Past Oasis News

Silsilah Dialogue Movement, in its commitment to social solidarity and peace, has again conducted a Kapihan sa Silsilah. Now in its 39th conduct, this public forum focused on the theme, “The Zamboanga Subanon: Their Historical Past and their Present Challenges.” It was held on October 1, 2016 (Saturday) and was attended by representatives from the […]

The Silsilah Dialogue Movement in Solidarity with Pope Francis and the World Religious Leaders share this important news taken from THE HUFFINGTON POST(www.huffingtonpost.com). Pope Francis and leaders of different religions attend the 30th World Day of Prayer for Peace on Sept. 20 in Assisi, Italy. Pope Francis and leaders of other world religions said “No

Around the world, people know what is September 11, 2001. It marked a “new era” in the history of humanity. It was a time when the world saw once again what human mind and heart can do to divide people in the name of a specific plan and ideology nurtured by divisions among cultures and

I live my mission of dialogue and peace through the Silsilah Dialogue Movement formed by Christians and Muslims. Thru the years, I have developed friendships with many, giving special attention to the Muslims. I am a priest without a parish but with a lot of challenge that I am ready to face because I believe

It was by chance that two Italian doctor experts in acupuncture, Paola Poli, president of AGOM and Carlo Moiraghi, vice president of AGOM and president of ALMA school of acupuncture in Milan, offered to Silsilah the possibility to serve our people in Zamboanga City for two weeks. They left Zamboanga on August 20, 2016 and

Another Kapihan sa Silsilah was held last August 13, 2016. Now on its 38th conduct, this Kapihan focused on one of the most controversial issues in the country today – Drug Addiction. There were three speakers that morning namely Dr. Casto Hermino, Jr., the Chairperson of the Zamboanga City Medical Center Psychiatry Department, Atty. Mohammad

When the name Basilan is uttered there is always the feeling that Basilan is a dangerous place because it is one place of the Abu Sayyaf who are responsible for many forms of terrorism and kidnapping. The Silsilah Dialogue Movement is present in Basilan with an active group of respected Christian and Muslim leaders called

A Christian was killed in Jolo a few days ago and a reliable source told me that twenty Christians have been targeted to be killed or kidnapped soon. In the midst of so many good Muslim leaders and friends of Jolo the Christian community is suffering a form of persecution from those who are guided

In life, we see beginnings as another opportunity to move forward. For the Silsilah Dialogue Movement, a new beginning is a fresh start to take courage and hope once again. It was but courage to dream that moved this then a small group of people in Zamboanga City to form a movement that sponsored an

Every year the Silsilah Dialogue Movement shares a message to the Muslim Ummah during the month of Ramadan and a message to the Christians during the Advent and Christmas Season. This message of Ramadan is addressed to all Muslims, especially to the Muslims in the Philippines. Today the gap among Muslims and Christians in the

Harmony Village welcomed the Silsilah Alumni on May 17-20 to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Silsilah Summer Course.  For us this is a great achievement considering that   every year, from 1987 up to 2016 we have formed thousands of alumni. They are Muslims and Christians from Mindanao, other parts of the Philippines and other countries. We have counted thru the

Staggering lack of water supply, cracked dry farm grounds, and almost dried up rivers – these are but a few scenarios of the ongoing El Niño phenomenon here in Zamboanga City. We have been experiencing this drought since January of this year but the situation seemed to worsen as months went by. As part of

Summer time in the Philippines is changing. One reason is the present climate change we experience. Aside from this is the change being felt in our educational system. Schools and universities now apply the new schedule policies that make school openings in the month of August. Despite these changes, we here in the Silsilah Dialogue

Summer time in the Philippines is changing. One reason is the present climate change we experience. Aside from this is the change being felt in our educational system. Schools and universities now apply the new schedule policies that make school openings in the month of August. Despite these changes, we here in the Silsilah Dialogue

This year we mark the 30th Silsilah Summer Course on Muslim-Christian Dialogue. Many of our alumni of the Silsilah Summer Course now occupy leadership positions in different sectors, both private and public services in the Philippines and in other countries. We celebrate together to share our experiences and to build friendship in order to inspire

