LOOKING THROUGH THE LENS OF THE STUDENTS  By Bennette Grace Tenecio

Energetic.  Bubbly.  Critical thinkers.  Highly opinionated.  Smart.  Creative.  That’s how I describe my trainees.

University Peace and Reconciliation Zone is a pilot project of Peacebuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) to start a peace movement among university students in Mindanao.  When I learned that I’ll be assigned as the Team Organizer of the University PAR, I was excited and challenged at the same time.  I'm excited because I used to be a campus worker and really loved it.  I'm challenged because I know that this will be a high-energy commitment!

So, I started to pray and to plan on how to go about it.  Like what I used to do a few months before actually joining PBCI, I hanged out at the Coffee for Peace.  It was, and still is, my favorite thing to do.

While sitting comfortably on the couch, I heard two students talking about the wall pictures in the coffee shop.  One blurted: “I want to be like them.  People who work for peace!”

"This is it!" I said to myself.  "I have to grab this opportunity to talk to these students." 

And I did.

Now, that student is the core leader of the University PAR.  It’s so amazing how everything got in-sync with the plans

In the first quarter, key universities were identified and begin to look for students who are willing to be part of the University PAR. Students from University of the Philippines Mindanao Campus,  Ateneo de Davao University, University of Mindanao and Holy Cross of Davao City were given orientation about the University PAR. Only the students from ADDU (Ateneo de Davao University) and HCDC (Holy Cross of Davao City) expressed their commitment to be trained and be part of the University PAR.

Hanging out with these students is part of the mentoring sessions. Visiting them in their campus is a great experience. Learning their struggles and conflicts in a students’ context is a great challenge but at the same time an encouragement. Training them about peace and reconciliation in their lenses is a big deal. Students have unique issues about peace and they have unique ideas on how to deal with it. These are students of Mass Communications, International Studies (Majoring in American Studies) and Engineering.  They come from different year levels.  Some are freshmen and some are in their third year.

Listening to their different stories and their hopes on how to achieve peace and reconciliation in our land made me think that their youthful ideas and idealism bring hope.  It is possible to achieve the Salam-Shalom that we are praying and hoping to happen.

Right now, these students are on their PAR (Peace and Reconciliation) Basic Course training. They are so eager to learn and excited to be exposed in peacebuilding work. Continued discussions and questions are entertained in every campus visits and e-group interaction.  Our “tambayan” (hang-out), the PBCI office, is fast becoming to be the home of the University PAR Team.

One of them articulated the groups' heart well: “We want to be a catalyst of peace here in our land and we want our voices to be heard.”

Looking at peace through the students' lenses energizes me to continue this journey--to walk with these students to help achieve peace and reconciliation in our land.

(Follow the University PAR Team on Facebook)


September 16, 2009
Davao City



Bennette Grace Tenecio is University PAR Team Organizer and Trauma Healing Program Specialist at PBCI.  With her master's degree in Clinical Psychology, Benette has various experiences working with children and youth.  She served as a university campus worker in Metro Manila for a number of years.  Now, she has decided to serve in Mindanao where she was born, the place she considers home.