Different Definition of Peace

Before joining HWPL, I never would have imagined that I would develop a different definition and outlook on the meaning of the word “Peace”.

I used to think that “peace” was a word that was exclusively used by UN ambassadors, or people who were working in social work. It was a vague term that got thrown around in big speeches, especially when it came to wars, or conversations around struggles with poverty and division. “Peace” seemed like a big mission that couldn’t really be achieved by ordinary people, and therefore, was a work that I dreamed to help with, but couldn’t really touch. The community I was born into held to varying standards and values, and I grew up witnessing a lot of injustices between races, gender, and religion, that just didn’t sit right with me. And the more I learned that these injustices have been set in systems internationally, and I felt quite powerless to change things, let alone stop wars all over the world. After all, I am just one ordinary person.

That was my way of thinking until I came to find out about the work of peace in HWPL. An organization that practically had its arms open not just for one category of people, but for all, without trying to gain any benefits for themselves whatsoever. Learning about Chairman Lee Man Hee, I was astounded to be able to find someone with such will and vision to change the world for the better. Not just using his words, but showing it in his humble, quick, and assertive plans. It was the case in Mindanao that truly left me speechless, and inspired me to join in and help with peace efforts too. The experience only got better from there. After joining HWPL and receiving Peace Education lessons, I realized that even as society evolved to become a place where people seemed to only care about themselves, it is wired in nature that peace is kept in order. This was when I started to realize that the word “peace” holds out space for all of us to come together and understand deeper because it is not the simple and distant concept most of us have come to believe. As it turns out, “keeping the peace” has always been an unspoken, interwoven part of our lives, and it should continue to be that way. By having the same understanding peace foundationally regardless of our societal, racial, political, or religious backgrounds, we can come to the same heart of wanting the best for humankind. After all, who really wants war? People should understand the value of life in each other, and we should recognize that there is nothing better than achieving a world of peace. No person is better than the other, and we all deserve to feel safe and loved. I join in with the heart of HWPL and rejoice at this chance to be a part of such a monumental movement. Looking at the change that we are making in the lives of many individuals, especially starting with young students, I will not be touched. They deserve to inherit the best, peaceful, future.

Since I joined, I have participated in meetings and events to campaign for peace, such as Peacewalks, Peaceletters, Peace Education, WARP office meetings, and even learned about the creation of the DPCW. I was blown away because I couldn’t believe these 10 articles and 38 clauses had never been a part of the law, to begin with! I hope that every effort my small hands can bring can help lead the world to a better place. I rally behind Chairman Lee Man Hee and share his vision and heart for this world of peace. If we just take it upon ourselves to become peace ambassadors and uphold peaceful values even in our daily lives, that world is not far away at all. Here’s to the day we can see that future fully realized!