For Tuan Salik, a Grade 10 student from Sultan Sinanggayan Integrated School in Sultan Kudarat province, respecting and accepting a person’s identity is one of the most significant experiences he achieved after completing the 12-session CS-LIFT toolkit developed by EAI Philippines, through the Communities and Schools Leading in the Fight against Terrorism (CSLIFT) Project.

Tuan shared that prior to the CS-LIFT toolkit, he used to hold negative assumptions against the Indigenous Peoples (IPs). However, this changed when he learned about respecting one’s identity and valuing human dignity in one of their Values Education classes where the CS-LIFT toolkit is integrated.

 “I used to look down on the IPs because I see them as poor- the kind of people who cannot achieve great things in life. I have a lot of schoolmates who are IPs, and when I came across a specific lesson about respecting a person’s identity, I thought of them. I learned the value of respecting each person regardless of belief, identity, gender, and status in life,” an emotional Tuan shared.

With many of his classmates coming from the IP community, Tuan now makes a conscious effort to connect with them. As a result, he learned to appreciate their culture and their unique way of life.

“Because of these prejudices against them (IP), they exhibit shyness or aloofness stemming from the fear of being harmed. That’s why I’m taking the initiative to be the first one to approach them. Now, they are more open, and I also learned a lot from them,” Tuan said while speaking about his two IP classmates he has now gotten closer with.

As a student achiever, Tuan recognizes the significance of teaching these values to young people like him. He believes that promoting respect and understanding differences is an essential step toward creating a more inclusive and peaceful society.