CWTS 1 FINAL EXAM MOVED!

Good Day, Sun1!!!
I just want to inform you that our final exam is moved to October 11, 2009. This is the decision of all the CNSM instructors who are handling CWTS 1 this semester. The information about the upcoming examination is as follows.

Coverage:
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
College and University High Ranking officials (VCAA, Admission, etc)
Himno ng Pamantasan

Type of Exam:
Multiple Choices
True or False
Fill in the blank
Essay

Date of Exam:
October 11, 2009

Time of Exam:
8AM-10AM

Venue:
To be announced on the day of examination


See you there! Good luck!
Keep in touch!
=)

CWTS 1 SUN1 STUDENTS DROPPED

The following students were already dropped (unofficially):
AMADOR, Daphne Jenn
BUSTAMANTE, Prudence Peace
CABILLO, Ruel
COSAIN, Amerodin
DANO, Michelle
ENRIQUEZ, Gemma
MACALABO, Jumaiyah
Novesteras, Lecca
SARAUSA, Andrenalin
SOLIS, Analyn
MANIRI, Farhan

Appreciating Diversity / Exploring Personal Meaning of Peace

Lesson #1
1. Peace has a personal, social, and environmental dimension.

2. Read the Six Paths to Peace and discuss MSU’s commitment to contribute to peace in Mindanao. Point out that these two documents point to the commitment to work for peace at the institutional level. Relate the relevance of CWTS as service to the community through understanding and working for peace.

Six Paths to Peace

From the end of government and the National Unification Commission on the basis of nationwide consultations, the Six Paths to Peace, recommended is neatly laid out in Executive Order No. 125.

The First Path is the pursuit of social, economic, and political reforms aimed at the root causes of the internal armed conflicts and social unrest.

The Second Path is consensus building and empowerment for peace.

The Third Path is the pursuit of peaceful, negotiated settlement with the different rebel groups.

The Fourth Path is the implementation of programs for reconciliation, reintegration to mainstream society, and rehabilitation.

The Fifth Path seeks to ensure the welfare and protection of civilians and to reduce the impact of the armed conflicts on them, recognizing the possibility of continuing hostilities even as peace is pursued by the ways of peace.

The Sixth and Final Path seeks to build, nurture, and enhance a positive climate for peace.

6.2 Mission, Vision of MSU

Mission
Unlike other universities in the Philippines, MSU came into being with twin goals to fulfill:

 The University shall primarily give professional and technical training, besides providing advanced instruction in Literature, Philosophy, the Sciences, and Arts. More emphasis, however, shall be given in the teaching of Filipino native culture, Arts, Sciences, Philosophy, and Literature. Researches on these lines shall be undertaken by the University (RA 1387).

 In the pursuit of its traditional functions along instruction, research and extension services, the University shall promote and accelerate the economic, political, and socio-cultural development of Mindanao particularly the Muslims and other cultural communities therein and shall facilitate their integration into the mainstream of the national body politic.

Vision
Mindanao State University strives to be the premier supra-regional university geared towards the agro-industrial, ecological, socioeconomic and political development of Mindanao. It aspires to establish centers of excellence in science, technology, business, humanities, social sciences, and related fields. It will set the standards of excellence and serve as a training ground for future leaders of the various sectors of society.

6.2.1 Vision of MSU System – Institute of Peace and Development in Mindanao

Vision
A progressive Mindanao where people live with social justice and harmony in diversity towards peace and sustainable development.

Understanding Conflict

cwts 1
lesson #2
This session facilitates the students to share and discuss their own ideas and feelings about conflict and to explore whether conflict has a positive value in human interaction. This will also provide students an opportunity to examine and analyze different types of conflicts, their root causes and manifestations.

1.
 Conflicts are part of our everyday lives. They are facts of life. Without conflict there is no change. They can be positive or negative depending on who handles them. They can either destroy or spur growth.
 Conflicts have their own energy which can be expressed or suppressed.
 If expressed constructively, they spur personal, social and political development. When conflicts intensify and escalate, these can lead people and groups to animosity, polarization, and violence.
 Violence can consist of actions, words, attitudes, structure, or systems that cause physical, psychological, social or environmental destruction.
 Instruments of violence may be physical, cultural, structural, or psychological. Responses to conflict that lead to peace include: conflict prevention, conflict settlement, conflict management, and conflict resolution and transformation.

