Press Release – Teach Peace Build Peace Movement

A new peace journey begins..

In March 2021, the Teach Peace Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) through the Peace Heroes Formation Programme conducted interviews with teachers from different schools to gain a better understanding of the schools and communities’ peace and conflict situation in Lanao del Sur. Before the onset of the Programme, TPBPM wants to impart the stories of our Peace Educators as we begin this journey of Peace Education.

Though outside of Marawi City, Ditsaan-Ramain was one of the 20 municipalities affected by the Marawi Siege in 2017. Residents of different barangays (communities) heard the loud explosions that shocked their homes. Azcayah Sacar, 37, the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Principal of Barimbingan Central Elementary School (CES), recalls, “During the Marawi Siege, we experienced violence. Education stopped. We were not able to protect education, even our homes. We did not know where to go. There was no stability. Everything was affected, our mental, emotional, and physical health.” Conflict and violence affected Azcayah, her family, community, and her students at Barimbingan CES.

When there is no peace, different individuals experience the devastating effects of war. Alaina Ampuan, 35, a teacher from Barimbingan CES, described what they went through. She shared, “During the siege, we evacuated. When bombs were crashing to the ground near us, we felt it. We couldn’t bring anything. The explosion was only five minutes away from the school.” The conflict greatly sowed fear among the school and community members. It affected the focus of students and teachers, especially the service they render for the school community.

Alyannah Mamailao Macmod, 35, Division Office Staff at Buayaan Elementary School, added “When there is gunfire, our children cannot go to school, even the economy and lives of people in the community are affected. People feel fear, they do not have peace of mind when there is violence.”

In the current modular learning setup, they faced inner conflicts and challenges relating to the increased workloads and stress, and difficulties in contextualizing the modules, printing, releasing and distributing it to parents and students, as well as evaluating students’ performances in the new normal.

In TPBPM’s consultation with teachers in conflict-affected schools in Ditsaan-Ramain, all of them conveyed that there is a lack of training on Peace Education for teachers. They also have not participated in training on cultivating inner peace, conflict transformation, and relationship-building which are essential in coping up with today’s challenges in teaching in the new normal, and in building the resilience of communities highly vulnerable to conflict and violence. Peace Education proved to be even more relevant when interviewed teachers recalled their experiences of teaching during a pandemic. The presentation of the programme and consultation led them to the realization that there is strong hope in the possibility of cultivating change in schools and communities through Peace.

“Peace Education is important because we can achieve what we want with peace; we are in the right direction. We can also aim for quality education because we also have peace in our pupils, teachers, and community,” Monaimah Salic, 35, Principal of Rantian Elementary School shared during the consultation.

For the teachers in Lanao del Sur, Peace Education is important for children to have quality education, nurturing relationships and the resiliency to achieve their goals. A common sentiment they shared is that when there is no peace, teachers experience inner conflict, including the parents and their children. They deeply emphasized that we can only have good quality education for children if we have peace within ourselves and towards others.

Through these consultations and conversations, it has cultivated a sense of hope for schools and communities amidst trying times. While the PHFP with partner schools in Ditsaan-Ramain, Lanao del Sur is at its onset, the teachers and school leadership have already captured the need to teach Peace to schools and communities and the relevance of living Peace as a Way of Life.

May 11, 2021 / by RACQUEL CORREA

Peace Gifts Project: A Teacher’s Wish Series- Teacher Jamaliah

Every week, we want to give you a glimpse of what our I Teach Peace Champions from our Kapatiran Schools and Communities face as teachers in the middle of a pandemic. We hope that you find inspiration in these teachers’ resilience.

“Sana mawala na agad ang COVID-19 kasi bawat aspeto ng buhay ng tao ay may epekto ito. Sana lang ang manatiling matatag ang lahat at hindi makalimot sa pagdarasal. Para naman sa edukasyon sa aming lugar, sana po talaga walang batang mapag-iwanan sa new normal na ito.” (“I hope that COVID-19 goes away because everyone’s life is affected by it. I hope that we remain strong and we don’t forget to pray. I hope that no child will be left behind in this new normal.”)

This is the wish of Teacher Jamalia Saruang, from Camp Bagong Amai Pakpak Elementary School (CBAPES) in Marawi. With the transition to distance learning, many teachers like her find themselves navigating an unchartered territory and hoping for the best case scenario to happen: for COVID-19 to end.

The threat to the teachers’ health and safety isn’t the only challenge, the country’s online distance learning modality is faced with other obstacles: limited to no internet connection, lack of resources such as printers and bond papers used to produce the students’ modules, and a conducive learning environment for children.

