Davao City, PHILIPPINES, 16.10.08 - Promoting "peace and collaboration among the different faiths" is the objective of a meeting among 90 leaders of youth movements for Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Zoroastrians, and indigenous communities, from 16 different Asian countries, who met in Davao this week.

In a press release published during the conference, the leaders of the religious movements emphasized that the reasons at the basis of the conflicts in Mindanao are not "peculiar to the Philippines," but can be found "in many areas of the world"; ethnic and religious tensions are "in constant growth" and represent a "constant source of threat" for safety. "The process of marginalization of the political, economic, cultural and religious identities needs to be exposed and overturned.'

The statement also expresses the hope for a return "to the negotiation table by the Philippine government and the MILF. The international community is paying close attention to the humanitarian crisis in Mindanao," where almost half a million refugees need food, water, and medicine.