The book entitled “On the Road to Emmaus”, launched by the Silsilah Dialogue Movement last February 11, 2016 in Harmony Village, Zamboanga City on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Priesthood of Fr. Sebastiano B. D’Ambra, PIME is inspirational because it equates the journey of every Christian today on his own Road to

On February 11 I will celebrate, in Zamboanga City, my 50th Anniversary of priesthood and I wish to share with the friends of Oasis News this reflection not to list down the many things that I have done in fifty years of life as a PIME missionary, but to share my joy and desire to

The book entitled “On the Road to Emmaus”, launched by the Silsilah Dialogue Movement last February 11, 2016 in Harmony Village, Zamboanga City on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Priesthood of Fr. Sebastiano B. D’Ambra, PIME is inspirational because it equates the journey of every Christian today on his own Road to

The news    comes from Iraq with the title “Islamic State brand Christmas festivities ‘heretical’. The news    comes from Iraq with the title “Islamic State brand Christmas festivities ‘heretical’. This is one of the many alarming news that circulate in the world today as part of a growing radicalism that makes good Muslims uneasy

In the midst of  so many alarming  news of violence  we  the Friends of  Zamboanga  Watersheds Movement  led by the Silsilah Dialogue  Movement,  with many partner groups and individuals of Zamboanga City,  are happy to share our solidarity  with the  United Nations (UN)  Climate Change  Conference  in Paris  from November 30 to December  11, 2015.

A joint effort between the parish of  Quiapo, in Manila and the Silsilah Dialogue Dialogue Movement was the beginning of the Ministry of Inter- religious Dialogue-Quiapo in 20111 when the  parish priest of  Quiapo, Monsignor  Clemente Ignacio,  asked the collaboration of Silsilah to  be present in the multi cultural and multi religious   presence of Quiapo. 

Silsilah Dialogue Movement, faithful to its tradition to send a message to Muslims on the occasion of the month of Ramadhan and to Christians during Advent and Christmas time, reaffirms its mission of harmony, solidarity and peace in this difficult time for mankind and invites all to continue to work for the common good with

The 50th Anniversary of the Vatican II Council declaration entitled “Nostra Aetate”, ”a Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions”, reminds us the importance of this document of Vatican II. It is one of the shortest documents of Vatican II Council, but it created a kind of revolution in the Church. From

The United Nations Climate Change Conference of Paris on November 30 up to December 11, 2015 will present for the first time in over 20 years of UN Negotiations, a binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the world. Indeed, all nations need to come together to care for what Pope

Manila, Philippines—In celebration of the United Nations’ (UN) INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE celebrated every 21st of September recognizing the efforts of people andorganizations geared to end conflict and promote peace, various non-government organizations and academic communities in the Philippines conducted the 2015 Pamana ng Kapayapaan [Inheritance of Peace] held on October 1 and 2, Thursday

Quiapo is one of the districts in Manila where there are Christians and Muslims living together in the area. For this reason theQuiapo Church has organized the Ministry for Interreligious Dialogue four years ago on September 20, 2011 in collaboration with the Silsilah Dialogue Movement to build better relations among Christians and Muslims. The Past

Zamboanga City will never forget September 09, 2013. It was the beginning of a siege and a war that caused so much pain, hatred and death. Many still live in fear reflecting “what will be the future of Zamboanga for me and my family?” and “what will be the Muslim-Christian relations if the alarming practice

The Friends of Zamboanga Watersheds Movement (FZWM) welcomes the initiative of Pope Francis to designate September 1 annually as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. This is a sign of the times and an urgent need that the pope shares when he wrote his Encyclical on the care of our common

The Harmony Chain Initiative is part of the continuous effort of Silsilah Dialogue Movement to promote dialogue and peace starting from a spiritual approach. Since the beginning in the year 1984, the first group of Muslims and Christians has taken the commitment to pray for peace which we still continue to do so every day

August 2, 2014. Cry for Genuine Environmental Care: Challenge and Advocacy – this was the theme for the Kapihan sa Silsilah, recently held in Zamboanga City. Now in its 34th conduct, the activity highlighted the present reality that is happening in the environment worldwide. In the light of the latest papal encyclical letter Laudato Si’,

