Mindanao peace week celebration ends with TAPS

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — More than 1.78 billion minutes of thoughts and acts for peace were noted by the Mindanao Commission on Women and Mothers for Peace, besting an initial target of one million minutes since Sept. 1. The drive coincided with the Mindanao Week of Peace that ends today. Geejay B. Ariola, women commission media and arts director, said the bulk of the contribution, or about 100,000 minutes, came from Notre Dame University in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato based on the TAPS (Thoughts and Acts for Peace) summaries gathered from networks of peace advocates. She explained that the number doesn’t necessarily translate to individuals. "One person said that she will contribute 38,000 minutes for the campaign," she added. The drive was patterned after the Million Minutes of Peace Appeal originated by Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University for the International Year of Peace declared by the United Nations in 1986. It enjoins advocates to spend time on positive actions and thoughts for others. Ms. Ariola said the results of the collection campaign should have been disclosed during the Mindanao Week of Peace celebration on Nov. 27-Dec. 3, but the idea was shelved on positive note. "If we end the campaign, that’s it. It’s finished so we decided to just continue it," she said. Among the peaceful acts suggested by the campaign were: * apologizing for a mistake; * studying with an open mind the issues in the government-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain; * confronting prejudices against other groups; * writing a letter to the editor asking the government and the MILF to return to the negotiating table; * speaking against any injustice or exploitation; and * volunteering information that would help expose corruption. Irene M. Santiago, chief executive officer of the commission, said peace in Mindanao is everybody’s desire, but the issue remains elusive. "Peace is both personal and interpersonal so we ask for TAPS to forgive someone, listen more and talk less, apologize for a mistake or fault, reconcile with somebody who has hurt you, give your body a break from vices," she said. Ms. Santiago also asked each government official in the city to support the campaign. Councilor Peter T. Laviña said the acronym TAPS — an end-day military call — be replaced with PATS. "I’m thinking negative thoughts when TAPS or Thoughts and Actions for Peace be associated with the military PATS as in patting someone in the back connotes camaraderie," he said. — Joel B. Escovilla, BusinessWorld