In celebration of the annual Mindanao Week of Peace on November, Peace Advocate Zamboanga (PAZ) announced its search for this year’s Peace Weaver awardees.
PAZ President Father Angel Calvo said its search committee is now accepting nominations from individuals or organizations in throughout Mindanao as candidates for this year’s peace awardees.
Interested parties can personally submit their nominations during office hours at PAZ office, SLSI Building, 2nd floor, San Jose (Cawa-Cawa) Road.
The deadline of the submission of nominees will be on October 30. The screening process will take effect one week before the awarding night, which is during the week-long peace celebration.
One of the highlights of this year award is a special citation will be given to local politicians who showed leadership though good governance.
The nomination will be evaluated by a Search Committee that is composed of representatives from PAZ and SALAM peace groups. The committee will immediately thereafter announce the results.
PAZ has been giving recognition to outstanding individuals and organizations that have selflessly devoted their effort towards peace building in the city or region, Fr. Calvo said.
The peace weaver award started in 1998. Its awardees included prominent local leaders like the late Hadji Jainuddin Nuno, Amilhussin Jumaani, and Sultan Unding Pamaran. Claretian priest Fr. Rhoel Gallardo, who was killed while under the captivity of Abu-Sayyaf in Basilan, was also an awardee.
Among the previous awardees were three former kidnapped victims— Esperancita “Espie” Hupida of Basilan-based Nagdilaab Foundation, Merlie “Milet” Mendoza, a former official of Pagtabangan BaSulTa, and Sulu-based Professor Octavio Dinampo—and two community workers, the late Fr. Reynaldo Roda and Samabadjao leader Jemson Ismael, who were killed in the line of their duties.
Last year the award was given to the Catholic Relief Services, Euntes Mission Center, Fr. Romeo Villanueva, OMI, and Ustadz Abdullah Hamja Utoh. Vicente P. Arevalo Editorial Consultant of Zamboanga Times was also given Peace Citation for Mass Media in Western Mindanao. The peace centers of WMSU (Center for Peace and Development) and ADZU (Ateneo Peace Institute) were also given Peace Citations, respectively.
Nominations may also include a community, which showed substantial performance on peace building for the last years.
The mechanics are:
• Individual has to be nominated by someone other than the person himself/herself; connected with the association or organization itself;
• Nominated individual who are deceased, should have been alive 15 years before the awards;
• Nominations either individuals or groups should be accompanied by at least two testimonies also written and prepared by objectivity independent parties;
• The testimonies shall be validated by other disinterred parties contacted by the search Committee;
• Nominees must be residents/based in any of the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi or the city of Zamboanga.
Awardees will receive a specially-made trophy during week-long celebration of the Mindanao Week of Peace (November 25 –December 1). For more information visit PAZ office or call its local land-line no: (63) 992-3086.