Committed to the work of promoting Culture of Dialogue as the path to a sustainable and lasting peace in the society, Silsilah Dialogue Movement initiated programs that render services and formation for all. One of these programs is Silsilah Peace and Development Program (SPDS), the social action arm of the movement. Anchored on the principle,

Today we have reached a very alarming stage with all of humanity under the threat of terrorism. ISIS is the visible point of the iceberg that looms in our horizon. The recent attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait, France, Somalia and the on going terror attacks of ISIS in Iraq and Syria bring us to a very

This is the last stage of a long journey of the peace agreement in Mindanao known as the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). Silsilah Dialogue Movement, on many occasions, has affirmed that the Movement has the mission to be a “voice of conscience” and to link people willing to build together a sincere and sustainable dialogue

The Kapihan sa Silsilah is a regular activity promoted by Silsilah to focus on relevant issues and to share ideas and suggestions for the common good in our multicultural and multi-religious society. The Kapihan sa Silsilah with the theme: “HELP BUILD BACK BETTER ZAMBOANGA: EVALUATION 2014; RECOMMENDATION 2015” was held in the morning of December

Advent is a time of “preparation” for the coming of Jesus, the Emmanuel (God among us). This event is still recalled not only by the Christians, but also in the counting of time in the Gregorian calendar, used in most parts of the world, although different religions use special calendars to recall major religious events.

Signed by the participants of the 1st National Assembly of the Harmony Chain Initiative November 9, 2014. We, the link persons, and the members of the HCI gathered in Harmony Village on the occasion of the 1st National Assembly of Silsilah Dialogue Movement reaffirm our committment to the HCI convinced that promoting prayer for peace

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement and the 10th Anniversary of the Silsilah Forum, the movement held its 1st National Assembly Attended by many members and friends, and forum participants from Davao, Jolo, Iligan, Manila, Basilan, Cagayan de Oro, Sibugay, Antipolo, Siasi, Cotabato and Pagadian. International recognition of Silsilah, as

 For 35 Christian couples of Lima, Barangay Baluno, Zamboanga City, a rural community twenty one kilometers out of the city proper, October 23, 2014 became a day to remember for the rest of their lives. Through the initiative and professional concern of Hja. Sarah Handang, principal of Lima Elementary School, a mass wedding was solemnized

In the year 2000 when President Estrada declared “Total war in Mindanao”  the Silsilah Dialogue Movement  ”declared” another way  to achieve peace and  in our little  way we proposed,  among the other activities of formation for Dialogue and Peace, the  ”Harmony Chain Initiative”   which is  an inter faith invitation for dialogue and  peace. A

  In the midst of so many alarming news of radicalism and terrorism in Mindanao and other parts of the world, Silsilah invites all to move with determination in promoting   dialogue and peace through education and formation and share our lives in solidarity with those who suffer most. With this spirit the Movement maintains

On December 23, 2013 the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Coun- cil) of Zamboanga City passed Ordinance No.420 – “ An Ordinance Strengthening the City’s Interfaith Program Through the Creation of the City Interfaith Council and Mandating the Establishment of Interfaith Desks and Focal Persons and Providing Funds Therefore and for Other Related Purposes.” In the preamble

The Silsilah Peace and Development Services, a program of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement, held last Saturday, August 23, 2014 its 30th Kapihan sa Silsilah at the Sunflower Restaurant with the theme:  Fraternities and Sororities through Dialogue and Peace for a Better Zamboanga. Objective of the gathering was to convince and help fraternities and sororities to

We are honored to be here for this event not only to receive, but also to express our gratitude to Your Majesty and those who are helping you in the promotion of the World Interfaith Harmony Week. It is a pivotal initiative which gives a global platform to all those who are working for peace

The 28th edition of the Silsilah Summer Course on Muslim-Christian Dialogue reels off on Sunday, April 20, 2014 when participants for the Basic Course arrive in Harmony Village in  Pitogo, Sinunuc, Zamboanga City. The Summer Course was initiated in 1987 in support of Silsilah’s objective of promoting understanding between Muslims and Christians, and what better

