CPT seeks participants for a peacemaker delegation to the Philippines February 15-29, 2008. Persons interested in human rights work, committed to nonviolence, and willing to join in team worship and reflection are encouraged to apply.
Human rights agencies report hundreds of extra-judicial killings and disappearances in the Philippines since 2001. Victims include community activists, journalists and church leaders.
In the southern island of Mindanao, a decades-long armed conflict between indigenous Muslim groups and the Philippine government continues despite peace negotiations.
Peace and justice advocates rejoiced in the closure of U.S. military bases in 1991, but a subsequent Visiting Forces Agreement now in effect re-opened the door for the on-going presence of U.S. soldiers in the Philippines.
Hazardous wastes left behind by the U.S. military at Subic Bay Naval Station and Clark Air Force Base still seriously endanger the health of impoverished communities nearby.
CPT delegates will visit human rights organizations and church leaders in Manila, meet residents living near the former U.S. Bases, and travel to the southern island of Mindanao in order to hear the voices of ordinary Filipinos, support local groups involved in violence reduction and justice advocacy, and plan a nonviolent public witness in support of local efforts.
Participants raise $2700U.S. / $2900Can. to cover round-trip airfare, in-country travel and program costs. For more information or financial assistance if applying from outside the U.S. or Canada, contact delegations@teams.cpt.org.
