What makes peace so attractive? It is because everybody yearns for a condition of relative tranquility, wherein one is free to express oneself, and to pursue one's interest. What makes peace so elusive? It is because many would look for peace from the outside, without realizing that peace comes from within.
Anyway, I attended the 1st Naga City Peace and Order Summit today and the perspectives presented were as varied as the participants gathered in the said event. But what struck me most is the interest manifested by people who are not in the formal structures of the government.
It never cease to inspire me whenever I witness such enthusiasm for citizens participation in governance. It may not always cause miracles, but for me, the phenomenon of active citizenship by itself is extraordinary.
I only hope that the government, including all of its units/sub-units, would continue to sharpen their tools for openess to citizen participation. It will not take a single act to perfect the art, but with patience and perseverance, good things usually come out.
Thus waging peace is not only about catching criminals or silencing the guns. It is also about our growing up, as a people, in the respect for diversity and in the understanding of complexities.
May peace thrive in the heart of Naguenos.
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