In celebration of the annual Peace Week and Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action, the Center for Peace Education (CPE) in coordination with the Peace Champs of Miriam College Quezon City, and Miriam College Nuvali planned peace activities for both MC students and their parents.
Throughout the 2-week celebration, prayers and integration of peace themes in lessons by means of storytelling, videos, reflection-essays, paper crane-making, drawing and peace playlists, among others, were organized by teachers in the various units. CPE also held a Mass for Nonviolence and Just Peace last October 1 with the Higher Education Unit Campus Ministry Office (HEU-CMO).
Family Peace Webinar
On September 21, CPE in partnership with the Family Studies Program and Pax Christi Pilipinas (PCP) organized a webinar for parents titled, “Peace at Home, Peace in the World: How to Speak so our Children will Listen”. Featuring insights from Miriam College Guidance Supervisors on “What children feel, but won’t tell us”, the main speaker, Ms. Carla Villanueva Manas, gave practical ways and tips to parents on how they can connect and support their kids better especially during the pandemic and in their online-learning setup. The event was attended by over 345 participants and hosted by Dr. Gail Galang, CPE Associate Director and Family Studies Program Chair. This webinar was also organized in celebration of the National Family Day and is available at MC Family Studies YouTube Channel.
Peacebuilder Buddy
On the same day, during the International Day of Peace, the Pax Christi student organization of MC High School launched a social media interactive blast where students were asked to feature their "Peacebuilder Buddy" through drawing or attaching a picture of their buddy. The students were also given Bingo cards and were tasked to fill them up with acts of peace to encourage students to build peace in their own ways.
Virtual Exhibit Launch
With entries from all units, CPE launched the virtual exhibit, “Youth’s Voices on Building a Nonviolent, Sustainable and Equitable World” on October 2 to close the annual celebration and commemorate the International Day of Nonviolence. The exhibit featured 58 selected artworks and reflections of the students in a variety of peace topics including equality, disarmament, health, environment, human rights, and social unity among others. The exhibit is available for viewing at CPE Facebook Page.
CPE-CEAP Project Launch
On October 2, CPE also launched the pilot project, “Cultivating a Nonviolent School Culture” with the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP). The launched was attended by 12 institutions from 10 regions all over the country. Led by CPE OIC Executive Director, Dr. Loreta Castro, the project aims to evaluate the presence of a nonviolent school culture, learn each other’s best practices, and recommend ways to build a culture of peace and nonviolence in the participating institutions.