Inter -Faith Council  of Leaders (IFCL) – there is a group in Zamboanga City, in Basilan and in Sulu. The oldest of these groups is the one in Zamboanga which has been around for over 10 years and the other two came to be some years after.  Each group was organized by the Silsilah Dialogue

So much hope for  peace in Mindanao rides on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) which was signed on March 27, 2014 by the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). In essence the CAB, when the process shall have been fully complied with, will see the establishment  of an

Dialogue with creation is one of the four crucial program pillars of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement, along with  dialogue with God, with the self and with others. When  dialogue with creation is set aside or impaired then we lose touch with our sense of responsibility to maintain our planet earth as a suitable  home for

  The official close to the 2014 Interfaith Harmony Week happened on Friday, February 7 at the Grand Astoria Celebrity Hall in a 2-hour program which started at 6:30  in the evening. It was attended by representatives of the various groups which make up the UN Interfaith Harmony Partners Zamboanga, the collaborators in staging the

On December 23, 2013  the  Sangguniang  Panlungsod (City Council) of  Zamboanga City passed Ordinance No.420  – “ An Ordinance Strengthening the City’s Interfaith Program Through the Creation of the City Interfaith Council and Mandating the Establishment of Interfaith Desks and Focal Persons  and Providing Funds Therefore and for Other Related Purposes.” In the preamble to

I regularly share ideas with Muslim and Christian leaders. Sometimes I do this when the Muslims and Christians are together , sometimes separately – when we reflect together in the Silsilah way to promote dialogue in the concrete situation, considering the cultural back ground and the different understanding of religion in each group. But there

Silsilah Dialogue Movement is always open to face the new challenges of society guided by its vision and mission. One of the programs of the movement is Silsilah Peace and Development Services (SPDS). It is the social action of the movement with different programs and advocacies like; education-formation for the prisoners, Harmony Zones, emergency assistance

In the spirit of Ramadhan we wish to share in this Oasis News the experience of prayer that has been always part of the spirit of Silsilah. In 1984, the Silsilah Dialogue Movement started its experience of dialogue, inviting Muslim and Christian friends for time of spontaneous prayer helping them to reflect together on some

We decided to send a letter of a Christian to a Muslim friend written during the formation program of Silsilah Dialogue Movement held last June 25-28, 2012. This program is part of the effort of Silsilah that started this year 2012 that conducts formation for Muslim and Christian leaders and professionals in Zamboanga City and

One of the major international event – the “Olympic Games” started in Olympia, Greece. The Olympics  is considered to be foremost sports competition in the world and more than 200 nations participates and this event has acquired a worldwide interest that unites people from different parts of the world.  One of the major international event

It was in the evening around 9 o’clock on that faithful day, 20th of May, twenty years ago. I was waiting at the gate of the PIME House in Suterville, not very far from this spot where it all happened…I was waiting for the return of Fr. Salvatore Carzedda, PIME. He had spent the whole

February 8, 1987 to February 8, 2012 – a span of 25 years since the establishment of the Emmaus Dialogue Community (EDC).The 25th Anniversary of its founding was an occasion for the EDC to express gratitude to the Archdiocese of Zamboanga for welcoming them as an official lay association in the Church. The archbishops of

On June 11, 2011 a symbolic obelisk in R. T. Lim Boulevard was unveiled by Congressional Representative of the 1st District Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar, witnessed by Mayor Celso L. Lobregat , members of the IFCL and other groups of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement, friends from the Inter-Religious Solidarity Movement for Peace (IRSMP) and the officers

The 2011 Silsilah Special Course was on the theme “The Mindanao Conflict: Multiple Perspectives of the Problem and the Need for a Common Articulation of the Solution” held on May 23-28, 2011 This theme was chosen for a number of reasons, three of which are 1) the continuing conflict deepens the divide between Mindanao groups

Things begin, and things end. On April 24, 2011 the 25th offering of the Silsilah Basic Course on Muslim-Christian Dialogue began with 30 participants. Most of the participants were from the Philippines but there were 2 participants from Vietnam and 2 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These Vietnamese and Congolese participants are all

