"Continually work to achieve peace in our daily lives": A Reflections on the Peace Institute

The Peace Institute III, a ten-day Training of Trainers (ToT) on Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding was held at the YMCA International Hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand last October 27-November 6, 2022. It was the first time I participated in a training conducted by the ICF and I can say that it was such a wonderful and life-changing experience. We, the participants, came from 12 different Asian countries as well as religious backgrounds. We all were new to each other but through the engaging and interactive activities that our trainers Ms. Susan Risal and Hari Dhami introduced to us, we got more acquainted with each other in no time.

During the training, our trainers discussed to us the topics of conflict, violence, and peace. I understood that conflict can be a positive thing if we use it to improve our lives or situations. This concept is called conflict transformation. I also learned that violence is not just about the direct or physical one like physically hurting another individual, but it could also be structural and cultural, the unseen types of violence. We also learned about conflict analysis tools which are very helpful for aiding us in finding out the root cause/s of a problem which could help us in attaining sustainable peace. These tools can be used in our daily lives.

In the training, a lot of group work allowed us, the participants, to think and reflect on the topics and share what we have learned with everyone. These also helped us get to know one another better. There was also a lot of sharing about our personal experiences in our respective countries/communities which has personally helped me to reflect more about the situations that have happened and currently happening in my country, which is the Philippines. Hearing about the situations in their respective communities from my co-participants and seeing their passion for spreading peace in their communities has motivated me even more in doing something that would help make the world a better place to live in.

On the last two days of the training, we had a practicum to facilitate a workshop and apply and teach what we have learned to 14 high school students from Chiangmai International School. A few days before the practicum, we were taught by Annika Denkmann, an ICF program officer, how to write modules for facilitating workshops. It was such a very informative lesson that I learned that I could also use it as a guide when I facilitate a workshop in my community later. For me, in making the module with our groupmates for our practicum, identifying the objectives is the most challenging part because it is in the objectives where the whole practicum would revolve. I am very happy that our practicum turned out well. It was not perfect, but we learned a lot from each other. We also received feedback from our trainers and co-participants which are in improving our facilitation skills. Although we were divided into three groups in facilitating the two-day practicum, the three groups were also one group. We helped each other and it just proves that good teamwork can help make any event successful.

Overall, I enjoyed our training. There were a lot of invaluable knowledge, skills, and experiences I got that I would treasure forever. I remember Ms. Muriel Orevillo Montenegro, the ICF Coordinator, said during the training, “Everything under the sun is a peace issue.” This means that everything we do, even the simple things are related to peace. Deciding what to pick between two different meals to eat for lunch or having a small misunderstanding with a colleague is a peace issue. Therefore, we must continually work to achieve peace in our daily lives.

Days and weeks after the ToT, I find myself becoming more aware of my surroundings relating them to peace. I have become more conscious of my thoughts, words, and actions and strive to achieve peace in every area of my life. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity in participating in ICF’s Peace Institute. I am also very blessed to have met wonderful people from the training. We may be from different countries and religious backgrounds, but we have surely become a family. It is so nice to belong to a community where everyone is very encouraging and helps each other in achieving the same goal. And that goal is peace.