Cooperation Circle leaders, trustees and the regional coordinator for URI’s Southeast Asia and the Pacific (SEAPac) region gathered in Quezon City for a regional meeting on November 24-28, 2010. The theme, one being taken up throughout the URI network, was “Growth in Impact and Sustainability.” Musa Sanguila of the Pakigdait CC (Philippines) led a session on understanding conflict and shared Pakigdait’s work in Mindanao, a region whose ongoing Islamist insurgency has left the majority Muslim population poor and disenfranchised. Other sessions focused on dialogue and peacebuilding (led by Trustee Dr. Amir Farid Isahak); strengthening CCs and the regional network (led by Trustee Jessiee Kaur); and mobilizing resources (led by the Regional Coordinator, Shakun Vaswani). There was also an opportunity for youth leaders to share their stories and connect with other CC leaders, as well as a public forum to introduce the work of URI to peace and development stakeholders in the region.
On the final evening, in celebration of URI’s 10th anniversary, the delegates and their friends from Manila shared their music and dance in an evening of cultural performances and the region’s first fund raising event, Beyond Differences. Peter Mousaferiadis of Cultural Infusion CC (Australia) and Orlan de Guzman of the Peacemakers’ Circle CC (Philippines) organized and directed the spontaneous cultural offerings. Among the performers were the Cambodian delegates Sam An Ros and Sok Sidon, who performed a traditional Khmer folk dance; Putu Anggradana and Indra Udayana, who astounded the audience with their Balinese ritual dances; the children of Malaysian delegate Dr. Amir, who taught the audience about daily activities of local villagers through a series of rhymes; and URI youth from Tala, Caloocan who braved their first performance of the Singkil, a Maranao Muslim dance with bamboo sticks. Renowned international singer Dya Singh from the Dya Singh World Music Group CC (Australia) and his daughter Jamel from Cultural Infusion CC performed uplifting spiritual songs and in the end led the audience of URI members and supporters in a multi-faith chant and got everyone on their feet, holding hands and singing We Are All Connected.
The meeting ended on Sunday with visits to a local youth group and two worship sites. SEAPac’s next regional assembly will be hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Dr. Amir, the new regional council chair.
