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Mona Lisa D. Pangan

Country: Philippines

Pangan serves as the programme coordinator of the Socio-Cultural and Interreligious Dialogue course at Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan, which promotes and creates spaces for interreligious and cultural dialogue formation to students, faculty and staff at the university. She organised and co-founded the Sira’j Muslim Religious Organization of the university and has moderated the organization since then. She also serves as the coordinator both in the Ad-Extra Ministry on Interreligious Dialogue of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro and the Interfaith Forum for Peace Harmony and Solidarity (IFPHS) that promotes and fosters understanding, solidarity and deep respect between Muslims, Christians, Indigenous peoples and other faith traditions in the city as well as in its neighbouring cities and municipalities. 

Mona is a risk-taker and loves to explore possibilities where people of other living faith traditions and cultures could come and work together for peace and harmony. She loves travelling, biking and mountain climbing because it gives her a wider perspective and an in-depth reflection of life and societal situations.

Mona facilitates an interfaith spiritual formation in her university community as part of her engagement in IRD. She conducts various activities that are focused on eliciting deeper respect, understanding, appreciation and acceptance of the richness and beauty of faith traditions and cultures, as well as lessening the prejudicial attitude and behaviour of the community that can lead to division and conflict on the campus.

Mona is engaged in various civic peace and IRD related activities in Cagayan de Oro and Mindanao. With the goal of creating a space for the culture of dialogue and peace, Mona gives talks and presentations to varied institutions locally, nationally and internationally. Her motto is to “love your calling with passion… eventually it becomes your mission and profession in life”.