For the past consecutive years, the Emmaus Dialogue Movement is conducting the activity called “Neighbors in Harmony” every February in line with the celebration of the World Interfaith Harmony Week. The activity aims to gather people in the community to share o how each one can be instruments of peace and to have harmony among themselves and to reflect on any feeling or situation that affect their relationship as neighbors and lastly, to learn how to forgive and learn from the challenges that they faced every day. The Emmaus Circle members also take this occasion to introduce the “Harmony Prayer” to the community. They have also reflected that each one should know and understand that God loves us regardless of our religion, race, beliefs, and status in life. We should to embrace and respect each ones’ personality because we are Authentic in our own way. The activity aims to widen the imagination and creativity of the participants to challenge them to express and manifest harmony through music and words. At the end, Emmaus members are “listening to the voice of the Jesus through the poor and those who suffer.”    

The
World Interfaith Harmony Week Celebration was spread the message in Brgy.
Baluno, a barangay in Zamboanga City located in a mountainous part of Zamboanga
far away from the city proper. The Silsilah Dialogue Movement is known in this
barangay because of the Silsilah Harmony Zone and the Escuela de Siembradores
initiatives of Silsilah.

Fr.
Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME decided to spread the message of World Interfaith
Harmony Week in this area for them to be part of this long week event. Almost
40 people in the community attended the activity.

Mrs.
Cristina Santos, a silsilah staff who is also residing in this
barangay organized this activity with the help of the Brgy. Kagawad and a staff
assigned in Baluno farmers, Christopher Bagay. The event started with the
Harmony Prayer lead by Mrs. Cristina Santos.

Mrs. Santos first appreciated the
effort of the participants for coming for the event. She shared the importance
of the World Interfaith Harmony Week, discussing that this week was yearly
celebrated by the Silsilah Dialogue Movement every first week of February.

She shared that she invited
people in the community with the hope that they will participate with their own
initiatives and activity on the next WIHW.

Mr. Ricardo S. Revilleza, the
Punong Barangay of Baluno shared his
experiences staying in the Barangay and how he started collaborating with
Silsilah. He shared how other religions in their community are living in
Harmony.

He
appreciates Silsilah for remembering them during the WIHW Celebration and
decided to have their very own activity on WIHW next year. He is the Barangay
Kagawad of the barangay and he witnessed the development of the area even if it
is located in rural part of the city.

Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, PIME shared
the history of the World Interfaith Harmony Week and how Silsilah became the
Convener of this event. He shared the recent bombings and Mindanao and how it
affected the people especially the Muslim-Christian relation. He shared the
good message of the World Interfaith Harmony Week with the hope that the theme:
“Celebrating Truth, Sincerity and Forgiveness” will be reminded to people who
experience conflicts.

The people in the community shared their experiences on
Muslim-Christian dialogue especially in their Barangay. Confidently, they said
that the people in their community is living in respect and harmony with each
other and continue to hope that this relationship will last forever.

Mr.
Christopher Bagay, a Silsilah staff is in charge of the
farmers in Baluno. He shared his experience with Silsilah and how the
initiatives of the program help the farmers in Baluno.

In the spirit of the World
Interfaith Harmony Week, he shared that this activity is very meaningful to
them because they feel that they are part of the celebration. He is hoping for
more gatherings like this where they can reflect and share their good
relationship among the people in the community.

 The activity was successful and
the participants gathered together for a group picture. Indeed, World
Interfaith Harmony Week is not only for government sectors, schools, youth and
religious congregations, but small communities like Baluno can be a venue and
be part of this celebration. The people in the community were very glad to have
this kind of celebration in a special way. This activity might not be
considered as a big event but this activity is a very meaningful activity,
where we realize that celebrating an event in small communities will occupy a big
space in their hearts.