‘Peace is a process’: Int’l peace prize for MindaNews’ Arguillas

JOURNALIST AND journalism educator Carolyn O. Arguillas has been awarded this year’s Luxembourg Peace Prize. A fellow of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility’s Jaime V. Ongpin (JVO) journalism program, Arguillas was cited for Outstanding Peace Journalism for her reportage on Mindanao.

The Schengen Peace Foundation awards the Luxembourg Peace Prize annually, honoring individuals who are “outstanding in the field of peace.” The foundation has recognized the vital role of Arguillas’ leadership of MindaNews in reporting the country’s peace processes, including “the signing of a peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro people” and “the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.”

“Carolyn’s contribution to peace journalism has helped shape the media landscape towards a better reporting and understanding of Mindanao,” the foundation said in a statement announcing the award. “Her commitment to responsible reporting, combined with her unwavering dedication to peacebuilding, has made her an influential figure in the pursuit of a more inclusive society.”

“Peace is a process and not a mere event,” Arguillas said in the same statement. “In reporting peace and conflict, knowing history and upholding human rights and justice are a must,” she added.

Arguillas heads MindaNews’ Publications, Archives and Library Department after serving as its editor-in-chief from 2001 to 2010, and 2013 until May 31, 2023. The news organization marked its 22nd anniversary on May 25. She is also chairperson of the Davao City-based Mindanao News and Information Cooperative and a professorial lecturer at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Arguillas has been recognized by the JVO Journalism program multiple times and was named by the Embassy of Canada in Manila as the Marshall McLuhan fellow for 2011. In 2015, MindaNews received the Award of Distinction from CMFR for providing “information and analyses Filipinos need to understand the particularities of Mindanao and its people.” 

MindaNews is the only Mindanao-based news outlet accredited by the International Fact-Checking Network, a global network of fact-checkers fighting disinformation.