Peeling the Layers of Peace: An Introspection

by Heather Simonette Rose Intong 

Peace for us is guns.

Peace is walking on concrete roads.

Peace is having Eva (a foreigner) in our community. 

In the two-day Youth Mentor's Peacebuilding Training by the MSU–IIT's Institute of Peace and Development in Mindanao and MSU–IIT Youth Chain of Peace held last September 25-26, my fellow IITian student leaders and I embarked on a quest to get to know peace as more than a one-dimensional experience.

I have always looked at peace as a simple feeling of ease—the absence of rage. But when we were tasked to ink a grid with words that sit closely with peace, my boxes were half-empty. Emotions were all I could think of, war was etched on the upper-left block. The rest remained barren. On an effortless endeavor a student leader like me is supposed to ace, I failed to hit a straight mark.

Peace takes different forms.

Its gravity comes like peeling the layers of an onion without shielded eyes—the more you pluck, the closer it gets to your core and the well of your body, where your eyes get their supply of tears. Mine, however, fell like an apple on the head of a sleeping scholar.

Peace has to start from within.

In introspection, our vista towards peace roots down to our personal, complex identities. Aspects such as our socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality/citizenship, and political standpoint play a crucial role in how we define a conflict-free life as we grow older. Even our first language and job or position have their place in the roster. Getting acquainted with these factors helps us define our identity and foster that inner peace that will soon radiate like sun rays in the golden hour.

Peace is who we are.

But defining peace varies greatly from one soul to another. During the workshop, some delegates relived their experience with the seemingly-bizarre definition of peace by an Annual Peacebuilding Training for Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute delegate from Tawi-Tawi and the residents of Tangkal, Lanao del Norte:

"Peace for us is guns."—In a conflict-stricken environment where waking up to gunshots fired and sleeping with the terrors of the night is an impending circumstance, having a gun within arm's reach is the citizen's way of harboring peace. Albeit the true, harmful nature of weapons, it gives them a sense of security.

"Peace is walking on concrete roads."—Progress is the embodiment of peace for the residents of Tangkal. Replacing what used to be a toilsome lane with a concrete path for the locals to utilize is the symbol of hope, bridging their community to the beautiful world they're part of. To see people coming from different places destigmatize the horrors–the false identity of fear engulfing their locality—"Peace is having Eva (a foreigner) in our community."

As representatives of the different organizations housed by MSU-IIT, we were gathered through the Young Mentor's Peacebuilding Training to help cultivate a culture of peace on campus and spearhead development and positive change. The initiative extends to our different organizations, diverse peers, and unique circles of friendship.

Unveiling the layers of peace from piece to piece has no systematic carbon copy. It comes differently for everyone. Your boxes might look similar to mine, half-empty but feverish. Your definition of peace might be of weapons, tourists, or cemented pathways. But whatever the face or form, peace is a familiar knock on our door, a call that we, as human beings, should answer. Peeling the layers of peace is the first and most crucial step to catalyzing a climate where harmony and stability coexist.