June 1, 2017
Dear friends and partners,
Our brothers and sisters in Marawi City are besieged with a human-made calamity as firefighting between the government’s armed forces and the Maute group erupted on May 23 and is still continuing until now. The ravages of war have left dozens dead and wounded and caused 12,509 families or 59,665 individuals (as of May 29 DSWD data) so far to flee their homes; some of them opted to stay at the different evacuation centers while most of them seek refuge with their relatives in nearby places.
Meanwhile, there are also reports of displacements in North Cotabato, Bukidnon and SOCSKSARGEN areas due to aerial bombardments by the AFP. We are gathering data as well on these internal displacements.
Balsa Mindanao, a people’s mobilization for disaster response, has called for a nation-wide relief gathering campaign days after the onset of the Marawi siege. Balsa Mindanao is coordinating with the Sisters’ Association in Mindanao (Samin) for this campaign.
The statistics in Lanao del Sur are a cause of concern: 26 barangays have been affected, 15 of which are in Marawi and the 11 are in the neighboring municipalities. The 1,018 families or 4,278 persons are now staying in 14 evacuation centers, while 10,974 families or 54,870 persons are staying outside the evacuation centers with their relatives or friends. .
Given the immense humanitarian crisis as the country faces more challenges and issues as Martial Law has been declared in Mindanao, we call on concerned organizations, concerned citizens, and advocates in the country, overseas and in Mindanao to participate in the HUSTISYA AT KAPAYAPAAN PARA SA MINDANAO: A NATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AND SOLIDARITY MISSION on June13-15, 2017 in three areas: Marawi City, North Cotabato and Davao City.
The National Solidarity Mission aims to:
- Provide relief, medical, and trauma counselling to survivors
- Express our sympathy and interfaith solidarity with internally displaced persons
- Understand and seek ways to push for an inclusive peace in Mindanao
- Recommend actions to government agencies and policy makers, other civil society organizations, and the international community
We are therefore inviting you to be part of this Mission, taking note of the following suggested tasks:
- Help generate cash (see bank account details) and in-kind donations
- Contribute your competencies and skills by volunteering for the Mission committees
- For religious leaders, to help organize our interfaith liturgies with the affected communities
- Prepare for report-back actions (e.g. forums, local relief campaigns) in order to disseminate the needs and demands of the communities
(see Balsa APPEAL).
We are asking participating organizations to shoulder their participant’s fares (or arrange transportation) and food expenses so that the Mission can focus its resources for the relief operations.
For confirmation, please email us at balsamindanao@gmail.com or contact Cecil 09462413278 or Telefax 082- 2994964.
Through these interfaith efforts towards Muslim-Christian unity, we are all in solidarity with one another in these trying times.
Thank you.
Yours very sincerely,
SOLIDARITY CHECKLIST
¨ _I am/We are participating in the National Solidarity Mission in:
__ Marawi/Iligan City
__ North Cotabato
__ Davao City
___I am donating
__ cash
__ in-kind
__I am volunteering for the:
__ Relief distribution
__ Medical mission
__ Trauma counselling
__ Interfaith liturgies
__ Technicals
__ Others: ______________
NAME: ______________________________________________________
GROUP: _____________________________________________________
CONTACT DETAILS: Tel _________Email_______________ CP#__________
SIGNATURE: __________________________________________________
