Minahasan culture emerged through a long historical process that integrated cosmic mythology with geographical adaptation. These two elements became the foundation and starting point for the development of Minahasan culture as it exists today. As a society with a profound connection to the natural environment, the Minahasan people developed a system of local wisdom that perceives space not merely as a geographical entity but as a cosmological manifestation. One of the expressions of this wisdom is the way the Minahasan people preserve nature through the cardinal directions, embodied in the Quadripartite pattern. This study examines the philosophy of nature in Minahasan society through the quadripartite environmental division, or the concept of the four cardinal directions. Employing a descriptive qualitative method and an ethnophilosophical approach, the study finds that the fourfold pattern of spatial organization represents the Minahasan people's effort to establish harmony between the microcosm (human life) and the macrocosm (the universe). The findings further reveal that the quadripartite concept embodies profound local wisdom, in which each cardinal direction symbolizes the cycle of life, ecological balance, and spiritual responsibility. The Quadripartite model functions not only as a system of spatial orientation but also as a moral and ecological compass that sustains the harmonious relationship among human beings, nature, and the ancestors in the land of Minahasa.
Religions were usurped, justifying atrocious acts against each other since time immemorial. To name a few in contemporary times, the Marawi siege of 2017, and the September 11, 2001, attack against the United States of America. Recently, the Israeli-Palestinian Gaza war of 2023 reignited more than half a century of conflict. Now, we have the US-led Israel war against Iran, and US President Donald Trump was heard trumpeting his messianic role in saving Christianity from barbarous deeds of the Middle-Eastern states, justifying now his more atrocious deeds against them. This study investigates the role of interreligious dialogue in the life of Christians and Muslims living in Southern Philippines, also known as Mindanao, in this post-colonial period. It intends to understand the state or condition of dialogue between adherents of religions, particularly, the Muslims and Christians of Mindanao, as to how interreligious dialogue brought about mutual understanding, peaceful co-existence, cooperation, and harmonious living between them. And by this, the findings can hopefully contribute to the establishment of peace in other places and peoples in conflict by indicating the salient points that serve as learning considerations. Thus, to find the answer, the researcher worked on knowing the lived experiences of co-researchers who are advocates, practitioners, and scholars of interreligious dialogue (IRD) in Mindanao. And by this, the data gathered and analyzed became a resource of learning in the work of the peace process via interreligious dialogue among adherents of different religions. Phenomenology was employed as its interpretive framework in the data supplied by 4 co-researchers. All of them have dedicated years working and studying, Christians and Muslims thriving and coexisting in Mindanao. In the final analysis, the success story of interreligious dialogue in Mindanao was attributed to the dialogue of friendship between Christians and Muslims thriving there. In their dialogue of friendship, they were able to affirm each other’s identity and history, surpassing challenges they had encountered along the way.
The textile and fashion industry plays a significant role in sustainable development due to its economic contributions, cultural relevance, and environmental implications. Despite growing scholarly attention to sustainability within the sector, limited research has systematically examined its relationship with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in developing-country contexts. This study investigates how textile and fashion systems contribute to the SDG agenda, with a specific emphasis on Ghana. Adopting a narrative review methodology supported by a structured desk-based literature review, the study synthesises interdisciplinary scholarship on indigenous textile knowledge systems, sustainable production practices, circular economy strategies, labour conditions, and technological innovation. The review suggests that Ghana’s textile and fashion sector aligns with multiple SDGs, particularly SDGs 6, 8, 9, 12, and 13, through contributions to employment generation, cultural heritage preservation, resource-conscious production practices, and emerging innovation initiatives. However, the literature indicates that the sector’s sustainability potential is constrained by limited technological capacity, inadequate access to finance, weak institutional support, and increasing competition from imported textiles. The review further demonstrates that existing scholarship rarely positions textile and fashion systems explicitly within the SDG framework, resulting in a fragmented understanding of their sustainability contributions. This study contributes to the literature by providing an integrated SDG-based analytical framework for interpreting Ghana’s textile and fashion sector, synthesising environmental, economic, cultural, and innovation dimensions that are often examined separately within existing scholarship.
This paper examines fundamental changes in religious practice and understanding in the postmodern era, where collective religious authority has shifted toward a more personal form of spirituality. Postmodernism, as a critique of modernism and rationality that marginalizes human values, opens up space for pluralistic interpretations and individual spiritual freedom. Phenomena such as digital religion, the commodification of spirituality, and the emergence of alternative faith movements in Indonesia demonstrate that religious practices tend not to be closely tied to formal institutions, but rather to become reflective and subjective experiences. Using qualitative descriptive methods based on literature studies, this paper explores how contemporary religious patterns have evolved from collective rituals to individual spirituality, as well as their implications for social cohesion and the meaning of religiosity. The results show that this shift does not signal the decline of religion but rather a transformation toward a more dialogical, flexible form of religiosity that aligns with the existential needs of modern people.
One of the issues that frequently arises in interfaith relations is theological debate regarding various theological concepts. Theologians from every religion maintain various theological ideas on various topics such as the theology of salvation, the theology of scripture, the theology of revelation, and others. Differences in thought and efforts to build solid arguments on these various topics often hinder the establishment of dialogical relations between religions and among religious communities. Against this background, this article aims to explore Abdulaziz Sachedina's thoughts on the theological debate about ‘naskh’ and thoughts on human nature as the basis for interfaith dialogue. This type of research is qualitative and uses the methods of literature study and critical interpretation. Using these methods, this article contains a description of Abdulaziz Sachedina's thoughts and critical responses to them. The study finds that human nature as God's creation constitutes the foundation for equality among believers and for interreligious dialogue. As a contemporary Islamic thinker, Sachedina tries to go beyond ‘naskh’ theology by prioritizing the ontological status (nature) of humans as God's creation. Based on this ontological status, obstacles to interfaith dialogue due to differences in theological thinking on various topics within religions can be overcome. Thus, the goal of interfaith and interreligious dialogue can be achieved, namely, to glorify human dignity as God's creation.
