resource speaker. He emphasized the unique nature of the program, condensing a 14-week course from URI into three days. Interactive discussions were key, engaging participants and encouraging reflection on nonviolence concepts.
A central theme was anchoring the nonviolence advocacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through six principles, leading Prof. Sarah Jane D. Mokamad to reflect on justice’s eventual triumph despite delays:
“The universe will ultimately side with justice. However, at times since it [justice] is delayed, we feel that it is not serving—that the universe is unjust, but what we do not know is that it takes time but eventually will side with the just.”
The seminar-workshop was both reflective and transformative, with participants praising the serene farm setting that distinguished it from other seminars.
~
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. -Martin Luther King Jr.
Written by: Prof. Grant Warren D. Lu