Becoming an agent of peace: When conflict becomes education

Dimapur, Feb. 27: When citizens teach their children–or for that matter, the society–peaceable ways of response to conflict, conflict becomes not a problem but education and learning. This profound statement was made by a resource person during a peace-building event in Peren recently. The Peren district chapter of local motivational group, the Peace Channel, organized a seminar at All Saints’ Higher Secondary School Hall in Peren town on February 25. A press release from the organisers on Monday informed that Martha Caceres and Mohit Nahar from Liverpool Hope University of UK were the resource persons for the event. In her address Martha Caceras told the participants that peace is not only an absence of direct violence. Peace should also represent a scenario where individuals or communities are not harmed or suffer because of any other kind of violence, the organisers implied. For example, she said, discrimination, poverty, difficulties in accessing education or even tensions within families and communities, the press release stated. The organisers quoted her as having referred to a quote by John Paul Lederach, a recognized peace builder scholar. She said ‘relationships are the main essence in peace,’ the press release stated. “This means how I respond to the events will have an effect in the peace at global level.” In her concluding remark, Martha Caceras called upon the participants with an encouragement: ‘When we give skills to our children, teachers and leaders on how to manage an emotion and respond to conflict, the conflict is transformed into learning.’ We are working on long term peace and we are developing agents of peace, she added. Speaking on ‘Inner peace,’ Mohit Nahar quoted the words of Sydney Madwed: “Those who are at war with others are not at peace with themselves.” To become an agent of peace, it is necessary to start feeling this peace within oneself, he said. ‘When we transform our self, it will give us more awareness and more love towards our self. When we know how to respond to conflict situations, we will be able to transform the conflict into learning,’ he said. The topic about the concepts and functions of peace coordination committees was covered by Janthuiyang RK John, Project Coordinator of Peace Channel. A multi-media presentation and introduction to Peace Channel was delivered by David Ndang, District Coordinator for Peren. Earlier at the program Rev. Fr. Philip Mhonchumo, Principal All Saints Hr. Sec. School welcomed the resource persons and all the participants. Thirty-four new club members from All Saints Hr. Sec. Schools, Baptist High School and Govt. Middle School Peren was inducted into the Peace Club by Mr. George, Teacher animator of All Saints Hr. Sec. School in the presence of the resource Persons, Heads of the institutions and other participants.