By Edan Sam Pancho | News Writer
Vol. XCIII No. 7
Sept. 27, 2019
More than 20 sections of Grade 12 students performed in celebration of the International Peace Week organized by the Religion and Peace Studies department last Sept. 17 at the Gymnasium.
These presentations were a part of their Christian Faith Formation and Spirituality (CFFS) subject’s performance task.
Present during the event were their respective teachers and Grade 11 students who created banners and slogans of peace. “The goal of the event was for the students to imbibe the culture of peace, internalize it and [for] the audience to understand the concepts of peace,” said Dr. Lily Apura, chairperson of the Religion and Peace Studies department.
The department organized a series of events aligned with the celebration of the International Day of Peace this Sept. 21. This year’s international theme is “Climate Action for Peace.”
According to Dr. Apura, the theme was revised into “Upholding Children as Zones of Peace: Strengthening Peace and Human Security,” to suit the context of the recent violence in Negros such as the killings, stabbing incidents, and the bomb threat in the university.
The graduating students of Masters in Peace Studies also organized an interactive peace forum held last Sept. 17 at the Magdamo Hall. Among those in the forum were representatives of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Dumaguete Provincial Police, and the 111th Army Battalion. Attendees were a section of Grade 12 CFFS students, as well as the faculty of the Religion and Peace studies department and representatives from Divinity School. In addition, a midweek prayer meeting, still in relation to the theme, was held last Sept. 18 and 20.
The university also participated in the #ClimateEmergencyHour as organized by Greenpeace Philippines in coordination with the Religion and Peace Studies department. The #ClimateEmergencyHour is an event where students walk out of their classes at 2 p.m., then display their banners to signify support for the call to mitigate climate change and take pictures to raise awareness in social media of the current environmental situation.
Christian Studies students were also required to post peace messages on social media. A Fun Day and Arts for Peace was organized for the Casa Esperanza community, which included activities such as paintings and games, last Sept. 21.
