The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) was recently invited to speak at the National Peace Month Commemoration 2025 in Quezon City, Philippines, to commemorate the Philippines’ Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)’s peacebuilding initiatives. The event honored BJMP’s implementation of the Peace Education Program and featured the Grey Dove awards.
During TPRF’s Peace Education Program Director Willow Baker’s talk, she praised BJMP’s innovative, human-centered approach: “I have been involved in and witnessed numerous peacebuilding efforts. And I can tell you that the initiatives of BJMP set a standard as groundbreaking contributions to peacebuilding.” In particular, she centered BJMP’s recognition of the humanity of Persons Deprived of Liberty and its commitment to rehabilitation and reintegration.
The commemoration on September 22, 2025, also featured a symbolic turnover of books for BJMP jail libraries. “Hear Yourself: How to Find Peace in a Noisy World” and “Breath: Wake Up to Life,” both by Prem Rawat, global peace educator and founder of the Peace Education Program, were donated. Director Willow Baker read excerpts from both books:
“Peace is possible when you start with yourself. When we feel that peace inside us, we start to influence others around us. Peace is beautifully contagious.” – Hear Yourself
“People are crying out for peace. Peace is not a luxury. It’s not governments, not big institutions, not the police, not the army, but each human being taking responsibility for this peace that’s going to make a difference.” – Breath
This ceremony builds on a growing partnership between BJMP and TPRF. In July last year, Program Director Willow Baker and Program Development & Training Manager Catherine Gavigan visited the Philippines to sign a historic Memorandum of Understanding with the BJMP, formalizing TPRF’s commitment to BJMP in rolling out the program via technical support and facilitator training.
BJMP has established several Peace Education Halls and integrated the Peace Education Program into its broader peacebuilding framework, starting with staff and preparing to expand to PDLs once the program’s Filipino translation is complete.
The Grey Dove awards were distributed to the jails for their peacebuilding initiatives, with PDLs also acknowledged for their peace-centered artwork.
44 BJMP officers and staff have already been certified as proficient facilitators of the Peace Education Program.
Because of its non-political and non-religious nature, the Peace Education Program has been well-received internationally and cross-culturally, with more than 615,000 participants in over 85 countries and 45 languages. The strengths-based workshop series has been applied in corrections facilities worldwide, with each workshop featuring one of the following ten themes universal to all of humanity: Peace, Appreciation, Inner Strength, Self-Awareness, Clarity, Understanding, Dignity, Choice, Hope and Contentment.
In the Philippines, the Peace Education Program is helping BJMP advance its commitment to a more human-centered justice system that supports staff wellbeing and creates new pathways for the rehabilitation and reintegration of Persons Deprived of Liberty.
