"building peace and upholding justice "

 “Babae bahagi ka ng Tagumapay: Lecture concerts alay sa mga Kababaihan”

Ang Young Women Commission-MILANMO Cluster ng Alyansa ng Kabataang Mindanao para sa Kapayapaan ay naglunsad ng mga lecture concerts bilang kabahagi ng International Women’s Month Celebration. Ang mga lecture concert na nailunsad ay ginanap sa mga Komunidad ng Lanao del Norte at Iligan City. Ang layunin ng nasabing lecture concert  ay maibahagi direkta mismo sa mga komunidad ang importansya ng mga kababaihan sa lipunan.

Gamit ang mga kantang pangkababaihan naipahayag sa pamamagitan ng musika ang mga ibat-ibang mukha ng exploytasyon at pang-aapi na nararanasan ng mga kababaihan. Sa musika at kantar in na iparating ang hamon sa mga kababaihan upang kumilos at huwag mananatiling tikom ang bibig sa pang-aapi.

The Alyansa ng Kabataang Mindanao para sa Kapayapaan (AKMK) ang the Mindanao Tri-People Youth Center (MTPYC) Inc., conducted a Campaign Management and Speakers' Pool Training among AKMK local leaders all over Mindanao. The said activity was conducted last March 27-30, 2009 at the MTPYC Office in Iligan City. 

The objective of the activity is to develop the AKMK local leaders' public speaking and campaign formulation and management skills. The framework of the activity is anchored on the AKMK's framework on the role of the youth in the Mindanao peace building process. One of the major discussions of the activity is the AKMK Tri-People Youth Peace and Development agenda, wherein the participants discussed the furtherance of the campaign of this agenda from the local level to the Mindanao level.

The activity is expected to boast the on-going campaigns as well as the coming campaigns of the AKMK, both local and Mindanao-wide. 

The Alyansa ng Kabataang Mindanao para sa Kapayapaan (AKMK), through its clusters of organizations all-over Mindanao joined calls along with other sectors and organizations like the Anak Mindanao (AMIN) Party-list, for the immediate pull-out of American troops in Mindanao and the ending of corruption in the government through the ouster of the present administration and installing a transitory government.

The call for the immediate pull-out of American troops in Mindanao is mounted by AKMK amid the RP-US Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) Military exercises held in many parts in Mindanao, like in Lanao provinces, Sulu among others. The continueng US military presence in Mindanao is seen by the AKMK as one of the concrete manifestations of US imperialism in Asia using the Philippines, particularly Mindanao as its advance staging post. Further, the massive US military presence in the Philippines is a violation of the country's sovereignty and testifies to the pupetry of the present regime to American imperialism. Notorious for their records of Human Rights abuses, murder of civilians and rape, the American troops used the strategy of giving projects and conducting medical missions in variuos communities in order to appear very heroic.

On the other hand, AKMK also joined calls condemning the massive curruption in the government as exposed by several key witnesses in the ZTE  - NBN deal, the Fertilizer scam, among others. The AKMK believes that these scams are just the tip of the ice berg and are manifestations that this present system is corrupt in all levels. Hence, along with other sectors and political blocs, the AKMK is calling for the ending of this present government and the creation of a pro-people alternative Transitional Revolutionary Government (TRG).

For pictures of various rallies and mobilizations please click here

Cha N. Lavandero, DUYOG Tri-people Youth Org. Chairperson and AKMK Deputy Secretary General speaking before a crowd of  Student Protesters and Filipino Soldiers in Mindanao State University (MSU). American troops are inside a building within the Universty (MSU) premises and are being guarded by Filipino soldiers.  

Student Protesters in Mindanao State University (MSU), Marawi City, many of them belonging to the BangsaMoro Youth demanding the immediate pull-out of American troops in Mindanao.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

*Video Clips are taken by the BangsaMoro Youth

Dedication to share and spread the Mindanao Tri-people youth’s voice prevailed over hindrances as three AKMK members successfully represented the alliance in the 23^rd European Youth Camp last July 29 – August 5, 2006 in Italy. The 2006 AKMK delegation, which is composed of Khairodin Amerol, Noraima Nor and Janel Pesons, is the third batch AKMK have sent since 2004.

