HESED FOUNDATION OBLATES OF NOTRE DAME Cotabato City, Philippines

1
HESED FOUNDATIONOBLATES OF NOTRE DAMECotabato
City, Philippines


2
OND HESED FOUNDATION
CHILD PEACE LEARNING CENTER
3
The Oblates of Notre Dame an indigenous
congregation of women religious was born among
the tri-people in the heart of Mindanao Cotabato
City.

• From the beginning of its foundation
• in 1956, the OND has pursued with
• resolve, dynamism and creative hope
• its evangelical hallmark. Being poor
• and seeking the poor at all times.

4

• HESED
• Compassion and Action for Justice.
• Born out of the desire to translate/ concretize
  compassion and action for justice
• It envisions to support communities of dialogue
  and reconciliation thru the culture of peace,
  work with indigenous people, migrants, women and
  children, health care and services, sustainable
  development and sponsorship for education.

5
VISION

• HESED FOUNDATION ENVISIONS A COMMUNITY OF
  DIALOGUE AND RECONCILIATION TO BRING ABOUT THE
  BLESSING OF GOD.

MISSION
DOING HESED A COMMITMENT TO COMPASSION AND DOING
JUSTICE FOR THE TOTAL WELL- BEING OF THE POOR.
6
CHILD PEACE LEARNING CENTERS

• The Hesed Foundation believes
• that the children are key at very young age
  learn and appreciate the values of peace
• early childhood peace education prepares them to
  be future peacemakers and peace builders Mindanao.

7
a child will lead us to peace
8
PROJECT GOAL
To provide children ages 4-6 years with special
early childhood learning that focuses on the
basic concepts/ principles of peace active
nonviolence, interfaith and intercultural
understanding, oneness with the earth, people
centered sustainable development through a peace
centered curriculum.
9
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
I1. Increased awareness and mobilized
participation among Muslim and Christian parents
2. Deepened understanding and appreciation of
culture of peace values among preschool Muslim
and Christian children. 3. Enhanced teaching/
facilitating skills of teacher-facilitators
4. Provided access to preschool peace education
to out-of-school children from depressed
communities.
10

• The child peace learning centers

Educating Preschool Children on Peace
In their ministry among peoples of diverse
cultures and beliefs. We maintain that peace
education can best be inculcated in young minds
through the following

11

• 1)  A TEACHER/ FACILITATOR committed to peace
  making and peace building and whose language and
  actions promote harmonious interreligious and
  intercultural relationships. She commits to
  nurture a child for peace.
•  

12

• Vision-mission statement of a CPLC teacher

I AM A TEACHER OF PEACE FOR THE EARLY LEARNERS

I speak the language of peace in words and
actions I am a Peacemaker I am a Peacekeeper I
am a Peacebuilder.
13

• I AM CALLED TO NURTURE A CHILD OF
• PEACE

A child that manifests peacefulness in words and
action A child that values his/her dignity and
worth as a person A child that values the role
and responsibility of every member of the family
for a harmonious family life A child that
promotes peace in the family and society A child
that recognizes, accepts and respects the
uniqueness of diversities of culture and faith A
child that values and respects the environment.
14

• 2)  A DIALOGUE-CENTERED ENVIRONMENT where
  learners are involved in setting guidelines to
  promote wholesome learning experience. A
  permanent fixture in CPLCs is the peace table,
  where conflicts between children are resolved in
  peaceful manner.

The learner is encouraged to use respectful words
and actions are expressions of peacefulness and
accept and respect the uniqueness of cultures and
beliefs through interfaith groupings during play
and snack time.
15

•  
• 3) A CHILD-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT where each
  child given the opportunity to develop his/her
  unique personality and abilities. Children are
  encouraged to internalize the need to maintain
  class order. This system promotes personal peace
  where the child is made aware of his/her
  self-worth and dignity as a person.

16

• 4) AN INTEGRATED CLASS SCHEDULE that
• insures all activities as one whole learning
  
• experience. This is consistent with the
  holistic character of peace education. The
  child participates in the activities not by force
  but because he is delighted in what he/she does.
  These elements
• Intercultural/interfaith understanding
• active nonviolence
• child-centered sustainable development
• should move the child to inculcate the values of
  the CPLC curriculum

17

• 5) THE METHODOLOGY adopted in the CPLCs veer from
  the traditional classroom instruction. Integrated
  in these learning activities are the values of
• Peace Tolerance
• Respect Simplicity
• Love Harmony among
• Responsibility peoples of
• Happiness diverse faiths
• Cooperation and cultures
• Honesty Stewardship of
• Humility Gods creation

18

• 6) FORMATION PROGRAM The CPLC curriculum
  requires peace and development formation not only
  for the learners but also for the administrators,
  faculty, personnel and the learners parents/
  guardians.

19

• 7) WELL-BEING In pursuit of its mission of
  developing the total personality of the child,
  the CPLCs teach children healthy food and fruit
  juices. Soda drinks and junk foods are a no-no in
  CPLCs. Children are discouraged from playing with
  war toys such as toy guns, soldiers and the like.
  
