2009 Oasis News

[smartslider3 slider=2] There is no need to mention the details, but this reflection is to join many in the world who have expressed indignation and pain over the Maguindanao Massacre of November 23. This day will mark forever a dark day in the history of   Mindanao. For those like us in Silsilah  who have  been  working hard for many  years to promote […]

(The Silsilah Dialogue Movement advocates not only for Muslim-Christian dialogue but also dialogue with other religions. It helps us to understand a religion a bit more when we are able to look into the thoughts of religious leaders in that religion. It is with this thought that we print here an excerpt of a speech given

(The Silsilah Dialogue Movement advocates not only for Muslim-Christian dialogue but also dialogue with other religions. It helps us to understand a religion a bit more when we are able to look into the thoughts of religious leaders in that religion. It is with this thought that we print here an excerpt of a speech

The Silsilah Dialogue Movement has kept a tradition of sending a message to the Muslims during the month of Ramadhan and a message to the Christians on the occasion of the celebration of Advent. Following this tradition, once again Silsilah shares a message of peace to the Christians who, starting November 29, will enter a

There is no need to mention the details, but this reflection is to join many in the world who have expressed indignation and pain over the Maguindanao Massacre of November 23. This day will mark forever a dark day in the history of   Mindanao. For those like us in Silsilah  who have  been  working hard for many  years to promote dialogue  and

Many of the conflicts in human society – conflicts between individuals, between families, between ethnic groups – have arisen because one party in the conflict feels having been wronged. In many instances the original wrong, if there was one, may have taken place a good while back. But the memory over time still stokes strong

In His wisdom God made a world of tremendous diversity. The creatures of the sea range from the gigantic whales and the tiny plankton. We have the towering redwoods and the lichen whose structure is barely discernible. Existing in their natural habitats are the huge elephants and furry animals small enough to fit in the

Climate change and high-intensity weather disturbances. Movement of tectonic plates and earthquakes. These were some of the topics taken up in the 22nd Kapihan sa Silsilah held at the Sunflower Restaurant on October 31, 2009. These topics were of great interest and concern to the attendees at the Kapihan, especially in the wake of the great calamity

On October 20-22, 2009, 24 catechist and 22 madaris gurus coming from different areas in the province of Basilan came to Harmony Village in Zamboanga City for a seminar-workshop on dialogue and peace. Two focal aims of the seminar were to build friendship among the participants and to make them aware of the recent dialogue efforts between Muslim and Christian

Among the Silsilah Dialogue Movement’s pillars of dialogue, the central one is the dialogue with God. As we reach out in dialogue with God, we become imbued with his spirit and his grace, and we are better able to dialogue with others and with creation. It is the grace we receive from God that makes

On October 18 Catholics in the world will celebrate WORLD MISSION SUNDAY. This celebration was initiated by Pope Pius XI in 1926.On this eighty-third World Mission Sunday the theme proposed by Pope Benedict XVI is “The nations will come to its Light” (Rev.21,24).How are we to   understand this message today when less than 3% of the population of Asia is Christian, in spite of

The recent sufferings in loss of lives and damage to properties brought about by two typhoons (international names Ketsana and Parma, locally Ondoy and Pepeng respectively) in September have shaken many people. Those most affected were residents of the National Capital Region (Metro Manila and environs) and several provinces of Luzon. Within the same fortnight

“Bawal magkasakit” ( It is prohibited to get sick.) This is often said in jest but the admonition cannot be taken too lightly. Being ill has implications beyond the aches and pains of the sick individual. In these hard economic times a very serious implication is the cost of being sick – the cost of

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is an international organization that developed from the Asia-Africa Conference held in Bandung, Indonesia in 1955. The member-countries are those which hoped to ensure their  progress and independence  without being drawn into an alignment with either the West or the Soviet blocs during the time of the Cold War. At present

The Vienna International Christian-Islamic Round Table, which is referred to for brevity by the name VICIRoTa, has met five times since 2000. It counts 15 members who are academics and/or religious leaders from both the Christian and Islamic communities. At its 5th Plenary Meeting in October 2008 VICITRoTa came out with a manifesto expressing what

Silsilah applies much of its energy and resources to the promotion of Muslim-Christian dialogue, but this is most certainly not the only type of dialogue that it pursues and promotes. The Silsilah vision of dialogue has four strands, or more correctly, a key strand from which flows three other strands. Dialogue with God is the

Silsilah applies much of its energy and resources to the promotion of Muslim-Christian dialogue, but this is most certainly not the only type of dialogue that it pursues and promotes. The Silsilah vision of dialogue has four strands, or more correctly, a key strand from which flows three other strands. Dialogue with God is the

Needless to say water is a basic need of man. And it is rightly said that “Water is gold and water is life” (El agua es oro, el agua es vida). From the outset the advocacy undertaken by 7 groups in the city was not to take a stand against mining per se; the advocacy

Needless to say water is a basic need of man. And it is rightly said that “Water is gold and water is life” (El agua es oro, el agua es vida). From the outset the advocacy undertaken by 7 groups in the city was not to take a stand against mining per se; the advocacy

The Silsilah Peace and Development Services (SPDS) hosted on August 20, 2009, the 21st Kapihan sa Silsilah  at the Sunflower Food Center in Zamboanga City on the topic “Human Trafficking: A Global Phenomenon”. The Silsilah Peace and Development Services (SPDS) hosted on August 20, 2009, the 21st Kapihan sa Silsilah  at the Sunflower Food Center

In 2002, the Committee on Education of the Interfaith Council of Leaders sponsored an orientation seminar on Culture of Dialogue, path to peace to some Muslim and Christian honor students who were graduated from selected Elementary Schools in Zamboanga City. This is an effort to expose our young incoming high school students to a life

The initial gathering was held last June 19, 2009 when Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME invited some friends to the Poveda School located at the heart of the Ortigas Commercial Complex. After sharing the joyful celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement last May 9, 2009, the concept of an Inter Faith Dialogue

Ramadhan is a special month of blessings, full of grace. The Holy Qur’an revealed the importance of fasting, reaffirming the necessity to fast for the Muslim Umma. Ramadhan is an Arabic word composed of three root letters: RA expresses RAHMAT meaning blessings of Allah; MIM expresses MAGHFIRAH meaning the forgiveness of Allah; and DHAD expresses