By Rachel Bergen When Anick Ht sees images of churches burning on the news, he knows what viewers will think. The culprits: probably Muslim. Muslims: probably dangerous. Islam: obviously promotes violence. But this isn’t the Islam Anick grew up with. While it may seem as though radical Islam is taking over the world, he believes…
Tag: School of Peace
Alumnus to take part in YSEALI academic fellowship
ICF wants to formally congratulate Gunawan “Wawan” Primasatya on his Young Southeast Asia Leadership Initiative (YSEALI) academic fellowship. At the end of April the School of Peace 2010 alumnus from Poso, Indonesia left his home to participate in the leadership training program. He will take part in a five week institute, held on the campus of…
Papuan alumnus wins at photography competition
SOP 2012 alumna and photographer Barce Rumkabu from Papua won three awards for his entries in the Protection of Ecosystem and Nature at Biak Island photography exhibition in February. According to Barce, the purpose of this competition was to promote Biak island as a tourist destination and to protect them for future generations. Biak island is in…
Sharing about Justpeace in Mindanao
By Rachel Bergen A-esha Afdal Ampatuan spent her early childhood on the run with her family. She grew up in a Muslim camp called Abubakar in Southern Philippines. Although a stronghold for the extremist group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), for many years the camp enjoyed relative peace and independence from the Christian government….
Reconciliation is a Journey
By Miriam Sainnawap “Residential schools for Aboriginal people in Canada date back to the 1870s. Over 130 residential schools were located across the country, and the last school closed in 1996. These government-funded, church-run schools were set up to eliminate parental involvement in the intellectual, cultural, and spiritual development of Aboriginal children. “During this era,…
Celebrating the Unsung Heroes on International Women’s Day
By Rachel Bergen Women are unacknowledged heroes in the world. They are peacemakers, providers, self-sacrificing, and strong in the face of incredible adversity. Today, March 8 marks an opportunity to recognize all that women do to contribute to their communities, despite a lack of parity with males. Today is International Women’s Day. It’s a global…
Thinking Critically for Peace in China
By Rachel Bergen As a student in China, Kathryn Chang took exams every year. She learned there are right and wrong answers, but no room for opinions or criticisms. As a result, Kathryn didn’t really challenge the status quo. Creative thinking wasn’t encouraged in her school or even in her wider community as she got…
“Call Me Manobo”
By Rachel Bergen Rene Bundozan’s identification paperwork shows he is a Filipino Christian. That’s because there is no option to declare himself by his Indigenous spirituality. The 25-year-old hails from North Cotabato in Mindanao and comes from the Ilianen Manobo Indigenous community in southern Philippines. At an early age Rene became a Christian and lost…
Nursing the Grassroots
By Sara Klassen Kathleen Martin grew up in the Philippines and worked as a nurse for many years. But she always felt something was missing. “I felt like I needed something more than to be confined in the routine life of the hospital. I felt like I needed something in the community,” she said. So,…
SOP students take part in Battambang field trip
SOP 2015 students left the classroom this weekend and learned in the field. The group travelled to Battambang province in Cambodia to learn from religious groups and non-governmental organizations in the region. On Friday the students broke up into two groups. One visited the NGO Buddhism for Education of Cambodia (BEC). A group of monks who…