The purpose of the Peace Crane Center Project is to provide access to peace education materials and resources and to serve as a hub for students and faculty as well as for groups and institutions within Zamboanga City.
The project was conceived after the a group of twenty three young Filipinos attended a Post-War Reconstruction and Peace Building Training of Filipino Youths conference, sponsored by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in Hiroshima in 2011.
The attendees formed an informal support group called “Familia Sumimasen” together with Tomoko Watanabe of ANT-Hiroshima.
The idea of setting up a Peace Crane Center was proposed by Aldrin Bucoy, the Executive Coordinator of the Interreligious Solidarity Movement for Peace, to partner institutions from Japan through Tomoko Watanabe and other members of the Familia Sumimasen.
The Peace Crane Center was opened at the Zamboanga City High School in partnership with the Department of Education-Schools Division, Tetuan, Zamboanga City, Philippines.
The Peace Crane Center commemorates the a-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The organizers donated peace education materials and equipment to provide the school’s peace hub more opportunities to share peace lessons in the various classrooms and also to enable the community access to its resources in the cause of peace. Donations to the center included a laptop and printer from Hiroshima City, books from World Vision and a local NGO, Golden Crescent Consortium of Peacebuilders and Associates.
School Principal, Dr. Felisa I. Munar accepted wholeheartedly the peace blessing and committed to further strengthening the campaign for the culture of peace not just to the students but also to its faculty and nearby communities.
Mr. Pedro Melchor M. Natividad, Superintendent of the Department of Education-Schools Division of Zamboanga City committed its strong support to the advocacy of peace in the city. The Deparment of Education further commits itself to being a partner in the campaign to make every school a breeding place for peace. To that end, five more centers are planned for selected public high schools in the city.
