Manila, Philippines - “World peace,” we usually answer in jest when asked for a birthday or Christmas wish. For the student leader participating in the fourth annual Peace Camp, world peace is not just a cute reply, but a serious – and attainable – goal.
Held by the Communication Foundation Asia, the Peace Camp serves as a venue for Muslim and Christian student leaders to interact and become peace ambassadors equipped to share a message of peace to their own communities.
“Participants are incoming second and third year high school. They are chosen based on their leadership skills, creative skills, and academics,” explains CFA training department head Bob Lopez, who is also one of the camp’s facilitators. She adds, the schools involved – Ramon Avaceña High School, Nazarene Catholic High School, Cotabato City National High School, and CCNHS Cotabato – all have a mix of Muslim and Christian students. That way, the environment and experiences created at the camp can be effectively applied in their own schools.
Through the camp, Lopez says, “They learn to become sensitive to others and to relate with students from different schools and religions.”
The CFA encourages the use of various forms of media to promote peace. Lopez shares, some activities that the participants enjoy during the camp include photography and blogging workshops, acting lessons, playing indigenous instruments, painting, and more.
Participants also learn from seminars on relevant topics such as youth leadership, nationalism and citizenship, and conflict resolution.
Peacecampers blog about their experiences as they happen during the camp. One participant, Faizah Pangalian writes, “I feel happy dahil sa peace camp na ‘to nakita ko na maari palang magkaisa ang mga tao kahit magkakaiba ang religion Muslim, Kristian or Lumad man (I feel happy because at this peace camp I realized that it is possible for people to become united, whether they are Muslim, Christian or Lumad).”
“Right now we may have differences with our religion and culture but what we all have in our mind and our heart is only peace... And peace is the key to a better future,” says another peacecamper, Joseph Chew.
The participants are given a lot of time and opportunities to interact with one another. “They become very good friends and keep updated with each other,” says Lopez. Even the alumni of the previous camps stay in touch and visit the CFA.
Lopez shares that an important part of the camp is dedicated to guiding the participants in making concrete plans for their schools and communities. “They hold peace festivals, programs, and exhibits to echo what they’ve learned here,” she says.
It is not only the participants and their classmates who benefit from the peace camp. Every year, CFA produces a video documenting the whole camp, which is then toured in schools across the nation together with an exhibit on peace. This way, the message of peace and the experiences at the peace camp are able to inspire and reach thousands nationwide. The documentaries from the past three years are titled “Dear Peace,” “Peace Trip,” and “Peacebook.”
The first peace camp documentary, “Dear Peace” was awarded a special human rights award for its Peace Camp project and video documentary from two international organizations – the Toronto-based WACC (World Association for Christian Communication) and the Brussels-based SIGNIS (World Catholic Association for Communication).
“Many have asked us to replicate the camp in their schools,” Lopez says. “Some schools start their own peace clubs.” Seeing the peacecampers in action, students are challenged to promote peace in their own community.
“World peace,” Lopez quips when asked about her hopes for the effect Peace Camp project will have on the nation. More seriously, Lopez adds, “Our dream is for one nation in peace,” quoting the 2012 camp’s theme. She notes that one day in the near future, these youth leaders may become politicians and policy makers. Hopefully their experiences at the peace camp will influence their decision making in the future.
“We hope they will create ripples,” she says. “They will relate to each other in peace, love, and respect despite their differences.”
At the culminating program of this year’s peace camp, which was attended by the participants families, teachers, and special guests, the peacecampers sang, performed, and viewed the documentary on their experiences.
“Ang kabataan ang susi ng kapayapaan (The youth is the key to peace),” they recited in chorus. “Mahirap man ito, pero kakayanin namin (Achieveing this may be hard, but we can do it.)”