Peace has been very elusive in many parts of the Philippines, primarily because of the massive poverty that leads to crime in urban areas and insurgency in the countryside.
By empowering residents to build beautiful homes for each other and work towards building dignified and empowered communities together, peace becomes a natural consequence among the residents. By strategically building these abodes of peace at the heart of the conflict areas, peace becomes a visible and viable option. By becoming the venue for the convergence of different religions, different tribes and different cultures in these different GK communities, peace becomes one of the most valuable results in our journey to rebuild the nation.
Being a Brother’s Keeper.
GK believes that poverty is not a lack of resources, but a lack of caring and sharing. By building relationships with one another, we make sure that we leave no one behind, especially the poor. We are called to be our brother’s keeper regardless of race and religion.
Trust, Friendship and Respect.
GK’s work is anchored on trust and friendship that seeks to bring out the best in one another. In a world that has been wounded and divided for generations, building friendship and trust allows us to find common ground while respecting our differences, and is of primary importance before even talking about projects.
A Path of Love and Faith.
Gawad Kalinga builds communities by pursuing the path of love, not of anger and hate, the path of self-sacrifice and not of self-profit. In Mindanao, Muslims help build communities for Christians and Christians help build communities for Muslims. For people of different religions, a common path of faith liberates and heals.
A Sacred Commitment to the Future Generation.
The peace that is experienced in the different Gawad Kalinga communities located in conflict areas is a living testament of peace for the present generation and a noble gift for the future generation. The children that will be born in these communities will no longer be fueled by hate or distrust but can instead build on love and friendship as the foundation for a peaceful future.