While the role of parents is just as important, schools in Mindanao like CBAPES are also doing its best to make up for the lack. Safety precautions are in place to protect the teachers as they produce and distribute modules. The school set up orientations to educate parents on how to use the modules and how to support their children.

“Hindi po lahat ng mga mag-aaral namin ay mayroong cellphone. Pero po, parang ang hirap po kasi magturo na hindi mo kaharap ang mga bata. Bilang isang guro, kung kaharap po namin ang mga mag-aaral ay mas nasusubaybayan po namin sila,” shares Teacher Jamalia. (“Not all students have phones. But, it can be difficult to teach kids if you’re not with them. As a teacher, we guide students better if we’re with them.”)

For Teacher Jamalia, the teachers can gauge a student’s learning ability better when it is in a classroom setup. This is important to ensure that the children improve as they progress in school. But in the middle of a pandemic, a peace champion like her has to make the most out of the situation. So, she does.

She hopes that the country will one day have free Wi-Fi everywhere, for every student to have their own gadget for learning, and for all teachers to be equipped with free laptops. Though she thinks, this may seem like a far-fetched dream.

So, she settles for what she knows can be achieved at this time: enough supplies of bond papers for printing their modules and tools to help them in creating their video lectures — a simple ask indeed, but one that may change the course of our future generation.

CBAPES is one of TPBPM’s Kapatiran Schools that is part of our ongoing Peace Gifts Project which aims to provide schools with equipment and materials for printing modules such as printer and copier, printer ink, and bond papers. For those who wish to donate, please send your donations to:

Bank of the Philippine Islands
Teach Peace Build Peace Movement Inc.
Account Number: 9601000528
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

Be part of our Kapatiran Support Circle. And together as brothers and sisters, we can help our peace hero children.

November 3, 2020 / by JANESSA TEKING

PEACE MISSION UPDATE: Inspiring children through back to school dream kits

Educate a child and you’ll transform a generation. Education plays an integral role in a child’s life.

More than just making every Filipino child and youth a peace builder, the Teach Peace Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) Inc. also encourages the young generation to value their education and continue striving for their dreams. Through programs that bring hope and inspiration, TPBPM provides children from conflict areas a safe space to continue dreaming. One of these programs is the “Peace Gifts Project” where school supplies are distributed to various Kapatiran schools. Kapatiran Schools are the model schools of Peace Heroes. It is also a fun-filled day for both the volunteers and school-community, featuring interactive activities with music, movement, and a lot of peace-based values games!

Last March 201, TPBPM launched the Peace Gifts Project. With the support from different individuals, groups, and members of the Kapatiran Support Circle we were able to collect more than 4,000 hope kits – surpassing the initial target of 3,000.

More than just dream kits

“We have been a recipient of the Peace Gifts Project for four years now, and almost all of my children of studied in Hadji Salik ES has been receiving supplies every year. It’s a big help for us because the money we use to buy school supplies, we were able to buy food for our table. We are always excited whenever TPBPM is here because aside from the school supplies, you also bring joy to the lives of our kids. Shukran (Thank you) to everyone who is supporting this mission” according to a parent from HSKES. TPBPM knows the realities on the ground which makes the Peace Gifts Project even more real and relevant. As we build a sense of family-kind relationship with our Kapatiran Schools, it is with a fervent hope that by supporting their education through giving them school supplies, they will continue to go to school and be more inspired to turn their dreams into reality.

DOWNLOAD PROJECT REPORT HERE

October 5, 2018 / by MA. SOTEYA APRYLL TRASADAS

PEACE MISSION UPDATE: TPBPM recognized in the Senate for its efforts during the Siege through JTF Marawi

Pasay City | May 28, 2018 – A resolution was passed today “recognizing and honoring the gallantry, bravery, sacrifice, and heroism of the men and women in uniform, under Joint Task Forces (JTF) Marawi, especially those killed or wounded by designating them “Heroes of Marawi”.

Teach Peace Build Peace Movement is among the five humanitarian relief volunteer organizations that are recognized in the Senate who assisted the Joint Task Force (JTF) Marawi in their efforts during the siege and even during its rehabilitation.

33987327_10156171011315792_827123259970420736_n

Moms for Peace Mommy Chol Cordero and Mommy Sarah Lumang representing the TPBPM Family.

May 28, 2018 / by Ate Badet

PEACE MISSION UPDATE: TPBPM’s Peace Education efforts acknowledged during the Marawi Week of Peace

Marawi City| May 24, 2018 – A day after the first year commemoration of the Marawi Siege, Teach Peace Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) was recognized during the closing program of Masa’a Kalilintad sa Marawi, Marawi Week of Peace, an effort spearheaded by Joint Task Force (JTF) Bangon Marawi. TPBPM was among the five organizations who were given the award by the security sector, including Tarlac Heritage, Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation, Action Against Hunger and Balay Mindanao.

