Much wisdom can be taught and learnt from stories, and a Jesuit scholastic hopes that his story, “A Fading Dream of an Orphan”, will make people reflect on and act against the destructive nature of war.
“No individual likes war. Yet, this destructive act prevails in various corners of the world today. This simple story may not have the power to eradicate war from the surface of the world but readers might be moved by this particular story or a similar narrative in which case it can play a role toward ending this destructive evil that has been hampering the overall progress of our world,” said Myanmar scholastic Joseph M. SJ.
“The story was the fruit of my prayer and a sense of solidarity for the people in my own home state who are currently suffering from the plight of civil war. It highlights the destructive nature of war by illustrating the intensity of suffering encountered by a particular family. It focuses on the humanitarian aspect so that through the individual awareness one gains from this story, one will realize the ugly nature of war and be motivated to work for peace,” he said.
Joseph had been invited to present “A Fading Dream of an Orphan” as the wisdom story from Myanmar at the Fifth Karunungan (Wisdom) Festival: Sub-regional Conference on Southeast Asian Wisdom Stories for Sustainable Development. Organised by the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, with support from the UNESCO Participation Programme and the Asia Pacific Philosophy Education Network for Democracy, the conference promotes the teaching of philosophy at all levels of education and is structured to allow for the narration of the story, a philosophical commentary and a presentation of a facilitator’s guide for teaching the story to children. The conference was held at Ateneo de Manila University on November 18 and 19.
“The experience of participating in the two-day conference provided me with tools on how to make use of simple stories in forming the young generation. It was also the opportunity for me to interact with people coming from different backgrounds, religions and professions and yet sharing the same goal to promote a better world which is undoubtedly the will of God for us Christians,” he said.
To read “A Fading Dream of an Orphan”, click here.