Mindanaoans cry: Cooperatives for peace in Mindanao!

Cagayan de Oro City (27 October) -- "The Mindanao Cooperative Declaration for peace represents a multi-sectoral and multi-cultural commitment for peace-building through the development of cooperatives."

Thus stressed Cagayan de Oro's Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J., D.D., who said the peace campaign of everyone in the island should be "We cry: Cooperatives for peace in Mindanao!"

It is in this light, that the people in Mindanao have come together to work for peace as manifested in the 1st Mindanao Cooperative Peace Forum on Oct. 29, 2009 at Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan Gym, Regional Director Orlando R. Ravanera of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), region 10, said.

Ravanera said about 5,000 active cooperatives in Mindanao, with about 1.2 million members, consisting of the Muslims, the Lumads and other Indigenous Peoples, the Churches, the Ulamas, the Academe, the Rotarians and all peace-loving Mindaoans will attend the forum.

Likewise, he said the participants will collectively advance what they believe is their inherent right to live in peace founded on social justice, equity and sustainable development by advancing, among others, the following agenda:

Recognizing the human resource, enhancing their capabilities, developing their potentials and harnessing their skills, as well as, putting up of a Cooperative Human Resource Center in all regions of Mindanao.

Giving preferential use rights to the marginalized sectors, such as Muslims, Lumads, small farmers and fisherfolks, in developing their respe of such resources.

Rectifying social wrongs committed by some utilities providing basic needs like electricity and water or the so-called electric cooperatives against member consumers whose rights of ownership have been violated all these years.