INTEGRATING PEACE EDUCATION in the

Curriculum.. The Notre Dame University

Experience…..

SHEILA G. ALGABRE

CEAP National ConventionSeptember 21-23, 2011Davao City

Outline of the Presentation

HISTORY

Notre Dame University was founded by the Oblate Fathers in 1948 (then Notre Dame College). It was the first college founded in Cotabato City and the Empire Province of Cotabato.

Our Vision: Our Identity

Guided by the charism of St. Eugene de Mazenod, Notre Dame University is a pioneer Catholic Oblates of Mary Immaculate educational institution in Central Mindanao committed to excellence.– Guided by St. Eugene de Mazenod– Oblate in Character– Catholic by Identity– Driven by our Core Values

Vision: Our Hope

To become a leading institution in education, for social transformation in Mindanao.

Our Mission • To form graduates who are locally and

globally competitive.• To form persons with social conscience

and responsibility.• To foster a culture of peace and

dialogue of faiths and cultures. • To facilitate community empowerment

for total human development especially among the poor.

• To promote holistic institutional growth.• To nurture a community of

stakeholders and partners valuing and sharing this vision and working towards its attainment

Our Core Values

• F aith• I ntegrity• R espect• E xcellence• S erviceInspired by FIRES, NDU transforms.

NDU PEACE PROGRAM Its beginnings……

Started in 1987 when Dr. Toh Swee-Hin came to Manila for the 1st International Institute of Peace Education in the Philippines sponsored by the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP).

NDU PEACE PROGRAM Its beginnings……

Dr. Swee-Hin presented the tentative framework of Peace Education for consideration and reflection by a group of educators at NDU.

The NDU Peace Program • 1987- a core program was designed for MA in

Education and Doctor of Education, comprising some twelve courses focusing on the overall framework as well as the specific facets of a holistic concept of Peace Education.

• The courses first introduced were Disarmament Education; Education for Human Rights; Global Development and Justice; Environmental Education; Active non-violence; values education; Third World Education; Ethnicity and Cultural Solidarity; and Religious Perspectives on Peace and Development. NDU Peace Education Program is anchored on this framework.

NDU Peace Education Framework

The Peace Education framework of Notre Dame University covers the seven issues such as Personal Peace, Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Living with Compassion and Social Justice, Disarmament Education, Cultural Solidarity and Ethnicity, and Environmental Education. These issues are anchored on the holistic framework of the United Nations Economic Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO), plus two issues (Conflict Transformation and Mindanao Peace Process) which are relevant to the Mindanao situations.

Early 1990’s

• Peace Education was offered as a separate 3-unit course in three colleges in the undergraduate level: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Commerce, and the Teacher’s College.

• Since it’s one of the courses identified to be part of the core curriculum, College of Nursing and College of Engineering offered it later.

Peace Education 100

• a 3 -unit subject and a requirement in all undergraduate programs at NDU.

• Pre-requisite: History 111 (which integrate Mindanao Education/Mindanao History

• deals with the understanding of the basic concept of peace, its themes and highlighting the Mindanao issues; and the approaches or ways of dealing with them.

General Objectives:

• To raise awareness on the root causes of conflicts, violence and peacelessness at the global , national, regional, community and interpersonal level.

• To develop skills, values, and attitudes which will encourage people to move to action for building more peaceful individuals, communities, societies, and ultimately a more peaceful world.

1997-2001

• NDU was designated as the key institution in a consortium of five Mindanao Universities to expand graduate programs in peace and development research.

• Mindanao Advanced Education Project produced more than 20 PhDs who are now in their respective institutions heading their own peace centers.

Graduate School offers:

• Master of Arts in Peace and Development

• PhPD in Peace and Development

Student Values and Formation Programs

• Inter-Religious Dialogue Program (IRD)– conducted to all first year students

• Peace Orientation Workshops (POW)– conducted to all second year students

Objective of POW• Peace Center facilitates the annual conduct of

the Peace Orientation Workshop (POW) among the sophomore students of Notre Dame University. This is in lieu of the tremendous opportunity presented to us by the growing phenomenon of religious and cultural pluralism in our school and the world today.

•  The POW is a 1-day activity which aims to foster a culture of peace and dialogue of faiths and cultures among college students. It is towards this institutional objective that we marshal our collective efforts to effectively substantiate NDU Strategic Direction No. 3.

Objective of IRD

This program aims to build a community of peace within the campus and better understanding of other faiths and culture.

A one-day activity offered to all first year students during the second semester of the school year.

Peace Education Center

• established in 1988 , with Dr. Ofelia Durante as the first director.

• Set-up to coordinate all the peace building activities.

• Awarded the prestigious First Aurora Aragon Peace Award in 1990 in recognition of the efforts of the people behind it.