Some 98 youth leaders attended the 12th Silsilah Solidarity Youth Camp (SSYC) on May 10-14, 2011 at the Harmony Village Campsite, in Pitogo, Sinunuc, Zamboanga City. The participating youth leaders represented different youth groups, communities, schools and organizations in a 5- day camp organized by the SilPeace, a program for the youth of Silsilah Dialogue

“Over  the many years I have spent with the peace movers of Silsilah I have witnessed the difference… where before we viewed each other with the eyes of suspicion and hatred, we now express our views in terms of what we can do together to erase centuries-old social irritants between groups”. These were the words

In 1987 the first Silsilah Summer Course was offered out of the Silsilah office in a building in downtown Zamboanga City. The course was designed to give knowledge about the basic teachings and history of Islam and Christianity; Muslims and Christians sat in the same class and thus together learned about each other’s religion. The

The Philippine summer is already upon us in spite of the fact that April has been a very “wet” month here in Zamboanga City, rather than the dry and hot month it normally is. The year 2011 marks the 25th offering of the Silsilah Summer Course which over the years has seen a modification. The

“The times they are achanging.” Librarians know this as well as most people do. They are aware that the needs of users for libraries have changed and so libraries have to change too, and adapt to the needs of the communities that they serve. The changes in librarianship are more than changes in the types

The Inter-Faith Council of Leaders (IFCL) in Zamboanga city meets in the afternoon of every first Saturday of the month in the Silsilah Center on Gov. Alvarez Ave. For each meeting the group follows this agenda: The Inter-Faith Council of Leaders (IFCL) in Zamboanga city meets in the afternoon of every first Saturday of the

Wearing face masks, many of the children stood out among the other kids. They were in chemotherapy for the conditions they had – leukemia and similar conditions of the blood. Some looked like they were pre-school kids; another was a teenager. They and their mothers were all in the simple program organized by Silsilah at

The Australian Embassy in the Philippines has recently approved a proposal submitted months ago by the Silsilah Dialogue Movement to undertake a project that will address the matter of trauma healing for people in areas of conflict. Silsilah is keenly aware that in situations of conflict some people are more seriously affected than some others.

North Africa and the Middle East have been wracked by unrest and civil disorder since January this year. While the situations in Tunisia and Egypt have evolved into the stage where the respective countries are now working out new constitutions and the people in general have a stronger sense of what kind of governance they

Different parts of the world remain unstable because of conflict arising from cultural and religious differences, which in turn generate violence that pits one neighborhood against another or one family against another. Add to this the devastation in people’s lives caused by natural calamities and we get a picture of the reason for the deep

Close to a thousand Basileños, braving the scourging heat of the sun, marched a 3-kilometer road on February 24, 2011 to show that violence in the province has to finally put an end. “Walk for Peace” is one among the concrete plans that the IFCL in Basilan have undertake after series of meetings and consultation

Silsilah regularly follows the commentaries of Samir Khalil Samir, a Jesuit born in Cairo and presently a professor of Oriental Theology at St. Joseph’s University in Beirut, Lebanon. In an article which came out on February 24, 2011 in an on-line publication which Silsilah regularly receives, Fr. Samir comments on the recent events in North

The formation of Silsilah Forum in different areas allows Silsilah members, alumni and their friends to reflect and share their experience of dialogue. This is the space given to the members to ground them with lived realities of others to face issues and support each other in dialogical spirit. Hence the readiness to collaborate and

Tolerance is a great virtue but it can never be a one-way street. If we want others to respect the ideas we espouse, then that means that we must also respect their ideas. Respecting the ideas of others does not mean that we accept their ideas as correct; rather, that we allow them to believe

“When we start to dialogue it is a sign of hope”, these were the words that struck a chord in the hearts of members of the Inter-Faith Council of Leaders (IFCL) of Basilan when they met on February 3, 2011 in the conference hall of Basilan State College in Isabela City, Basilan. IFCL-Basilan is comprised

Farmers are among the most involved, hands-on caregivers of the earth. Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME, the founder of Silsilah, intuitively recognized the need for small farmers to be trained so they become conscious tillers of the earth, and with dignity and compassion give their contribution in caring for all of God’s creation. This is the

