MANILA, Feb. 13, 2013 —Being the only group invited from the Philippines, the CBCP – Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY) will be sending its executive secretary to attend an interfaith youth meeting on peace issues in Yangon, Myanmar on February 21 and 22.
ECY executive secretary Fr. Conegundo Garganta said the Religions for Peace Asia and the Pacific Interfaith Youth Network Regional Pre-Assembly Meeting will help Philippine youth ministry gain a wider perspective on long-standing issues in the country like the peace problem in Mindanao.
He said the organizer also wishes to benefit from the experiences of young people in a country like the Philippines.
“They would like to welcome to the Religions for Peace the presence of one [group] from a country that is majority Christian Catholic. Wala pang ganon (There is no group like that yet),” he explained.
Garganta will attend as an observer learner, who will be oriented on how Religions for Peace promotes and works for peace through youth networks.
According to Garganta, he foresees a deeper partnership and collaboration between Religions for Peace and the ECY, though concrete projects have yet to be explored.
He said the group espouses solidarity, unity and common understanding – the same values championed by the ECY.
Similar meetings will be held in six other continents and will serve as a preparatory step before the 9th Religions for Peace World Assembly.
Religions for Peace or the World Conference of Religions for Peace “is a large international coalition of representatives from the world’s religions dedicated to promoting peace founded in 1970.” [Nirva’ana Ella Delacruz]