The Peace Education Center

• the core group of peace educators at NDU conducted trainings to other schools, private and public.

• conducted workshops and trainings to teachers and administrators in the University as well as in the NDEA system.

Center for Peace, Justice and Integrity of Creation (CPJIC)

• Notre Dame University became engaged in the GRP-MNLF peace process.

• Secretariat to the Quick Response Team during the GRP-MILF peace process.

• Secretariat to the Independent Fact Finding Committee that monitors the Ceasefire Agreement between the GRP-MILF.

CPJIC in 2000

• Initiated the First Mindanao Peace Educators Congress

• Peace Educators Conference in 2002, and the Peace Resource Center was inaugurated.

In 2002

• Review of the NDU Peace Framework to ensure greater acceptance and commitment.

• Peace Education modules titled : Teaching Peace and Human Rights with UP-CIDS.

• PEACE EDUCATION• PEACE ADVOCACY• PEACE ACTION

Peace Education

• Preparation of instructional materials useful for formal and non-formal education in peace and development (Peace Education 100, POW, IRD)

• Creation of Peace Education Core Group• Integration of peace education into the

different curricula• Training of teachers who served as

resource persons in peace education seminars in elementary, high schools, and colleges in the Region and other parts of Mindanao.

Peace Education

• Training of military enlisted personnel and officials on the Culture of Peace

• Conduct of Inter-Religious Dialogue workshops in the different schools in Region 12 ( for students and teachers)

• Conduct of Inter-Religious Dialogue workshops among the barangay leaders in Cotabato City.

Peace Advocacy

• Involvement in mandated celebrationsInternational Earth DayInternational Human Rights DayDuyog Ramadhan and Duyog PaskoMindanao Week of Peace• Broadcasting peace issues and

concerns and peace quotations aired over DXMS daily from 6-7 in the morning.

Peace Advocacy

• Childrens’ Peace Festival (ETD)• Conduct of symposia, fora, and round

table discussions on local and regional and national issues.

• Brown bag lectures in the University.• Module making• Participation in the Culture of Peace

Program of GOP-UNDP• Networking and Linkages

Peace Advocacy

• Participation in Konsult Mindanaw – area is Central Mindanao

• Participation in Dialogue Mindanaw – area is Central Mindanao

• Membership in the different peace networks: Cotabato Peace Network, Agong Peace Network, JOM, Consortium of Universities on the Mindanao Question

• Linkages with NGOs and CSOs

Peace Action

• Post-conflict management in Aleosan and Pikit

• Relief and rehabilitation program of IDPs in conflict affected areas;

• Stress debriefing of IDPs ( conflict, manmade and natural made calamities)

• Organization of Youth Peace Advocates (YPA)

• Involvement in NAMFREL• Skills Training for demobilized

combatants (CES)

Peace Action

• Alternative Learning System to out-of-school youth in conflict affected areas. (CES)

• Peer Mediation Program

Programs and Activities

Fora and Advocacy

Voter’s Forum Series 2: with Prof. Randy David

Forum on International Humanitarian Law with Atty. Christina H. Jovero

Voter’s Forum Series 1: with Cielito F. Habito and Fr.

Eliseo R. Mercado

Forum on Good Governance with Gov. Grace Padaca

Updates on the GPH-MILF Peace Talks with GPH Chair Atty. Marvic Leonen (in coordination with Mindanao Peace Weavers)

Launching of One Million Voices for Peace (in coordination with IID and Mindanao Peace Weavers)

Peace Orientation Workshop (POW)

Gains

• Improved awareness of conditions of peacelessness in all levels of society. Our faculty and students have become more critical of policies and structures that perpetuate injustice and violence.

• Sensitivity to diversity of cultures and religion. On campus programs are designed in a way that is fully respectful of the religious beliefs of the members of the University community.

Gains

• Promotion of culture of peace that helped outside community establish peace zones/spaces for peace.

• Establishment of other peace education centers in Mindanao. CARAGA region, Cotabato City and Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Zamboanga del Sur, Sarangani Province and Palawan

• The interaction of education and advocacy has contributed to a blossoming of the body of knowledge on peace and development.

Other Key Peace EducationInitiatives in Mindanao

Challenges

• Education for Peace , and peacebuilding as a whole, is a slow process. Thus, one of the greatest challenges in doing peace work in Mindanao is to nurture patience and perseverance.

• There is a need for peace workers to consolidate all efforts through better coordination, networking and collaboration.

Challenges

• There must be an active linking of academic programs and learning with community contexts and realities.

• There is also a need for facilitative institutional leadership at the top level.

• Need for constant and sustainable updating of teachers handling peace education courses;

NDU.. Education for social transformation in

Mindanao..

Thank you!