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MANILA : Philippine President Gloria Arroyo believes peace is possible with Muslim rebels fighting for a separate homeland in the predominantly Catholic country.
She said the way to achieve it is by opening the channels of communication between different religions.
Achieving peace through interfaith dialogue is the objective of the first Special Ministerial Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace and Development being held in Manila, for members of the Non-Aligned Movement of developing countries.
The two-day conference culminated in the adoption of a Manila declaration, which would serve as a blueprint for global peace and development by strengthening cooperation between government and civil society.
In her keynote address, President Arroyo highlighted the crucial role of interfaith dialogue in bringing peace and to the Philippines' restive southern Mindanao region.
She said: "Interfaith dialogue is officially and in reality a major contributor to peace and stability in Mindanao. While lasting peace has yet to be achieved, we have taken heavy political risks to broker a peace in Mindanao.
"We have reached within the affected communities to change the peace paradigm, to change it into a combination of soft and hard power, not just a military solution, but a solution of dialogue, a solution of community development, a solution of talking peace."
The Philippine government said it will still continue to initiate dialogues with the separatist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), despite the rebel's group rejection of government's latest autonomy proposal.
President Arroyo is hoping a peace deal could still be signed with the MILF before her term ends in June. - CNA/ms
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