From Mindanao to the World
In the year 2000, Silsilah Dialogue Movement started in Mindanao to promote the “HARMONY PRAYER.” That was the time when then former President of the Philippines, Joseph Estrada, launched the “Total War in Mindanao.”
Alarmed by this news we in Silsilah started another “war”, an “Armed of prayer” involving all, Christians and Muslims to pray a universal prayer called ” HARMONY PRAYER”. This prayer is universal because it can be properly prayed by all, especially Muslims and Christians. The Bishop-Ulama Conference and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and many other Muslims and Christian groups and leaders welcomed this prayer since the beginning.
We were blessed on that occasion to have the support of many, including the full support of the film Director Marilou Diaz Abaya, who was at that time a member of Silsilah and she provided beautiful music composed by Nonong Buencamino. This interfaith initiative of meditation and prayer called “Harmony Chain Initiative” soon was spread among the members of Silsilah, Friends, and friends of friends and was supported, since the beginning, by their OPAPP (Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace Process) with the new President of the Philippines, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, III.
Over the years we adventure to spread this initiative in other countries and we ask to find people to translate the prayer into many languages, not only of the Philippines, but also of other languages around the world. We spread the Harmony Chain Initiative through friends and others who commit to be the link persons in their school, parish, mosque, office, etc. We have reached thirty-five nations. In each of the nation, we have some ” link persons.”
To make the initiative more visible we started in Harmony Village in Zamboanga City, the home place of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement, a HOUSE OF NATION OF THE HARMONY CHAIR INITIATIVE, a simple and touching building situated between a Muslim prayer house and a Christian prayer house surrounded by nature and trees.
Another positive initiative that has helped to spread the Harmony Prayer, especially in the Philippines is the WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK (WIHW), launched in 2010 by the United Nations with the specific goal of promoting ” the love of God, the love of neighbors and the love for the common good.” This new initiative inspired us to become promoters on a national level starting from Zamboanga City convinced that this new initiative of the United Nations answers well to the vision and mission of Silsilah.
From Zamboanga, we have contacted all the Silsilah Forums around Mindanao and in Manila and in a few years the WIHW was spread and became one of the most dynamic celebration in the country, thanks also to the Republic Act.10525, “An act declaring the first week of February of every year as World Interfaith Harmony Week in the Philippines, mandating its observance in the whole country.”
Unfortunately, during the COVID time, the WIHW and the “Harmony Chain Initiative” (HCI) were not followed properly, but after all the groups on the national level that celebrate the WIHW met in Zamboanga for a national gathering and together decided to give more attention to the initiative of the WIHW and to the HCI, including the Harmony Song that is used now by many schools, offices, private and public offices.
Another step done together with the WIHW partners around the country was the launching of the “Dialogue With Creation Partners Week”, the first week of October (!-7). It is an interfaith initiative with a special focus on DIALOGUE WITH CREATION.
We have prepared the website, www.harmonylink.info where anyone can find more information on the HARMONY PRAYER (and the translation of the Harmony Prayer in many languages) , on the World Interfaith Harmony Week and the Dialogue with Creation Partners Week.
With this short background related to the HARMONY CHAIN INITIATIVE, we will launch on the occasion of the WIHW (February 1-7) the 25th anniversary of the HARMONY CHAIN INITIATIVE (2000-2025). It coincides with the end of the 40th Anniversary of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement (1984-2024).
Let us “Dream Together” for dialogue and peace inspired by the “Harmony Prayer.”
SILSILAH DIALOGUE MOVEMENT