An educator told participants of a boot camp on peace that the youth can help achieve peace by overcoming hatred or antipathy.
鈥淧eace is in your hands. Each day, throughout the world, people are killed or hurt because of hate as they differ from the rest in terms of ethnicity, religion, sex, ideology, gender, and class, among others,鈥� Miriam College Center for Peace Education Executive Director Jasmin Nario鈥揋alace said during the 鈥淢asterPEACE boot camp鈥� held this week.
During the workshop, Teach Peace Build Peace founder Bai Rohaniza Sumndad-Usman also emphasized how, in the face of conflict, having a broader understanding of one鈥檚 self and of others can lead to lasting peace.
鈥淚n proactive peacebuilding, we have to deeply understand ourselves and others. In reality, conflict is a natural thing,鈥� said Sumndad-Usman.
She warned against misunderstanding and misinformation, which can breed conflicts in beliefs, biases and prejudices.
READ: 鈥楨ducation is the lasting solution to Mindanao war鈥�
A workshop participant also pointed to stereotyping, particularly among the Bangsamoro people, as a hindrance to peace.
鈥淢any people don鈥檛 know yet the root of the conflicts. Many people don鈥檛 know yet who the Bangsamoro people are. Because of the lack of education or the lack of awareness, there is stereotyping,鈥� Jamil Adiong, a student from the University of San Carlos, said during the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)-organized boot camp.
Adiong added that people have a notion that 鈥淢oro people are dangerous.鈥�
OPAPP Undersecretary Jose Lorena expressed hope that the Bangsamoro Basic Law would be passed,
saying that 鈥渢he need to have a convergence of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Front through the BBL would mean the establishing of Bangsamoro area as one region鈥�.
The 鈥淢asterPEACE boot camp鈥� featured different lecturers involved in the peace process. A total of 70 participants, aged 18-25, from across the country attended the boot camp. Love Joyce Umbay, Gwen Stephanie Calabucal, Aljon Tugaoen, 黑料社 trainees/CDG
READ: Peace consultant raises 4 red flags after BBL shelving in Congress