Longing for Peace: A message of the KARSA during the peace week celebration

This is the full text of the message of the Kalinga-Apayao Religious Sector Association (KARSA) during the conclusion of the "Peace Week" celebration last December 7, 2012 at the Kalinga Sports Center. 

 LONGING FOR PEACE

Two years ago, our very own beloved governor, Jocel C. Baac, said in his Christmas Message to the people of Kalinga, “PEACE IS HERE TO STAY, IF WE LIVE CHRISTMAS DAY FOREVER."

There is no mistake that living out the spirit and imperatives of Christmas is the bedrock of a meaningful and genuine peace, not only among Kalingas but among all people. This is posited within the view that one of the reasons why there is no peace in the world is because we people fail to really understand what peace is all about and its requirements. We fail to discern the truth that peace is of God, and therefore we should seek it from God's own standpoint. Any attempt to seek peace from our own personal standpoint and interpretation can in fact reap more negative dividends than positive ones. In a nutshell, this is what that famous Christmas message tells us, GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST AND PEACE GOODWILL TO MEN. Meaning, we can only know and understand the meaning of peace when we are at peace with God. For peace is not only about serenity, calmness or the absence of conflict among people, clan, tribe and even nations. It is SHALLOM. And SHALLOM is that Hebrew term for peace that is characterized by a state of wholeness or well being which is the fruit of proper relationship with God, with self and other human beings. Peace therefore begins with a proper relationship with God, that teaches us to have inner peace with ourselves which shall also be the measure of our peace with others and even our environment. Never can we talk about peace on earth goodwill to men, unless we talk about our peace with our God and ourselves. The end result of this SHALLOM in our individual and social life is prosperity, contentment and security. And in the words of Isaiah such a condition is founded on truth and justice, "everywhere in the land, righteousness and justice will be done. Because everyone will do what is right, there will be peace and security forever." (Isa. 32:16-17)

It is God's sovereign will that human beings shall live in harmony with each other in peaceful habitations. Therefore, while it is true that conflict is natural among human beings, being part of their fallen nature, violence and war as means of settling conflicts are scandals to the sovereign will of the God of Peace. Thus, one of the concrete requirements of peace is the absence of violence and war as means of settling conflicts. And so speaking within the backdrop of the realities of violence and war in the world, the Prophets Isaiah and Micah were as fierce in declaring that in the fullness of time a PRINCE OF PEACE will come and, "he will teach us what he wants us to do...he will settle disputes among great nations. They will hammer their swords into plows and their spears to pruning knives. And nations will learn war no more." (Isa. 2 & Micah 4)

There is no question, that indeed, God abhors violence. However, violence is real in our world today because it is the end result of human corruption. Nonetheless, it shall be stressed that the human hunger and thirst for peace is unquenchable because by nature we are created by a God of Peace that we should be in harmony and at peace with each other. Hence, since time immemorial human beings had been in constant search for peace and had in fact built institutions of peace such as peace covenants, alliances and treaties with hopes that such institutions would bring about meaningful peace. To Kalingas, our cultural tradition of BODONG as an institution of peace is a living testament to the natural human quest for meaningful peace and our abhorrence of violence.

How can we image an ideal society that bears and enjoys SHALLOM? Isaiah pictures to us an ideal society that enjoys SHALLOM, saying, "He will rule his people with justice and integrity. Wolves and sheep will live together in peace and Leopards will lie down with young goats. Calves and lions will feed together, and little children will take care of them, cows and bears will eat together, and their calves and cubs will lie down in peace. Lions will eat straw as cattle do. Even a baby will not be harmed if it plays near a poisonous snake. On Zion, God's holy hill there will be nothing harmful or evil. The land will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the seas are full of waters." (Isa. 11:5-9)

We shall note that in this ideal society that justice and peace are inseparable. Peace is always the result of justice, hence, the saying, "there is no peace without justice." In concrete terms, a peaceful society is anchored on a relationship of CO-EXISTENCE: Where no one prejudiced, underprivileged, exploited and oppressed on account of their powerless, race, color, creed and status in life because justice is made supreme. Is it possible for the rich and influential to co-exist with the poor and powerless as Lions and calves do, or wolves and sheep do?

