“Back then, I would lie about cleaning in school. I would tell my teachers and classmates that I was done cleaning already even if I wasn’t. Now I can promise that I will apply everything I learned here and correct all my mistakes from the past,” shared Shahanie Usman, a student from Matampay Elementary School, one of the 36 participants at the Artists for Peace Mentoring Workshop. “The Artists for Peace Mentoring Workshop dubbed as Peace Begins with Us: Our Peace, Our Pledge to Create a Peaceful Community provides a creative venue and dialogue where children and youth shall experience a platform of exchange, sharing of stories and a reflection and expression of their desire for peace, in the midst of issues they have been facing in their lives,” as shared by the Teach Peace Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) Founder, Bai Rohaniza Sumndad-Usman. “This is a mentoring workshop to show children and young people how art can be used in advocating for peace,” she added.
Such is the impact of peace education to her: a young child from Marawi City vowing to become a better person in her own little ways. As a participant of the program, Shahanie felt that she could contribute in creating a more peaceful Mindanao by starting in her community and at her school. Citing rido and men’s disrespect for women as issues she commonly observes back home, Shahanie underlined the importance of knowing how to communicate in a peaceful way.
Her most important learning? “Respect other people.” Because for her, peace can be attained by not contributing to conflict. “Avoid it or help find ways to resolve it,” she said.
Shahanie also shared that through the program, she and her fellow participants have learned to become charismatic servant leaders. She felt the need to spread what she learned starting with communicating using the language of peace.
“When someone asks me if he can borrow my phone, I will not tell him I don’t have one. Instead, I will say, ‘I will help you find one’.” This is just one of her practical examples of how she will communicate with a peaceful intention.
Although she felt sad that the program has finally come to a close, she was grateful to have the opportunity to meet new friends and learn more about peace. “Peace education is very important for me because I learned a lot from here, which I will bring with me even when I’m done with school,” she promised.
The Artists for Peace Mentoring Workshop was created by Teach Peace Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) for the Pathways for iCOPE Program. 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.
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.
