By Brent Harvey S. Jimenez
They say a picture paints a thousand words. In this light, the Ateneo de Davao’s Al Qalam Institute of Islamic Identities and Dialogue in Southeast Asia (Al Qalam) brings a different twist to this year’s celebration of interfaith harmony.
Together with the Davao Association of Catholic Schools (DACS) and the Silsillah Forum Davao (SFD), the Al Qalam joined the rest of the world in celebration of the World Interfaith Harmony Week with a Photo-Dialogue exhibit from February 4-8, 2013 at People’s Park, Davao City.
Gathering peoples from various religious traditions in the city, the week-long celebration at People’s Park reaffirmed the importance of mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue in sealing a lasting culture of peace in Mindanao.
While interfaith prayers and cultural presentations still formed part of the celebration, this year’s Interfaith Harmony Week saw the launching of the Photo-Dialogue Project, which aimed to use visual anthropology through a curated photo exhibit to showcase the rich history of the peoples in Sulu, Cotabato, Lanao, Zamboanga, Basilan and other provinces in Mindanao.
A key objective of the Photo-Dialogue was to relate the past to the present in appreciating interreligious dialogue, promoting a greater understanding and appreciation of the common history and various cultural identities of the peoples of Mindanao. The exhibit was also aimed to better relate to and spark interest in the students and the youth.
Mussolini Sinsuat-Lidasan, Al Qalam director, said the essence of dialogue is to know and understand peoples’ identities and cultural roots. He said that defining who we are as individuals and peoples and what future we want for our children is a critical element in interreligious dialogue.
“Dialogue is the essence of interfaith activities. However, ‘photo-dialogue’ is a visual anthropology of sharing peoples’ way of life at a certain point in history,” Lidasan said.
