DAVAO CITY—Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio remains optimistic that all efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace will never be in vain.
Mayor Duterte-Capio expressed this Thursday during the opening of the National Women’s Peace Table at the Marco Polo Hotel, a day after the national government’s cancellation of the peace talks with the communist movement.
She underscored the role women in peace-building, saying she is banking on their stronger voice and involvement to break down barriers and foster positive relations.
The mayor also lauded women leaders from various sectors for their efforts to restore dialogue, trust and peace by training women to establish peace circles in their own communities.
Pointing out women’s ability to resolve conflict in their own homes, the mayor said can also be equally capable of rectifying larger conflicts despite being often depicted as a victim of abuse and discrimination.
Duterte-Carpio also conceded that the road to the country’s quest for peace is long and arduous but, “we also recognize that without peace, we cannot guarantee a promising future for every Filipino child.”
The National Women Peace Table is an initiative of the Kahayag Foundation and the Mothers for Peace in partnership with the Institute for the Autonomy and Governance, and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung under the DELACSE Bangsamoro.
The one and a half-day workshop is attended by women leaders from the different organization from Baguio to Jolo.
Irene Santiago, the convener of the Women’s Peace Table, said the Women’s Peace Tables all over the Philippines will give women a significant voice in pursuing and promoting peace in the country.
Santiago, who has joined as a technical consultant of the Davao City Peace Committee created by Duterte-Carpio, said:
“Sitting at the table is an apt metaphor for a gathering of women. The table is where our families share meals. But more than meals, we share stories of how our day went, what made us laugh, what troubled us. It is where we bond as a family where each member’s voice is heard.”
“However, restricting peacemaking around a small table leaves the people feeling excluded. Exclusion creates resentment and feelings of powerlessness. Inclusion, on the other hand, leads to trust – sorely depleted in times of war and destructive conflict,” she added.
In a press conference at the sidelines of the Peace Table opening, Santiago said that with or without peace agreements, the women peace tables will serve as a venue to reach out to everybody and to contribute to achieving peace. (PNA/Lilian C. Mellejor)
