For Asnia B. Salic, a teacher from Pendolonan Elementary School, Marawi City, peace creates a ripple effect of goodness. When a person has inner peace, he’s more able to share and spread goodness to others, the community, and the environment.
“Peace begins within ourselves. You cannot impose peace to anyone if you alone have no inner peace. Before you can motivate others, you must have peace within yourself,” she said.
While the recent Marawi siege brought challenges to the community, she can now say that her community has started to rebuild itself and people exist harmoniously with one another. Parents and teachers are also very supportive of the children.
As one of the participants of TEACHER LEADERS FOR PEACE: PEACE EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY (PEDJ) developed by the Teach Peace Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) for the Pathways for iCOPE Program, Asnia echoed what she learned: “I’m really glad because it’s a great opportunity to be part of this training. Now I have a clear vision of peace, peace education, and how we, as teachers, can integrate it in our curriculum.”
This was co-organized with Save the Children in partnership with Plan International and other members of the Pathways for iCOPE Program consortium to achieve a sustainable positive engagement, collaboration, and convergence of key actors and stakeholders in providing and supporting conflict-sensitive quality basic education services and protection.
She highlighted how useful the peace jargons and peace chants are in her class after observing a change in behavior of her students. “The children have become more cooperative through peace jargons and peace chants. They also fight less.”
When it comes to spreading peace, one thing is clear for Asnia: the role of parents and teachers like her as peace heroes. That’s why she loves the Peace Circle session during the training because it gives her the opportunity to release all her emotions and share, without fear of judgment, what’s happening in their school and community.
Learning more about peace taught her why starting from within is important before you can even motivate others. Whether you’re a parent or a teacher, this lesson still rings true: “You cannot give what you do not have.”
ABOUT PATHWAYS FOR ICOPE PROGRAM
Save the Children, in partnership with Plan International, is implementing a program called Pathways for Integrated and Inclusive Conflict-Sensitive Protection and Education for Children in Mindanao (iCOPE). This program aims to achieve a sustainable positive engagement, collaboration, and convergence of key actors and stakeholders in providing and supporting conflict-sensitive quality basic education services and protection.
As part of ICOPE Program, Teach Peace Build Peace Movement’s (TPBPM) Peace Heroes Formation Program (PHFP), formerly called Schools and Communities of Peace Heroes Formation Program will be introduced for the purpose of helping schools institutionalize Peace Education to nurture a Culture of Peace and Resiliency amongst children with the whole school community being involved.
