"building peace and upholding justice "

In recent history, year 2002 was the most traumatic year for the Mindanaoans, especially for the Maguindanaos who are living in the mainland provinces of Mindanao. This is because it was  during this historical year that the Maguindanaos saw one of the fiercest war in Mindanao history between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) through its Armed Forces. The war claimed hundreds of lives, devastated millions worth of properties and displaced thousands of civilians including women, youth, children, and elderly from their homes who were caught in thethe war.

The war intensified the inter-religious conflict between the Muslims and Christians in the area including among the young people. This made gangsteerism escalate, wherein the riots were between Muslim and Christian youth. These happenings claimed lives of the youth because the gangs used guns and bladed weapons during riots. It is during these times that the youth, especially those belonging to prominent families, have to carry with them all the time, guns in order to be safe.

Despite all these, the presence of various Non – Governmental Organizations (NGO's) helped the people not only with the assistance that they deliver to those displaced but by pushing the call for "Ceasefire", conducting "Interfaith Dialogues" and mobilizing the people, especially the youth, in the campaign for peace. One of these initiatives was the First Mindanao-wide Summer Youth Peace Camp, a gathering of more than five hundred young tri-people from all over Mindanao in General Santos City.

The activity gave space for the youth to have a dialogue and talk about issues confronting them. The activity was effective that various tri-people youth delegations from all over Mindanao decided to organize themselves in order to continue the dialogue and eventually reduced if not erase the biases among the tri-people. 

Present in that activity were the youth representing the Maguindanao – North Cotabato (MAGNOCOT) area. Touched and challenged by the activity, these youth participants decided to immediately form an organization on December 15, 2005 named Young Advocates for Peace and Solidarity (YAPS). YAPS is composed of the tri-people youth from Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Cotabato City.

For the past three (3) years of its existence, YAPS had made a difference in the efforts of peace building in their area. It had participated, conducted and facilitated several activities and trainings for the youth, from Mindanao-wide gatherings to different local initiatives. This includes youth camps, educational trainings and organizational strengthening. The organization is also actively engaged in different mobilizations, campaigns and advocacies on different issues, especially in the promotion of Peace and Solidarity.

In order to further spread the culture of peace among the youth, YAPS facilitated and assisted several youth organizations in their formation within the MAGNOCOT area. This paved the way for the emergence of more youth organizations in the area participating in peace building. To further attract the youth’s attention and bring them to the fold of peace builders, YAPS used music as a medium of communication, singing original compositions and mainstream music relevant to the struggle for peace and youth empowerment. YAPS even joined in different "Music Laban" or band competition within Cotabato City to convey the message of peace and empowerment to a broad of audience.

Truly, music has become inseparable to YAPS, as it became one of the roots that bind its members. Greatly inspired by the song “Salamat” by The Dawn, YAPS is an organization with strong camaraderie and commitment. As their music continues to play, they became a living example that despite today’s hardships there can be a brighter future for the youth, only if we unite and work for it. As the line of their favorite song goes, “Salamat at sa pagpawi ng uhaw ay may darating na araw”.

 

YOUNG ADVOCATES FOR PEACE AND SOLIDARITY (YAPS)

 

Ang dami na ng  nangyari  sa ating  bansa -  ang  Pagsabog  sa  Glorietta  Mall  sa  Makati  City  na kumitil  ng   buhay  at   marami  ang  mga  nasugatan at ang  nangyari  sa Batasang  Pambansa   na  sinasabi  nila na  ang  may  kagagawan  daw  ay  ang  mga  Abu  Sayyaf  Group  (ASG).  Ang  nangyari  sa mga lugar  gaya ng  sa  Cotabato,  Davao, Tacurong  at  Kidapawan  City na kagaya din ng mga sinasabi nilang kgagawan ng mga terorista. Bakit hindi pa rin ito mahinto? May sinasabing nasa Malakanyang ang puno’t dulo ng lahat na karumal-dumal na mga pangyayari ito, sa pananaw natin, hangga’t  nakaupo  pa  rin  sa pwesto  ang  mga  tunay na terorista at  ang  mga  magnanakaw  sa  kaban ng bayan, kasama ang kanyang mga alyadong ganid at gahaman,  hindi  pa rin  matapos-tapos  ang  paghihirap at mga paninigil ng mga inaapi.

