Caravan for Truth, Justice and Change

Summer 2008 was meaningfully spent by the Justice and Peace ministry of the Order of Carmelites in Manila through active participation in the “People’s Caravan for Truth, Justice and Change.

As a concrete response to the call of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) for “communal actions” and to form “circles of discernment” at the grassroots communities including parishes and Basic Ecclesial Communities and lay organizations, the People’s Caravan aimed to deepen the people’s awareness on corruption issues under the Arroyo administration and to affirm their vital role in destroying the culture of corruption in our country.

Bro. Gilbert S Billena, O.Carm, a student friar volunteer of the Justice and Peace ministry, together with representatives of the Interfaith Justice and Peace Network (IFJNet) immersed in some parishes and communities in the dioceses of Caloocan and Novaliches to facilitate prayer and reflections on the current issues besetting the country. The People’s Caravan also facilitated a process wherein the grassroots communities especially the youth could express their dreams, aspirations and struggle for change through arts (visuals, skits etc).

During the prayer-reflections, participants shared experiences of different levels of responses among the church leadership and parishioners. Thus it was articulated that sustaining the pursuit for truth, justice and change requires constant reaching out with the grassroots communities.

One of the caravan initiators asked, “We already see, hear and feel the effects of corruption that really kills the people but where are our church leaders who will take the lead to motivate grassroots communities to fight corruption?”

Indeed, the challenge continues especially among church people to embrace the mission of educating and organizing the people to exercise their role and power as sovereign people in this time of grave crisis in our nation. ###