•  

20

• 8) RECOGNITION The honors system in CPLCs
  promotes the development of the individual
  talents and abilities of learners. At the end of
  the term, all learners are given awards
  recognizing the qualities each of them exhibited
  during the term. This system is consistent with
  the CPLCs mission to inculcate in the child the
  values of his/her person.

21

• 9) SOCIALIZED FEES In the spirit of social
  justice, CPLCs observe a socialized tuition fee
  scheme where fees of pupils are assessed based on
  capacity to pay. Thus, tuition fees vary
  according to the income of parents.
•  

22
Peace education is holistic.
Give us a chance to grow in Gods name We want
you to know.
23
Every Friday Islam for Muslim kids and catechism
for Christian
Peace education is conscientization.
24

• Peace education is value-laden.

- We are the children for peace - Give us a
chance to grow - Give peace a chance
25

• PEACE TABLE
• A VENUE FOR SOLVING SIMPLE CONFLICTS.

PEACE TABLEChildren come to this table to settle
matters after a quarrel.
Children come to the PEACE TABLE to resolve
simple conflicts and talk out the cause of their
misunderstanding Teachers brings the
child/children to the PEACE TABLE who needs
correction or reminders.
26
Program Objectives
1. Enhanced teaching and facilitating skills of
teacher facilitators for them to become effective
child peace advocates through an ongoing
formation program.
27

• Peace at work begins with our values.
• Whether we are teaching or engaged in our
  most passionate lifes calling our hopes and
  dreams affect the culture we work in.

28

• Peace is a Living Presence. Our job is to
  witness this truth by being the Peace we seek,
  helping each other to live the ideal of peace in
  practical ways everyday. We do this relating to
  the potential for peace in every situation, and
  to the seed of peace in every child.

29

• By finding ground and working together we can
  win. We are partners and share our resources
  fully thus, we can find creative solutions to
  our joint problems and build bridges of Peace.

30

• Parents likewise needed to be directed towards a
  culture of peace particularly with regards to
  interfaith expressions and activities.

31
Mobilization of Parents of the Children The
main objective of this program is to present a
holistic concept of peace to the parents and to
foster unity among Muslims and Christians
32
Different cultures, Different expressions,
Different apparel but all steps lead
to Peace!
33
Consultation/Evaluation of Peace Curriculum
34
Parents-Gardeners of Peace
35
COP Nurturing a Peaceful Home
36
-Provide access to preschool peace education for
the out of school preschoolers through the CHILD
PEACE REACH OUT PROGRAM
37
Partners in Peace Building
on parade children and parents!
38
INSIGHTS AND CHALLENGES
39

•  
• Outreach program faced us with the POVERTY of
  the people, and the realities of violence in the
  family, malnutrition, health concerns.
• This challenge met with intensified efforts on
  malnutrition (supplemental feeding) and a
  genderized Culture of Peace to address violence
  against women and girl-children
• Challenge of teachers and caregivers having
  great difficulties in their personal life as they
  try to work the Path of Peace.
• This challenge is met with a programmed
  continuing formation of teachers and caregivers,
  touching on inner aspirations more than programs
  on strategies and skills

40

• That Peace as a vision had to undergo a
  difficult process that has no calendars or time
  frame. The education/formation process may not be
  wanting but the effects and transformation
  cannot be truly scheduled. It comes as a grace,
  as light, as blessing to those whose heart are
  ready to accept the consequences of such
  commitment and who truly believe that our vision
  is possible and it can happen.

41
I like to share an insight, which intensified
our conviction re our CPLC-CPRO programs To
stand for a culture of Peace in the midst of
varied forms of unpeacefulness is an act of great
courage, for you are sounding a different voice.
This is how we feel. There are times when we
feel that our different voice is overpowered by
the practical-violent voices.
42

• But yet, the greatest gift we can give to our
  children is to teach and raise them in a culture
  of peace. And we dont have to be biological
  parents to give this gift. Teaching a generation
  of children committed to peace, as a way of life
  should be our most urgent priority. One of the
  strongest messages of peace we can give our
  children is to honor their true natures. If we
  ignore them, fail to give them attention, time,
  and respect, they deserve, we are doing great
  violence to them.
•  

43

• The challenges as we are in the third year
• of the project

a.)   Emergence of the deeper realities in the
life of the families where the children are how
unpeaceful is the situation of the homes,
especially of the poor. b.)  Growth in the
commitment of the teachers and caregivers in the
peace advocacy for children. c.)   
Recognition of the need to deepen our peace
orientation through an on going conversion,
programs with themes on Peace Begins With Me
touch inner aspirations more than programs on
strategies and skills.
44
d.)  Peace is about the quality of our
relationshipswith ourselves and with others.
 
45
Madamu gid nga Salamat!
Wassalam!
Thank You!