Thanks to the facilitation by ACT for Peace Programme representative, Leah Bugtay, the Pre-Summit workshop went very well yesterday. And thanks as well to our host, Tope Cubos, the workshop participants each enjoyed a satisfying meal at Fwendz Diner.

We were also joined by Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Mindanao bureau chief, Nico Alconaba, who shared his experience in journalism and community work. Plus, a few laughs from time to time to help lighten the mood when it was getting too serious.

The main purpose of the workshop was to arrive at suggestions, or perhaps recommendations, to bloggers of Mindanao. Basically, the activity was meant to discover the role bloggers could play in advocating understanding among the peoples of Mindanao. Peace is achievable if there is understanding and appreciation — therefore, respect — of the diversity of Mindanao’s several cultures.

The discussions didn’t always go smoothly, mainly due to differences of opinion, or of conviction. Which brought to fore the realization that, as Dominique Cimafranca put it, Mindanaoans still have a long journey towards abiding unity.

What everyone agreed on, however, was that the workshop’s resulting resolutions are not meant to be imposed upon bloggers. They won’t be rules; not even guidelines. I reiterated that, by the very nature of blogs, no set of guidelines could ever exert any meaningful influence over a blogger’s chosen topic, style or even substance. Blogs will, in all probability, remain self-policing.

The document that will be presented to the assembly on the 27th of October will essentially be a magna carta of Mindanao bloggers. Well, a work in progress anyway.

I’d like to thank the workshop participants for having shared their minds and their time: Moslemen Macarambon Jr., Rodel Dagumampan, Jeffrey Tupas, and Dom Cimafranca. Hopefully, more Mindanaoans will endeavor to contribute to this bloggers’ document in the near future, thereby helping it mature into a full-fledged bloggers’ magna carta.