Philippine - The integration of peace education in schools is long overdue, Councilor Peter Laviña said.
"Given the culture of violence in our society, peace education among our children in school is a must," Laviña said Thursday.
Laviña said this is a support to the incoming forum by the Alternative Forum for Research in Mindanao (Afrim) and the Mindanao Peace Education Forum (MinPEF), a consortium of government agencies and civil society organizations, to discuss mainstreaming peace education in Mindanao schools.
The forum, dubbed as "Mindanao Peace Education Stakeholders` Conference," is aimed at clarifying frameworks on peace education used by peace education actors.
It will also serve to generate Mindanao inputs for implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of EO 570 or the "Institutionalization of Peace Education in Basic Education and Teacher Education" in establishing mechanisms for the meeting among peace education actors in Mindanao.
Laviña, who sits as board member of Afrim since the 1980s said building a culture of peace is necessary in Mindanao which many perceived as war-torn.
MinPEF convenors are the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Voluntary Services Overseas-Peace Enabling Actions for Community Empowerment in North Western Mindanao (VSO P.E.A.C.E Mindanao) Programme, Alternate Forum for Research in Mindanao (Afrim), Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (Beam), Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) ACT for Peace Programme, and the Ateneo de Zamboanga Peace Institute.
Source: www.sunstar.com (3 September 2007)