Addressing the trauma from her firsthand experiences of violence and conflict, Isah Comacasar drew new strength to find better approaches to building a culture of peace within their school and community.

Facing trauma from conflict

It was during the first day of Ramadan when Isah went to Marawi. Recalling the memory like it happened yesterday, she remembered the first day of the city’s siege. She was riding a tricycle when an unknown armed person halted them and asked for an identification card from the driver. When the driver could not provide one, he was shot on the spot in front of Isah. The experience brought her trauma as she could not do anything for one month.

Weeks passed, and the continuous firefight was normalized in their daily life. Yet, the trauma brought by her encounter increased her anxiety and fear. There were moments she ran straight out of her house and forgot to get her child. Because of the lack of transportation, she also had to feed her child different milk brands.

After the siege, Isah returned to her work as a teacher and noticed her behavior toward her students. She was more easily agitated and annoyed. A messy environment or unruly behavior can quickly trigger her. Her annoyance affected the school environment, including her interactions with her colleagues.

Studies show that witnessing or experiencing conflict can be a precursor to psychological or social issues. These concerns become opportunities for violent extremist groups to provoke individuals to commit violent acts or make them subjected to submission and fear. It can also become an entry point to make the individual more sensitive to intrusive thoughts or violent behavior.

Finding The Need for Inner Peace

With an opportunity to be part of the Peace Education Leadership Formation Course of the Teach Peace Build Peace Movement, Isah started her peace journey by facing and healing the trauma caused by her experience. Her participation in one of the inner peace sessions made her process and reflected on the encounter she witnessed. She also started to take care of her inner peace and be more mindful of her surroundings.

By being more aware of her actions, Isah tried her best to understand her students and refrained from letting her emotions take hold of her actions. She used deep breathing techniques to calm herself before going to work or finding ways to relax on her way home. Isah also took a moment during the Culture of Peace Circle to apologize to her colleagues for any misbehavior that she unintentionally did.

Drawing from her experiences and observation, Isah expressed the need for peace education to provide practical ways to protect one’s inner peace and share that peace with others. As a teacher, she understood the need to impart the values of respect, empathy, and kindness so that students themselves can be peace advocates.

“The school can be a core institution in building a culture of peace in communities by having practical knowledge ledge to spread peace.”