The said camp, which was attended by 557 youths with ages ranging from 16 – 29, is a seven-day activity highlighted with lively  discussions, workshops, Forums, debates and socializations. 

The AKMK representatives as well sponsored a presentation on the country’s situation then focused on Mindanao and the youth’s situation. Hence, gaining sympathy from the young campers. Quoting a British youth delegate, “we were saddened by the Filipino’s situation, however, are inspired by their strong commitment and dedication to pursue their struggle to attain their dreams of a peaceful and just society”.

The AKMK representatives on their part also gained a lot of interesting ideas and experiences from the camp. The topics were enlightening, the experiences are inspiring, and the solidarity that everyone is showing to everybody is just simply amazing and encouraging.

The commitment of the AKMK representatives were even strengthened by this learning experience. As they return home, they bring with them the inspiration and encouragement extended by the fellow youth from other countries. They pledged to share to the AKMK members what they have learned in the European Camp in order to make them more critical and analytical in everything that is happening around them.

The European youth camp is a yearly activity organized by the different youth organizations in Europe. In the next camps, AKMK will  continue to send its representatives in order to expose to the international community the real situation of the country and of Mindanao, as well as, to continuously  participate, along with other sectors and peoples in the society,  in the pursuit of peace and justice, not only in Mindanao but all over the country and the entire international community.

Continuing its commitment to take part in the pursuit of  peace and justice in Mindanao, AKMK, together with the Mindanao Tri-people Youth Center (MTPYC), Inc., launched a three-day Mindanao-Wide Culture of Peace (COP) Seminar last September 8-10, 2006 at the Sumpay Mindanao Session Hall in Iligan City.

Aimed at enhancing the participants’ understanding of peace and develop their values, attitudes and skills on conflict analysis and conflict transformation for them to become better stakeholders of peace, the organizers invited more than forty (40) young tri-people peace advocates from all over Mindanao,  belonging to various AKMK affiliated  organizations in order to enhance the capabilities of its local youth leaders.

Anchored on  youth rights and founded on justice, the COP Seminar did not just discussed the historical roots of the Mindanao conflict but also focussed on the issues  confronting the youth, including the issues in the educational system, drugs, employment and the like. During the discussions, the youth identified these  issues as  the manifestation of the injustices in the present system which breeds unpeace and injustice in the society. In a  statement by the AKMK Secretary General, Valtimore. Fenis, the said COPseminar is not just about giving of inputs by the resource persons. Rather, it is a gathering wherein youths from different environment, cultures and line of  works will meet and share their insights of peace and how to attain it. He further added that the workshops are designed to tap the creativity of the participants to facilitate the release of their personal views on peace and justice.

After the activity, the different youth leaders pledged to replicate the activity in their areas to spread the value of peace based on rights and founded on justice.

Agence France-Presse
First Posted 07:28pm (Mla time) 01/29/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- The United States is to send some 6,000 troops for joint exercises with Philippine forces in areas where Islamic separatists operate, military chief General Hermogenes Esperon said.

The two-week exercises are to begin on February 18 and come a year after Washington scaled down its participation following a row over a US Marine convicted of raping a local woman.

They will mainly focus on development programs in towns and municipalities on Mindanao island where the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) operate, Esperon said.

About 2,000 Filipino soldiers will take part in the annual Balikatan (shoulder to shoulder) exercises and help their American counterparts in medical missions and in building roads, artesian wells, cooperatives and day care centers, among others.

"From the American side, there will be close to 6,000 (troops) while it will be as needed from the Philippine side," Esperon told foreign correspondents in a briefing late Monday.

"But initially, we will be deploying some 2,000," he said, adding that the areas covered are townships that "need some development work."

The US last year called off large-scale joint exercises with Manila when Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Smith was convicted of raping a Filipina.

Smith was initially detained at a local jail pending an appeal, but was later transferred to a detention facility inside the US embassy.

US soldiers taking part in the exercises will be armed, but are restricted from joining combat patrols. They will mostly be engaged in "humanitarian work," Esperon said.

The 12,000-strong MILF has been waging a separatist rebellion since 1976. It has signed a truce with Manila and is in the final stages of peace talks with government.

MILF officials were not immediately available to comment, but the group is known to be highly territorial and has often engaged Filipino forces straying into its areas in fierce gunbattles.