The Silsilah Dialogue Movement along the years has formed thousands of Muslims and Christians through different Silsilah Summer Courses and trainings and always the focal point of the formation is the Culture of Dialogue, Path to Peace.
Along the years, we have been exploring how to make this understanding of the Culture of Dialogue to all levels including the children. Guided by this on-going reflection, a few years ago, we started to present the culture of Dialogue, Path to Peace in the Silsilah Schools in Zamboanga. We have an elementary school in Sta. Cruz Island and six (6) Kindergarten schools in poor areas in the city where Muslims and Christians live together. Guided by this idea we have developed the “Tulay Bata for Dialogue and Peace” approach in our Kindergarten. A few days ago, we organized two big training programs of three days each in Harmony Village for the Kindergarten teachers of DepEd (Department of Education) districts of Zamboanga.
The experience has been a great challenge for us considering that the teachers appreciated the importance of this approach of education for the Kindergarten.
A teacher from Putik District said: “The Tulay Bata for Dialogue and Peace” is one great approach that we can integrate in our teaching-learning activities in school. I paid a great honor and gratitude to the Silsilah Dialogue Movement for sponsoring this 3-days Workshop for Public School Kindergarten teachers, because through this workshop, we were able to find the real essence of being a kinder teacher. That we, the teachers, can, not only be a bridge, but we can also build bridges for Children of young minds. Through dialogue, sincere communication and with a caring heart, we can.
Another teacher from Vitali District said: “We, the kindergarten teachers of Vitali District, commit ourselves to be the light that carries peace and harmony to our children. Tulay Bata for Dialogue and peace will be one of our advocacies from now on. We promise to share and spread the Culture of Dialogue vision and mission to our fellow teachers and the community, to continue the good word of this program”.
Their reflections and suggestions have been all positive, beyond our expectations. In this program of Tulay Bata, we try to involve the children, their parents, and the community where they live. The presentation is done in six (6) different stages, guided by an acronym for each stage that develops the presentation that can be done along the school year. Each stage is introduced with the illustrations:
In the 1st stage, we presented four (4) concentric circles to present to the Children the concept of Dialogue with God, self, others and creation.
In the 2nd stage, we illustrate a spiral, which helps to tell the children that from the central point that is God, the spiral connects all the circles without end. Here the concept of the life to come or eternity is introduced in a language fitted to children.
In the 3rd stage, we present three separate circles. One representing the Present Reality, one in the middle which represents the Culture of Dialogue and the other side is the Vision of Peace. This simple presentation has to guide children to understand better the present reality with all the problems and signs of hope using the language fitted to the children.
In the 4th stage, we introduce the illustrations of the three (3) circles overlapping gradually saying that the Culture of Dialogue in the middle has to be like a magnet that attracts gradually the Present Reality and the Vision Peace.
In the 5th stage, we illustrate with a clock, and the acronym A. N. E. X. P. E. R. I. E. N. C. E. This presentation is central because it capsulizes the basic elements of this Tulay Bata approach. In this way:
A = Appreciation of the centrality of God (in the clock of life)
N = New clock of life
EX = Expose children to topic and issues
P = Peace as a vision of society
E = Experience personal transformation as a style of life
R = Renewal of society starting from children’s actions for peace
I = Information of children’s initiatives on local, national and global levels
E = Ethics and values as basic guiding principles of the “clock of life”
N = Nature as manifestation of creation, a priority attention towards peace
C = Communication as responsible media, one important element of peace
E = Exploring new experience of dialogue and peace education
In the 6th stage we propose is the illustration in a form of “Birds of Peace” with steps going to the same direction. It is the stage where the children are encouraged to review and internalize more the different concepts presented in this Tulay Bata approach.
We know that the process of education is an “Art in Progress” that needs preparation. It is the “Art of the Heart” that has to guide people to live and promote dialogue and peace.