Hello everyone. I found out about this through @melinda010100 in her entry post to the contest, which is hosted by @beeber. It is a relatively new challenge in a new community, Introduce Your City, this edition being only the fourth. For those who would like to know more about this just click on the link here. Hopefully, like me, you can be enticed to join this contest and share more about what your city can offer to the world in general, and to Hive in particular.
The topic for this contest's 4th edition is Symbols and signs for PEACE. According to the rules one can show anything found in your city that symbolizes the topic, no matter how big or small. So for this edition I will be showing some street murals or paintings I saw painted on the front wall of the headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in my city, Davao City, Philippines. The PNP is one of the country's armed forces tasked in maintaining the peace and order. Aside from apprehending criminal and lawless elements, the PNP is also tapped by the government in the fight against insurgency which is led by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) with its armed force, the National People's Army (NPA). This insurgency problem has existed for over half a century now and has claimed so many lives, both government and insurgents. Civilian casualties have also been a common occurrence as a result of clashes between the two groups. So it is no wonder that the street paintings on the PNP's wall should be that of this protracted, ongoing conflict.
In the photo above, the policemen are those in blue uniforms, here shown assisting the citizens, protecting them from criminals. Printed below the mural, in white block letters, is "CPP-NPA. TAMA NA! SOBRA NA ANG 51 TAON NA KARAHASAN." This is written in our language, Pilipino, and is translated as: "CPP-NPA. ENOUGH! THIS 51 YEARS OF VIOLENCE IS TOO MUCH!
Towards the right side of the painting one can see the PNP personnel negotiating the surrender of the insurgents, symbolized by the dove with the olive branch and the halo on top of the policeman.
Here are some crops of the same mural.
My city, Davao City, is located in the island of Mindanao in the southern part of the Philippines. Mindanao, although predominantly Christian in religion, is also home to the second largest ethnic group in the country which is the Muslims. As can be noted in the photos above, both Christians and Muslims are equally protected by the PNP, symbolizing the government's efforts in fostering long lasting peace and harmony between the two groups. The painting includes both churches of the Catholics and Muslims.
There are more, I am sure, symbols of peace in the city. Perhaps in another Edition of this contest another opportunity to showcase them will arise. For now, this will have to do. Hope you liked this entry of mine. Stay safe everyone and may I wish all the participants good luck in the contest.
(All photos are mine.)