The organization was commended for their continuous efforts during the siege and in helping in the rehabilitation process through conducting different peace education sessions for children and youth.

With the hope to radiate light through sharing positivity, hope, love and peace, two (2) days after the tragic incident in Marawi, Teach Peace Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) launched the #WEAREONEWITHMARAWI Campaign that engaged people from all walks of life to help our brothers and sisters affected by the crisis in Marawi. TPBPM also ventured into numerous initiatives that cater to their needs especially with the needs of children. From conducting Peace Education Sessions in far-flung municipalities of Malabang, Tamparan, Lumba-Bayabao with an integration of Psychosocial Care, to the distribution of Hope Kits to children.

Through the help of trained I TEACH PEACE Facilitators from Lanao, of whom some are also Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) ‘bakwits’ and security sector personnel, known as the Hijab Troopers; TPBPM aspires to reach and teach peace to children and capacitate various stakeholders of the society to help institutionalize peace education, which all the more is needed for a strategic way of securing peace on a stronger and more sustainable foundation.

With fervent hope, Teach Peace Build Peace Movement working alongside with various stakeholders is committed to helping build a peaceful and resilient Islamic City of Marawi. Indeed and truly, we are, and we will always be one with Marawi.

May 25, 2018 / by MA. SOTEYA APRYLL TRASADAS

TPBPM Founder, one of three Ashoka Fellows of 2018

Congratulations and a Peace Hero Salute to our dearest Founder Bai Rohaniza Sumndad-Usman for being one of the 2018 Ashoka Fellows. Together with Zhihan Lee, CEO and Co-Founder of Bagosphere and Ms. Amina Evangelista Swanepoel, Founding Executive Director of Roots of Health.

This achievement is for every volunteer and peace partners that believed in our movement and supported our peace missions. To every parent, teacher, child, school, and community that we serve. This is for all of us. This is for peace.

———

Ashoka Fellows are practical visionaries whose solutions have the potential to address the systemic forces that cause and worsen social problems. The Ashoka Fellowship is a lifetime membership to a professional network of social innovators, change makers and partners around the world.

With over 3,500 Ashoka fellows from 93 countries, Ashoka is the largest professional network of social innovators in the world. Through its the global community of changemakers, Ashoka is helping accelerate social change across causes, disciplines, sectors, and borders.

March 10, 2018 / by Ate Badet

PEACE MISSION UPDATE: TEACHERS – LEADERS AND BEARERS OF HOPE TOWARDS BUILDING PEACEFUL COMMUNITIES

“As educators, we are the key in promoting peace to our learners… we hold the key in transforming them into holistic individuals that will soon be peace advocates in their own community.” I TEACH PEACE Champion, Raima Cabaro shares during the Formation Session for Teachers.

Davao City, January 30, 2018 – Teachers are deemed as one of the most important influences in a child’s life but rarely recognize their role in peace building. Teacher Raima Cabaro shares that she has realised that educators are the key in promoting peace. As individuals who are part of shaping the lives of their learners, they too have an important role to play in shaping learners to be proactive peace builders in their communities.

As Teach Peace Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) pursues the second year of their flagship model program, Schools and Communities of Peace Heroes Formation Program, six selected schools from Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del Norte were gathered for the Formation Session for teachers with the theme Teacher Leaders for Peace: Beginning a Journey of Creating a Community of I TEACH PEACE Champions. The schools selected were Pidsandawan Elementary School, Sapakan Central Elementary School, Balo-i Central Elementary School, Saguiaran Central Elementary School, Sugod Central Elementary School, and Camp Bagong Amai Pakpak Elementary School. Each school has been selected with the help of several partner institutions.

Each community and school has a different story and hold different experiences. The Formation Sessions are designed for the context of each community; it covered several topics that helped the participants cultivate inner peace and equip them will skills of conflict resolution, conflict transformation, proactive citizenship peace building, and resiliency. It has also covered topics that will help teachers on peaceful classroom management.

One of the esteemed speakers mentioned that they are not only peace educators but peaceful educators as well. I TEACH PEACE Champion, Mona Domato from one of the selected schools from Marawi City has shared that in being a Peace Champion,

“It is when we desire not only our own inner peace and happiness but as well as of others; it is when we dream and hope of an environment full of love, respect, and unity.”

This has proved that being in a conflict-affected area does not mean they have succumbed to the negative realities that armed conflict brings but rather they are bearers of positivity and hope for their community to make peace a reality, especially for children who are affected by different forms of conflict.

