Beyond the Classroom: Lessons from Rondine
Studying Social Justice and Peace Studies (SJPS) for the past three years at King’s University College has been very insightful, but having the chance to learn at Rondine Cittadella della Pace (Rondine City of Peace) through the King’s at Rondine Seminar in May 2026 made it even more special. Located in a medieval Tuscan hamlet near Arezzo, Italy, Rondine is an international organization dedicated to conflict resolution and peacebuilding. This program gave me an incredible opportunity to expand my education internationally. Growing up in the Philippines gave me a personal awareness of systemic conflict, and Rondine broadened that perspective by introducing me to a new dimension of peacebuilding. The experience showed me what makes the SJPS program at King’s so unique: learning about theories of social justice and actively connecting with them through firsthand experience.
Early on, I realized that the lessons from Rondine would extend far beyond the organization. This became clear during our first workshop with the World House students, who are young adults from conflict-affected countries living and studying together at Rondine. Meeting them bridged the gap between our classroom discussions at King’s and their everyday lives. A key lesson stayed with me: conflict is inevitable, and resolution is not always about fixing the problem. Instead, it is about being open to different perspectives, providing space for dialogue, and understanding the importance of community.
Arriving in Arezzo marked my first time living away from my parents and sharing an apartment with people I did not know. Given the usual anxieties about lifestyle clashes and roommate compatibility, I initially felt a bit nervous, especially since we would be sharing a space for an entire month! But as if it were meant to be, the three strangers I met became my most precious friends. Looking back, I realize that the tight-knit community feel I love at King’s followed us all the way to Italy; I would not have enjoyed Rondine nearly as much without my classmates by my side to share the experience.
Rondine was far more than just sitting inside a classroom and studying abstract concepts. As our program coordinator, Envera Suljic, shared with us on our first day, Rondine is not a place where we simply show up as passive outsiders to consume information; it is a community that requires our active participation. We were encouraged to fully immerse ourselves in the experience, not only through our classes and workshops but also by participating in daily community life. A highlight of this was Turno di Cucina, a weekly rotation where we took turns helping to serve food to our fellow students. It completely changed the dynamic, transforming a basic routine into a fun space for laughter and everyday bonding.
Our daily immersion inside the community was the perfect bridge to our weekend adventures travelling across Italy. These trips brought our group closer together and pushed us to apply our classroom lessons out in the world. Whether it was testing our classroom Italian with locals to find a grocery store, or simply adapting to a culture outside of Canada, the experience made me appreciate the course even more. It allowed us to connect with people from all walks of life while falling in love with the history of such a beautiful country.
My month in Italy may have come to an end, but the lessons from the program continue to influence how I look at things. My time at Rondine deepened my understanding of conflict resolution, teaching me that creating spaces for community and dialogue across differences is at the heart of real social justice. It’s the kind of opportunity I genuinely hope every King’s student gets to experience at least once before they graduate. It was a brief but beautiful time that left me with lessons I will never forget and a new purpose in my studies. More than anything, I am so grateful for the endless laughter I shared with the people I met and the unforgettable moments that turned a once unfamiliar place into a home.