By Michael Vincent D. Cajulao
“The Culture of peace should start with the kids”, Mr. Rameer Tawasil,
the world renown Tausug artist, explained on the rationale of 5-day ARMM Summer
Art Workshop for Peace currently being held in a local hotel here.
The Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao government, thru its ARMM HELPS (Health, Education, Livelihood, Political
Reform, and Synergy) Program, came up with the project armoring more than
thirty kids from ARMM aged 7 to 15 years old on culture of peace thru drawing
and painting.
“It is important to instill in the
minds of the young ones the essence of peace. Although they may not immediately
grasp the idea, the lessons will surely be kept in their subconscious area.
Sooner or later it will just come out”, Tawasil said.
Tawasil furthered he immediately
jumped at the opportunity to teach kids on peace culture by using art as a
medium to make them aware of what is happening at an early age.
“This is one of my advocacies, to promote
peace through my works. When ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman contacted me and asked
me if I can help him, I immediately said yes. I said this is a great
opportunity not just to promote peace but also preserve our cultural heritage.
Not just the Tausug culture but of Mindanao as a whole”, the soft-spoken artist
said.
Tawasil was born and raised in Jolo,
Sulu during the martial law years, and the harrowing experiences he had during
the war in Sulu has contributed vastly to his mission and advocacy to help kids
develop culture of peace in them.
“When I was five years old, I
witnessed the burning of Jolo town, and it really haunted me for so long that
it became my driving force to promote peace thru the best way that I could,
art”, he recalled.
He also added that one of his aims
for this activity is to help kids to develop their potentials.
“One of the reasons why I agreed to
teach these kids is to help especially those with potential to hone their
skills. Truth is, not all of these kids will become artists someday. But some
can become cultural workers that will help preserve the Mindanao Culture. Some
may become art collectors”, Tawasil pointed.
Rameer Tawasil, has long resided
here in Zamboanga City and has represented not just the city, but the entire
country in international art exhibits. He had his solo exhibits in Belgium,
Sweden, and just recently, Malaysia. (MVC/PIA9-ZBST)