A Peace Camp par Pinky CASTELO CUPINO | ||
Peace Camp conducted by the Community of Learners Foundation in an urban poor community in Barangay Payatas, Quezon City. The Community of Learners is a non-traditional school teaching social responsibility among its students, who belong to middle class and upper middle class families. These upper middle class high school leaders, in partnership with lower middle class high school leaders of Center for Positive Futures in San Mateo, Rizal, have jointly conducted a Peace Camp. Their Peace Camp conducted December 2004 was supported by the Alliance. Their local partner is a homeowners organization in the barangay composed mostly of women. The middle class high school children taught community children aged 4 to 12 art work, games, read them stories, and conducted other activities towards promoting peace and camaraderie among children across economic classes. Follow-up activity was a publication of reflections from the children, particularly on the concept of responsibility. This peace camp was also held in December 2005. Fun activities like art work and games were conducted. Objective was to undertake activities for the poorer sections of the community in San Mateo as a way to bridge cultures and socio-economic gaps. The methodology shall be the implementation of the Peace Camp, to be planned out by leaders of two schools with different socio-economic background. After the Peace Camp, which is a one-day activity, the same leaders shall be convened to discuss the Charter and to reflect on the relevance of the Charter for them as school leaders. |