The participants have also gone through sessions on introspection and reflection. In these sessions, the participants were able to strengthen their relationship with their co-teachers as they learn deeper about each other. Their strengthened relationship has not only made them closer but also made them understand each other’s stories better and they have gained a better perception of their challenges as individuals and as a school and how they can transform these challenges into opportunities for transformation.

The Formation Session did not only aim to impart knowledge but more importantly build a community upholding the values of a family relationship; sharing to the participants that beyond making their schools conducive for learning, it is also necessary to make it a peaceable learning school and environment for learners; and a place where the school community can be proactive peace builders and pursue growth as one community.

Teachers have a great role to play beyond imparting academic learning, it is also to foster peaceful relationships among the members of the school community to build progressive and peaceful communities.

The journey does not stop after the Formation Session but rather it is just the beginning, together with the Kapatiran Schools. As each school and each teacher developed a Peace Education Development Plan, this will strengthen each schools’ commitment towards making Every Filipino Child and Youth a Peace Builder. One Child, One School, and One Community at a time.

February 20, 2018 / by MICAH EMILLE VERZOLA

PEACE MISSION UPDATE: A day of fun, a day of giving peace a chance to the children of Marawi

“…in an area where conflict is usually knocking at the back of the door; where bullets and missiles are real and not just seen on TV…” then, the only way to have peace is to teach peace.

Marawi, February 2-3, 2018. Teach Peace Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) Kapatiran Schools, Balo-i Central Elementary School and Saguiaran Central Elementary School in Lanao del Sur; and Sugod Central Elementary School and Camp Bagong Amai Pakpak Elementary School in Marawi City had a Peace Fun Day wherein almost 1,500 learners ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 6 received peace gifts; experienced and were taught about peace in a fun-exciting way.

The resounding voices of the learners as they give rhythm to Kapayapaan ‘peace’ served as the organization’s inspiration of shedding peace, love and positivity through a Peace Fun Day, a two to three-hour peace education session that gives emphasis on peace as a way of life, in an area where conflict is usually knocking at the back of the door; where bullets and missiles are real.

Photo watermarked with iWatermark Free

“Nothing could replace the happiness our learners felt in the care of these peace champions. Alhamdulillah, they have got more than Psychological First Aid Sessions”, words of Teacher Mona Miscille Domato, an I TECAH PEACE Champion from Sugod Central Elementary School. Beyond the material things, we want to give hope to the children that peace is possible and attainable. More than making our dearest Brothers and Sisters happy, we want to teach and inculcate them that as young as they are they can contribute to peace building and key to sustainable peace is in their own hands.

Its all about peace

As an organization that spearheads the Peace Education programs for children both in conflict and non-conflict zones, Teach Peace Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) Inc. uses innovative and creative strategies such as Music and Movement, Arts, Games, Sports and Service. Giving premium to the peace-values based activities using the I TEACH PEACE Learning Resources crafted by fellow Peace Heroes is Teach Peace Build Peace Movement’s exemplars when conducting peace activities, and nonetheless epitomized during the Peace Fun Day.

Art was surely used to distinctly used for peace. To process the thoughts and ideas of the learner, a SketchPad Project was launched in Sugod Central Elementary School Camp Bagong Pakpak Elementary School. The SketchPad Project serves as a learners’ visual diary wherein it will be given to them and collected after 6 months. Further, as part of the TPBPM’s peace visibility, a peace mural in the Kapatiran Schools were also created.

As a means to end the said activity in every schools, hope kits, stuffed toys, hygiene kits and malongs were given to the learners. These are from individuals, institutions and other sectors of the society, who believed and trusted in the advocacy of the organization, and thus wants to share some act of kindness to our children, brothers and sisters in Marawi.

Photo watermarked with iWatermark Free

Despite the challenging realities that are happening in our society, Teach Peace Build Peace Movement family is determined to reach and to teach peace to more children, and live it as a way of life. Then, there is no right time than today to teach peace – to ‘teach peace to build a culture of peace in order to create a different generations of peace builders towards our goal of a just and peaceful society.’ Insha Allah.

Teach Peace Build Peace Movement is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit organization that aims to make every Filipino Child and Youth a peace builder. The organization spearheads a strategic initiative running Peace Education programs for children in conflict and non-conflict zones using a holistic approach. The said schools are all part of the TPBPM’s Schools and Communities of Peace Heroes Formation (SCPHF) Program, which is a holistic peace education program that was designed to apply creative and innovative ways and approaches in teaching about knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and behavior towards a Culture of Peace. It aims to bring about behavioral change that prevents the transformation of conflict into violence and war.

February 5, 2018 / by MA. SOTEYA APRYLL TRASADAS

Category: Press Release