Non-violence: Building a Healthy World of Education

Non-violence: Building a Healthy World of Education

How can a student learn the ABC if they feel harmed while it is being taught to them? Will they be able to understand it if they experience aggression and hostility in their environment? Will these students still be the hope of the country if we close our eyes on the conflicts and crises that is happening to them? In fact, a lot of people just wait for a crisis or violence to happen before they act to resolve it, in short, their only choice is just to “clean up the mess.” That is why Mahatma Gandhi, a very influential person and a peacemaker in the Asian and World history had come up and developed a theory he called “Non-violence.”

The term “Non-violence” is given by Gandhi to the West and is an English translation of the Sanskrit word “ahimsa.” “Ahimsa” means the absence of the desire to harm or do violence to a living being. It has also been defined as the “recognition, the taming, the mastery and the transmutation of the desire for violence which is to be found in human beings and which leads them to want to push aside, shut out, eliminate and bruise their fellows.”

As a student, we must be the first to act and pursue on promoting non-violence in education. In that way, we will benefit from it by experiencing non-violence and might as well the others. In order for us to uphold non-violence in education, a lot of steps and action must be made and implemented. To promote non-violence in education, five suggested schemes are as follows. The first one is to learn to respect each other. This is the most important of all, because if you respect each other, you respect also his rights and responsibilities, and your similarities and differences. When there is respect for each other, non-violence is being carried out in ourselves. Respect must come from both parties, whether you are both students and the other one is a teacher, you must not overpower each other. The second scheme is to promote non-violence values and attitudes. These include autonomy, responsibility, cooperation, creativity, and solidarity. When these values and attitudes are applied in life, harm and violence can be prevented and avoided. Also, good character of the individual is being developed when this scheme is done. Here, you just not only promote non-violence but also the character of an individual.

The third scheme is to develop a cooperative learning based on intercultural understanding. We all know that Philippines is a country rich with different cultures and ethnicities and on this situation comes with their differences from each other. In this scheme, it will provide awareness to students about the different cultures of each of them, their own and others ethnicity and also of the other nations if possible. The fourth suggested scheme is facilitate and offer non-violent solutions to conflicts encountered by the students. In a world of differences, there would always be conflicts between students such as petty quarrels, minor misunderstandings and even personal problems can be included. These conflicts might result to violence which is what we are trying to avoid happening. For us to solve these conflicts between students, we must implement non-violent conflict resolutions. These resolutions can be the following: first, use your heart not just ears to listen to each other, next you must listen to the needs and explanation of each other, then understand each others situation or problem and lastly, try to make solutions for it. In here, there would be win-win outcomes for both parties because the problem will be solved and nobody will experience violent actions. The last scheme is for the school to give room for dialogue and sharing of students’ problems, ideas and anything that might help them. School will always be the second home of a student. If at their homes, the students feel happy, welcomed, relaxed and comfortable; they must also feel the same way on their second home. Sharing each others problems and solving it non-violently assists a student to have resolutions for their predicaments.

In this life, particularly on education, a lot of hardships will be going through, so, the students must maintain themselves a healthy well-balanced mind and body. For them to achieve this, we need to create a safe and just community for them. This environment ought to be surrounded with non-violence, thus creating healthy relationships for everyone. Upon using the recommended schemes to promote non-violence in education, we will be able to attain a dynamic balance in education for everyone —justice, health, and peace.

Aileen Grace V. Corpuz BSN 4th year, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasig
2nd Place, Essay-Writing Contest, English Division, Pasig City in cooperation with the Non-violence Week