Guided by its mission of forming leaders for others, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU), through the Office of Student Affairs (OSA), in collaboration with the Ateneo Peace Center (APC), the Campus Ministry Office (CMO), and the Ateneo Learning and Teaching Excellence Center (ALTEC), facilitated Kalinaw: Ignatian Peacebuilding Camp on March 27–28, 2026, at the AdZU Grade School, Tumaga Campus.
The two-day camp brought together student leaders and representatives from accredited college organizations to engage in a meaningful journey of reflection, dialogue, and leadership formation. Volunteer facilitators from the Alliance of Religious Organizations (ARO), El Consejo Atenista, and the Social Awareness and Community Service Involvement (SACSI) Office accompanied the participants throughout the camp, fostering a spirit of Compañerismo and shared mission.
The camp underscored that leadership in the Atenean context goes beyond organizational management. It is a call to become men and women for and with others, especially in communities that continually seek reconciliation, understanding, and social healing.
As the premier internal leadership formation initiative for accredited college organizations, KALINAW deepens the WAVEs 2026 program of the Formation Office. While WAVEs introduces the broader framework of Justice and Peace, Ecological Integrity, and other core values, KALINAW invites student leaders into a more profound integration of these principles—transforming awareness into a lifelong commitment to peace leadership.
Central to the camp is the formation of the “Peace-Leader” in the Ignatian tradition—one who recognizes that leadership and peacebuilding are inseparable. Through various sessions and communal experiences, participants were challenged to journey inward, cultivating inner peace, resilience, and discernment, as a foundation for addressing conflicts within their organizations and the wider society.
Anchored in the call to a “faith that does justice,” KALINAW empowers student leaders to move beyond functional roles and become transformative agents of change. With compassion at the core of their leadership, they are inspired to advocate for human dignity, uphold human rights, and embrace an ecological conversion that safeguards our common home.
KALINAW proved to be a formative experience where the diverse threads of student leadership are woven into a shared and enduring commitment to peace—strengthening a community of leaders dedicated to building bridges, fostering understanding, and serving with purpose.
More photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/uhzacikWcMPVe8Mn8