Mindanao Peaceweavers (MPW) is a convergence of peace advocates in Mindanao. It was conceived during the “Peace in MindaNOW Conference” held in Apo View Hotel, Davao City on May 13-15, 2003, and convened by seven (7) peace groups that coalesced in the spirit of cooperation, complementation and concerted action towards a common advocacy peace platform. It currently represents the broadest network of peace constituency in Mindanao cutting across NGOs, academe, religious, human rights groups, peoples organizations and grassroots communities in advancing a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Mindanao.
It envisions to promote unity, information-sharing and coordination among peace advocates in the areas of humanitarian protection, peace and human rights advocacy, peace talks and ceasefire monitoring, and peacebuilding. It seeks to engage government and revolutionary armed groups in the formal peace talks, implement civilian-led ceasefire monitoring and broaden the peace constituency. The Mindanao Peaceweavers’ launch pad in pursuing joint-coordinated peace advocacy was the campaign calling for a Bilateral Ceasefire between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The Mindanao Peaceweavers (MPW) hopes to develop and strengthen a critical mass of peace constituency who will consciously demand peace and human security as a matter of policy for Mindanao. Its goal is the formation of a peace movement where Bangsamoro, Indigenous People and Christian Settler communities, civic organizations, academic institutions, women, youth and religious sectors converge towards dialogue, unity and peaceful resolution of the conflict in Mindanao. Its objectives include the following:
- To develop and institutionalize the participation of civil society in the Mindanao peace process;
- To provide mechanisms and processes for consensus-building, sharing of information and expertise and drawing unified actions among civil society groups on issues concerning peace and conflict in Mindanao;
- To develop a critical mass of peace constituency that can engage and influence the actors in conflict; and
- To evolve a common agenda for peace.