I am happy to present the new book “Stories of Change” published by Silsilah Publications. As an Italian priest arriving in Mindanao in 1977, I was surprised to listen to sad stories of conflict in Mindanao normally called “encounter”. In my language “Encounter” always has a positive meaning.
I learned to accept the reality that the meaning of “encounter” in Mindanao is normally identified as a conflict and I did my best, since the beginning, to transform this negative “encounter” into a positive one choosing the word “dialogue”, that is also used by Silsilah as a journey toward the Culture of Dialogue to sustain the vision of peace.
Sometimes in life, negative experiences became challenges to transform them to something positive and this happened to me, and I believe, many others have similar experiences. “Dialogue” when reaches the level of love becomes a spiritual journey that can be considered a spirituality. This new book of Silsilah, “Stories of Change” is the presentation of stories of twenty-six people of different ages, religions, and stages in life. You can read the stories here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d_DiA3T3N3I-hI2jD_7dS96aaOuQp_qE/view?usp=sharing
This new book, “Stories of Change”, is also a concrete contribution on the path to dialogue. It is a new publication of 2021, the year when the Church is celebrating the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines, a special year that I hope becomes a moment of deeper reflection for all. Often “encounters” of conflicts are nurtured by ambitions of leaders as part of their strategy to remain in power. They also use religions and cultures. This reality is true also in the Philippines, as well as in many other parts of the world. They are invited to remember great examples of leaders among Christians, Muslims and Indigenous Peoples who have moved with sincere hearts. Silsilah, for 37 years, has dreamed to build a Culture of Dialogue, Path to Peace, starting from Mindanao, a “Land of conflict”. This requires to move together with a new spirit and this is a right time to build the future together.
This collection of “Stories of Change” do not present the different stages of the history, stories of people, but particular stories and reflections that can inspire us and can help many to reflect on their own story of change. We hope that in reading these stories, we can reflect more: “Why do others have good stories of change? What about me?” If we remember any good story in our life, we are invited to reflect: “What have I done with the good stories of my life?
In this time of COVID19 when we witness many good stories of people and groups who help and risk their lives to help others we are urged to remove all barriers of cultures and religions and meet the others as brothers and sisters. Considering that all the stories of change in this collection are unique, we subdivided them only in three parts: In Search for More in Dialogue, The Test of Love in Dialogue with COVID19 and Stories behind the Bars. It is my joy to thank all of them, who continue to inspire many, and also me, in this mission of “dialogue and peace” in the midst of divisions and conflicts.
Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME
Founder, Silsilah Dialogue Movement
Executive Secretary, CBCP-ECID