2.
 Conflict is a relationship between two or more parties who have, or think they have, incompatible goals. Violence consists of actions, words, attitudes, structures, or systems that cause physical, psychological, social, or environmental damage and/or prevent people from reaching their full human potential.
 Conflicts could be symbols of a healthy and dynamic society, if addressed properly. Latent conflict is a conflict that is not out in the open, but which may be brought into the open in order to be addressed effectively.
 Open conflict is a conflict that is deeply rooted and visible, which requires actions that target its root causes and control or transform its effects.
 Surface conflict may only be a misunderstanding of goals and could be improved by communication.
 Positive conflict is a conflict, which is non-violent and brings about positive change.
 Negative conflict is a conflict, which is violent and hurts people.

3. the Peace Building Map


4. By looking at the Peace Building Map, answer the following questions:

 Who start or produce conflicts?
 What do we mean by prevention, management, settlement, resolution, and transformation given the flow of the development of conflict?
 Can you cite any conflict and identify what stage it is given the map?

Identity and Perceptions

cwts 1
lesson #3

This lesson tries to show students the relationship between perception and cultural conditioning. This will show the students how we all have differing viewpoints depending where we are coming from in terms of individual life experiences and cultural background. These differing perspectives towards issues and situations can easily lead us to conflict if we do not try to understand the perspectives and views of other people.

1. Have fun in identifying one or two images within one picture. Let the others who are able to see the two images help you to see them.






2.
 When we look at the world, do we see the world as it is?
 Is seeing a matter of our eyes telling us what we see or it is more of our mind telling us what we see?
 What is the role of culture in creating perspectives?
 What is the implication of this on how we see and interpret problems? Cite one concrete issue that may have a bearing on the Mindanao Problem.


3. “The way a person receives, processes, and understands a certain message mainly relies on that person’s perception. An individual’s perception may be influenced by one’s identity, cultural background and life experiences.”

4. Answer the following questions.
 Have you ever had a conflict with someone because you had different ideas about something?
 Or, because you had different information about the same topic?
 How did you solve it?
 How can we solve conflicts over different viewpoints?
5. Consider these two articles. “I Am an Individual” and “Stereotyping.” React by asking them to write one word or two under the paragraph
A. I am an individual.
I have dignity and worth.
I am unique.
I deserve respect and I respect others.
I am part of the human family.
I have something special to offer the world.
I committed to a peaceful world for all of us.
I make a difference and so do you.
I can accomplish whatever I set to do and so can you.
I am the key to peace.

B. Stereotyping is a way of imposing one’s identity. It is about standardizing ideas about members of particular groups. It is often used in a negative or prejudicial sense, and is used to justify certain behaviors such as discrimination. Stereotyping reduces complexity and provides opportunities of identifying oneself with others. Common stereotypes include a variety of allegations about groups based on age, ethnicity, gender, nationality, and social class, among others.

6. Summary of the lesson:
“We all see the world differently. If we understand that our views are different, shaped by our own experiences of life, it is easier for us to understand one another. We must take time to listen and understand each other's ideas before creating conflict with one another."

Understanding and Managing of Emotional Push Buttons

Lesson #6
In conflict situations, the role of emotions in its escalation is significant. It is therefore, important to have an understanding of the roles that emotions play in our lives. It is also difficult to listen, to open oneself, or to cooperate if we harbor negative emotions.


1. The result of the previous workshop in Lesson 5 where students identified helpful behavior in a conflict and non-helpful behavior is shown below.


2. Natural to man. Our natural reaction to our surroundings and events in our lives. Physical and visceral and include the rousing or shrinking of energy; this energy has its own circulatory path in our body. Emotions connect to our minds and produce corresponding thoughts and images. When emotions are fully felt they disappear. When suppressed or are ignored they become push-buttons or emotional baggage. Repeatedly experienced emotions create and build its own neutral path in the brain

3. Ask yourself:
If emotions are physical reactions, what happens to the body when we are angry?
Or, what are the physical manifestations of anger? Fear?

The answers are usually physical descriptions:
 Blood rushes towards the head so the face becomes red.
 There is an increased heartbeat.
 Muscles tense.
 Facial expression becomes hard or sharp.
 Voice becomes stringent and loud.


4. Answer these questions:
 How do you manage negative emotions like anger and fear?
 What are your coping mechanisms?

Try to identify whether these management or coping mechanisms contribute positively to the situation or create more problems.

