Philippines ranked 100 in Global Peace Index

It seems that the Philippines did not get into the top this time…

After all those records that set the Philippines on the first rank, this peace index is different. Of the 121 countries surveyed, my [beloved] country ranked just 20 notches higher from war-torn Iraq.

Akalain mo nga naman ano? People seem to be more focused on other things and assume that they live in peaceful community BUT our eyes are shut for the reality.

One great paradox, which I encounter almost every time I write for “A Peaceful World” and “Values to Live By” columns, is that I tend to present the Philippines to children that it is a peaceful country where peace-loving people live. I have produced many articles for the columns yet sometimes, I am aware that my words do not embody reality and what I am telling are contridictions of my beliefs.

Going back to the Global Peace Index, I think the low rank was expected. I’ll not be thankful if I read that the Philippines is in the first 15 or 50 ranks. Because, reality prooves it.

When was the last time you walked in crowded places or you ride the MRT/LRT that you did not worry for pick pockets or hold-upers? When was the last time you listened to the radio or watched television that deaths and bombings are already out of the news? When was the last time that you heard of someone disappeared with no apparent reason? When was the last time that parents need not worry of their children’s safety while they are outside? Isn’t all those seem to happen just yesterday or events as such happen even at the very moment of your reading this article?

“Peace” is defined more than the absence of war as many people define it. Peace is— can you give your own definition?

• the freedom of children to play outside
• safety both for humans and animals
• harmonious relationship among neighbors
• cooperation among individuals in the community
• acceptance of individuality while developing their own capabilities
• tolerance of cultural differences yet living together for common good
• food for the hungry, clean water for the thirsty, cloths for the naked and home for the homeless
• freedom with responsibility
• justice to the victims of human rights violations
• respect for each other’s rights
• unity amid diversity
• an ear that listens to the cry of people; an eye that see the plight of the world; a nose that smells the stink of injustice and war; a tongue that tastes the devastation of the environment; a skin that feels hurt of torture; a person that envisions a “life”

The list should go on until peace is achieved! I may seem to be so idealist but I am also a realist— that somehow, those ideas I preached to children in my articles be achieved. Everyone of us can advocate peace depending on our choice of definition. Peace starts from within.