Across the Philippines, prison staff and incarcerated people are starting to benefit from The Prem Rawat Foundation’s Peace Education Program.
Thanks to a historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) and the Philippines government’s Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the Peace Education Program is in the process of being implemented at correctional facilities throughout the country.
Originally introduced to the program at a conference of the International Corrections and Prison Association, BJMP officials have embraced the goals of the program, which aims to help participants discover their inner strengths and personal peace. They warmly welcomed Program Director Willow Baker and Program Development & Training Manager Catherine Gavigan at meetings in the Philippines last year to kick-off the partnership. TPRF is providing technical assistance, materials, facilitator training and guidance to support the BJMP’s rollout of the program.
Great progress is being made on implementation, including the participation of over 115 BJMP personnel. Of those, 22 have now become certified program facilitators, enabling them to start delivering the program at jails across the country to their colleagues and clients.
“TPRF’s partnership with BJMP is significant,” says Peace Education Program Director Willow Baker. “Our visit to the Quezon City headquarters was both enjoyable and enlightening. The emphasis on the power of personal peace in rehabilitation, championed by Jail Director Ruel S. Rivera, Marie Louise Engracial, Deputy Chief for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Counterterrorism, Jail Officer Aris Williamere Villaester, and many dedicated staff at BJMP, is both impressive and inspiring. We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from such committed professionals and eagerly anticipate the continuation of our joint efforts.”
Program Development & Training Manager Catherine Gavigan adds: “BJMP’s innovative approach to building a culture of peace throughout their organisations by using the Peace Education Program resources shows their team to be creative, imaginative and original in tackling the problems associated with correctional facilities worldwide.”
BJMP made this video to celebrate the partnership with TPRF on the Peace Education Program:
The incorporation of the Peace Education Program is just one of several ways BJMP is working to improve its criminal justice system, focusing on staff wellbeing, decongestion, modernization and enhancing rehabilitation for those who are incarcerated, which the bureau refers to as “Persons Deprived of Liberty.”
A Worldwide Program
To date, over 500,000 people have participated in the Peace Education Program across 80 countries in 43 languages. That includes over 180,000 participants at over 1,000 correctional facilities. The results have been far reaching and transformative, with participants reporting a wide variety of benefits such as reducing anger and anxiety, improving self-understanding and enhancing appreciation for the value of life. Studies and endorsements are providing a growing body of evidence about the program’s impact.
The program workshops transcend cultural and socioeconomic boundaries by giving participants the opportunity to focus and reflect on their humanity, and their inner resources such as choice, hope and dignity. Rather than describing or defining personal peace, Prem Rawat’s video presentations empower individuals to reach their own understanding.
Learn more about the Peace Education Program here.