5. Awareness lesson in managing emotions:
 Think of your right hand. Describe the process of thinking of your right hand.
 Become aware of your right hand. What do you feel in your right hand? (Possible answers: feeling of weight, warmth or coldness, tinkling sensations)
 What is the difference between thinking and becoming aware?
 Take a relaxed position by putting your feet flat on the floor and your hands in your lap. Take a deep breath. Become aware of your body. What are sensations in your body?
 End the lesson by stating that becoming aware of the emotions is to fully experience them in the body. The only way emotions are processed out is to acknowledge their presence and fully experience them. Suppression or putting our attention somewhere actually will create more push buttons or emotional baggage. Expression of emotions is different from experiencing them in the body. The more we are aware and present when these emotions are felt the better we are in managing them and preventing them from coloring our perceptions or taking over our actions.

6. Acknowledge emotions in oneself and in the others help us become aware of the emotions and help us better manage them.

7. React to the following paragraphs:

a) Anger and fear amplify the destructiveness of a budding bias. The flooding of these strong emotions sabotage the ability to think clearly, thereby preventing us from answering the essential question, “Does he really have all the bad traits I ascribe to THEM?”
b) Emotional involvements, like friendships between individuals from either side of a hostile divide, make people far more accepting of each other’s groups.

Process and Conflict

CWTS 1 Lesson #5.

The next involves a physical activity and we are to perform it this coming sunday (September 27, 2009). Please bring an index card (1 index card per student). This one needs a considerable amount of energy. So, be sure to take your breakfast first before coming to class.

See you there, guys.
;-)

Us-Them, Understanding the Nature of Prejudices and Biases

Hey, there! Sorry for the late posting. We got a problem with our internet connection in our office. Anyway, here it is. ;-)



CWTS SUN1 LESSON #4

It is said that holding negative feelings toward a group predicts hostile actions. Hatred for one can be passed from one person to another and from one people to another. This is true even when that other group has far more similarities to, than differences from themselves. Understanding the nature of biases and prejudices is necessary so that we will not continue contributing to the great divide between individuals and peoples.


1. meaning of the following words:
~Prejudice – an opinion, usually negative, that is not founded on experience or reason
~Discrimination – when we treat other people differently because of a judgment (prejudice) made about the other person or group of people
~Stereotype – an opinion or idea about a group based on opinion without regard to individual differences

2. Read the following stories on prejudice
~In the mall, the guards were checking on the people who were entering. When it was the turn of Melissa, the guard seeing her, waived her in. Melissa’s companion, Rufa, was wearing a “kombong” on her head. The guard asked her to open her bag and double-checked its contents.

~Some poor students asked Jun to join their group to do a project. Jun, seeing that they were not wearing nice clothes thought that they could not be good in making the project. He refused them and joined another group.

~There was a report of a hit-and-run accident. Tomas upon hearing the incident stated right away that it was done by a person who belongs to a certain group of people. He later learned that the person who was the cause of the accident belong to their community.

~Three young people attended a seminar. When they were asked about their religion one gave an opinion that the other’s religion was not a religion because they believe in many gods.

~A teacher was entertaining a student who came in to be advised for his enrollment. When the teacher found out that he came from a particular school in a remote town, she told him right away that maybe he should look for another course because he may not be able to fill in the requirements of the school. When the student showed his entrance test mark, she was surprised it was very high.

~Sonia was having trouble in her Math class. She kept looking for some help but her class standing did not improve. One person she consulted told her that it is okay not to do well in Math because she is just like most girls anyway.

3. Try to answer the following questions:
~What is the prejudice in each story?
~Do you think these judgments are fair or justified?
~Can you give examples of other types of prejudices or stereotyping?
~What happened?
~How did you feel?

~What do you think is the result of prejudice and discrimination? How do people feel when they are discriminated against?
~React to the statements:
“The number one fear of people is to be rejected.”
“The more unlike themselves the other person was described as being, the more unwilling they were to come to their rescue.”

4. Nobody likes to be discriminated against negatively. When we are discriminated we feel hurt and this can lead to conflict. Also, when we hold negative judgments against other people it can cause them harm. This can lead to feelings of anger and hate which will become the seeds of conflict and violence.

5. As for your assignment, answer the question:
“What can we do about our own prejudices?”



Next lesson will be posted here on or before September 23, 2009.

phys 1 midterm exam postponed

Good pm, folks!!!
Eraño “Ka Erdy” G. Manalo, executive minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), a homegrown Christian sect, died on August 31,2009 (Monday) of cardiopulmonary arrest at his home in Quezon City. Ka Erdy Manalo is to be laid to rest tomorrow, Monday. September 7,2009 is therefore declared holiday in respect to the christian church.

So we'll have our midterm exam on September 10,2009 (Thursday).

Till then.

yj