On Christmas morning, December 25, 2010, Fr. Rickjy Bacolcol, DCJ, was the presider at the mass in the Asturias Sacred Heart Chapel in Jolo, Sulu and Fr. Romeo Villanueva, OMI was the mass co-celebrant. Fr. Rickjy had just been ordained about a month prior to this date; Fr. Villanueva has been in the Apostolic Vicariate

Daily the media bring before our consciousness news about violent incidents taking place in different parts of the world and our spirits are troubled. Doubly so if these violent incidents have religious overtones. Silsilah is dedicated to the pursuit of dialogue as a style of life – and it sees dialogue as “a style of

In 2001 the Silsilah Dialogue Movement started the practice of sharing joy and happiness during the Christmas season with the children of less-privileged families living in the areas surrounding Harmony Village. Over the years this has become a yearly tradition. Thus on December 28, 2010 some 500 chosen children from families of different faith affiliations

On January 2, 2011, the Feast of the Epiphany, family and friends of Jackelyn L. Timoteo came to the Holy Family Church to witness as she made her vow of commitment to a Life of Promise as a member of Emmaus Dialogue Community (EDC). The same occasion also marked the Renewal of Lifetime Commitment as

It has been a commitment for Silsilah Dialogue Movement to produce every year the Silsilah Calendar which was started in the year 1992. From a simple calendar planner to an informative Gregorian and Hijrah calendar it has been very useful to Muslim and Christian community. Individuals, groups and institutions continue to request for it and

In Zamboanga City – Philippines, a gathering of renewal of commitment for dialogue and peace last December 12, 2010 in Harmony Village at Sinunuc brought together some 200 hundred Muslim and Christian members and friends of Silsilah Dialogue Movement all over Mindanao. This year’s Renewal of Commitment highlighted the sharing of the experiences and memories

The declaration of the Eight Doha Conference on Interfaith dialogue was presented by one of the close Muslim leaders of Silsilah Dr. Aboulkhair Tarason during the Silsilah Madaris Gurus and Catechist Seminar held in Harmony Village, Zamboanga City on October 25-27, 2010.  Silsilah is happy to present this declaration on the occasion of the Amun

The massacre in Baghdad on October 31 inside a Syrian Catholic Church during the celebration of the mass has urged us, members of the INTER-FAITH Council of Leaders (ifcl) of Zamboanga City in Mindanao, to reflect once again on the “Anger that drives violence in the world and what do the Bible and the Qur’an

Sincerity is one of the traits in those that engage in dialogue which make for genuine dialogue, the kind that fosters better relationships and understanding. By sincerity we mean that our words convey what we want to say, not what we think the other wants to hear. This connotation of sincerity presupposes that there is

The Silsilah Dialogue Movement’s initiatives for the youth are run basically through the Silpeace Youth Program. These initiatives are coordinated by two youthful full-time staff of the Movement who in turn work with students in the high schools and colleges as well as with young people who are no longer in school. These young volunteers

An on-line publication, Jewish World Review, has been running a series entitled “Positive Word Power – Building a Better World with the Words You Speak”. Since words are our usual way of communicating with others, the series is very helpful. The series begins with the following: Talk is NOT cheap. Words are our most valuable

After the successful launching of the Inter-Faith Council of Leaders (IFCL)-Basilan on July 26, 2010, a follow-on activity was organized to gather friends and prospective members of IFCL on October 7, 2010 at the Basilan State College in Isabela City, Basilan. The gathering was made possible with the enthusiastic work of the IFCL-Basilan Coordinators, Prof.

Silsilah believes that through living life-in-dialogue, people of different faiths and cultures can create a world of harmony, solidarity and peace. Silsilah also believes in the crucial role of media in bringing about this goal. Acting on these beliefs, Silsilah has been implementing a program aimed at the youth which seeks to increase media awareness

Alzad T. Sattar is a young Muslim from Basilan who is a professor at the Basilan State College in Isabela City, Basilan. On a scholarship from the Ford Foundation he attended the Coexistence and Conflict Resolution Program at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts in the United States where he received an MA. His master’s thesis

(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