Indeed, this image of an ideal society of SHALLOM shakes the very foundation of a society that is exclusive, unjust, prejudicial and violent. Coincidentally, it is from this perspective of CO-EXISTENCE based on justice that the United Nations defines peace as, "a state of harmony and communion where people eat, speak, play, dance, live and work together. If this natural state is disturbed, be it by arguments, outside influence and/or manipulations, greed or fear -violence and wars can be the results."

And so, what is our longing for peace in Kalinga? What kind of a society that we should build for ourselves and our children? None can be more valuable in the heart of every Kalinga than to see a Kalinga that is freed from any form of violence. How nice and wonderful really it is that we can see our children play with each other as brothers and sisters in spite of our vast differences in culture, tradition, political convictions and even creed. How nice it would be if we could sleep soundly at night, walk the streets unafraid, trustful that our lands are safe from squatters. How really nice would it be if there are no hired killers and masterminds of killings, and that tribal wars are now things of the past. How nice really could it be, if there are no people amongst us who think that they are above the law or are the law themselves. And yes, how nice would it be if justice is made to blossom and "flow like a stream, and righteousness like a living river." (Amos 5:24).

Mercury problem in Kalinga

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Two non-government organizations (NGOs) are embarking on a three-year project to wean away the small-scale miners in the towns of Balbalan and Pasil in this province and in Jose Panganiban in Camarines Sur from dependence on mercury.

The local NGO Ban Toxics (Bantox) and Dialogos of Denmark both of which are involved in environmental protection declared that there is an immediate need to stop the usage of mercury in mining areas in the two provinces to avert disaster.

Medical doctors Rasmus Rasmussen and Marie Brasholt of the Dialogos said that it is already an established fact that mercury is being leaked into the Saltan, Pasil and Chico rivers by the small-scale miners operating there.

They said that what needs to be done now is to immediately stop the use of mercury because persisting with the practice not only put to risk the health and lives of the miners but also those of people in the path of the three rivers.

Ramussen told local mediamen who attended the briefing on the project titled “Reducing mercury pollution in small-scale gold mining in the Philippines 2011-2014” here on May 20 said that aside from inhalation during the process of amalgamation, people could also absorb the poisonous element by eating contaminated food and from a contaminated mother to her fetus.

“The symptoms of mercury poisoning can be as subtle as a fever or body ache, and yet it’s long term negative impact is so pronounced such as lower IQ in children, nerve damage, reproductive disorders, etc. that proper diagnosis is critical,” Rasmussen said.

Leoncio Naoy, a small-scale miner and member of the board of the Bantox, said that they included Kalinga after they were alerted of the mercury pollution in the province by a news item in two regional newspapers last March.

Written by Peter Balocnit of the Philippine Information Agency, the news article detailed the results of the water testing conducted by the Environmental Management Bureau and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Chico, Pasil and Saltan rivers.

According to the story, water samples from the three rivers tested positive of mercury contents ranging from .00 contents ranging from .00287 to .1231 microgram per cubic meter which exceeds the allowable limit of .002.

Asked what the findings of the DENR mean, Rasmussen said that it points to the fact that the toxic element is being released to the environment of the province.

Rasmussen said that conducting an independent testing of the mercury pollution in the province is not a part of their project because the findings of the DENR already suffices and furthermore, mercury testing and measurement is costly and difficult.

“What we will test is if the intervention is working,” Rasmussen said.

The objective of the two NGOs is to stop the small scale miners in the province from using mercury in extracting gold within three years.

They said that they will do this by opening the minds of the miners of the harmful effects of mercury and teaching them mercury-less gold processing particularly the application of borax in place of mercury.

Naoy said that one planned activity is to bring the local small-scale miners to Fidelisan, Sagada and other small scale mining areas in the region which have already discarded mercury from their gold mining technology.

Rasmussen, Brasholt and Naoy made it clear to local mediamen that the intent of the project is to eliminate mercury use and not to stop small-scale mining operations. **By Estanislao Albano, Jr., ZZW

Above Photo: STOP MERCURY POLLUTION-- Medical doctors Marie Brasholt and Rasmus Rasmussen brief local media practitioners on the project of the Danish non-government organization Dialogos and Ban Toxics, a local non-government organization, aimed at reducing mercury pollution in small-scale mining areas in the country. The small-scale mining areas in Pasil and Balbalan towns in this province are covered by the project. **Photo by Estanislao Albano, Jr.