 

Ano  pala  ang  nangyari  sa  mga  kaso  ni  Gloria  at  ng  kanyang  asawa  na  pawang  sangkot. Bakit  nila  tinatago  si  Atty.  Romulo Neri na isa sa mga naglabas na may mga malalaking tao sa likod at kasabwat  sa  ZTE Broadband  Deal,  pilit tinatakpan ang Hello  Garci  scandal at si Joc Joc  Bolante  sa  Fertilizer  Fund? May dahilan ba bakit itinatago? Totoo ba ang lahat na nandaya at nagurakot? Kahirapan  at  Gutom, Pagtaas sa Presyo ng  mga  bilihin  at  Presyo ng langis ito ang naging kalaro at katabi maging sa pagtulog ng mga mahihirap at maliliit. Laging sinasabing umuunlad ang ekonomiya, hindi ito nararamdaman ng masa! Kasinungalingan ang lahat!

 

Sa  mga  nangyayari  ngayon  labis  na naapektuhan  ang  mga  kabataan. Marami  sa kabataan  ang  hindi  nakakapag-aral  dahil  sa kakulangan  sa  pondo  ng gobyerno.  Saan ba napupunta  ang  pondo para  sa edukasyon  ng  mga kabataan. bakit kay liit ng laan para sa edukasyon at kalusugan, at iba pang batayang serbisyong sosyal?  Sino ba dapat ang may pananagutan.  Dahil  sa  pagtaas  ng  matrikula, marami  sa  kabataan  ang  hindi  nakakapag-aral. Paano  natin masasabi na ang  “kabataan  ang  pag-asa  ng  bayan” talaga nga  bang  kabataan ang siyang pag-asa ng  bayan o Si  Gloria  ang  siyang  pumapatay  sa  karapatan  ng  mga kabataan.

 

Ano na pala ang  nangyari  sa  “Nursing  Board  Exam  Leakage”  tila  yata  namatay  ang  isyu  na ito at  ang  mga nagkasala ay pinanagot  ba o  sadyang  pinabayaan. Sana ay  maging  responsable naman ang  gobyerno dito.  Nasundan pa ito  ng “ Civil Engineering  Board  Exam  Leakage.”  Tila yata naging uso na ang DAYAAN sa Pilipinas. Nandaya upang maging Presidente, seguro, mandaya na rin lang para pumasa at magkatrabaho nang sa gayon ay maahon sa kahirapan ang pamilya. Ito ang totoong nakakabahalang kalagayan ngayon!

 

Kaya ang  Young  Advocates  for  Peace  and  Solidarity (YAPS) Inc., ay  itinatag  para sa  kabataan  at  sa  tatlong mamamayan (Tri-people)  ng Mindanao  upang  isulong  ang  tunay  na pagbabago sa ating bayan. Para bigyang daan ang boses nating mga kabataan. Bilang isang kabataan karapatan nating ipaglaban ang ating kinabukasan ng bayan sa mga taong walang iniisip kundi ang kanilang pansariling interest lamang. Kabataan  Makibaka,  Kumilos,  Lumaban  at  magpunyagi  tungo  sa ikagaganda at sa ikauunlad  ng ating bayan. 

 

Sa paggunita natin sa Mindanao Week  of  Peace,  ang  YAPS at hanay  ng  kabataan ay  nakikiisa at patuloy  na kikilos  hindi lang  ngayon  kundi  hanggang  sa  magtagumpay  sa  mga  layunin  at  adhikain.

 

Sana po ay  suportahan  natin at  tayo’y  makilahok, mapukaw  sa mga bagay – bagay  na  nangyayari  sa  ating  lipunan.

 

 

 

YAPS