MANILA, Philippines--More than 105 participants from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) will converge in Manila beginning Monday for a Special Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting (SNAMMM) on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace and Development.

The Philippines is hosting the event from March 16-18 at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Foreign Undersecretary for Special Concerns Rafael Seguis said the conference will present an excellent opportunity for the Philippines to highlight its own efforts in promoting an interfaith dialogue, particularly in Mindanao.

?One of the reasons we are hosting the SNAMMM is because we want to share our best practices, particularly the unique experience we have in the southern Philippines,? said Seguis, who is also secretary general of the SNAMMM National Organizing Committee.

Seguis cited the Bishop-Ulama Conference, a dialogue forum consisting of 22 Catholic bishops, 24 Muslim religious leaders (Ulama) and 18 Protestant bishops, who in the spirit of inter-religious dialogue have affirmed their common commitment to the peace process.

Ambassador Hilario Davide Jr., Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, said the Philippine interfaith initiative was anchored on efforts to attain peace and development in Mindanao.

?This is a step forward really. An interfaith dialogue is an internal force that can propel a movement to achieve peace,? Davide said.

President Macapagal-Arroyo will give the keynote address on March 17 while Dr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, president of the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, will be the guest of honor and is expected to speak at the opening session. Other speakers include Dr. William F. Vendley, secretary general of the World Conference of Religions for Peace.

Seguis said a civil society event called the ?International Workshop of Faith-Based Groups and Civil Society: Strengthening Partnerships with Governments on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation? will take place on March 16.