FOR MOTHER EARTH!
Tri-People Youth and Peace: Our Right to Ecological Balance is Our Right to Life!
BACKGROUND
The struggle for environmental protection and conservation has been the concern of various actors all-over the world. With the growing threat of the effects of Climate Change, the call for ecological balance and proper utilization of the earth’s natural resources, among others, had been integrated into the programs and policies of not just the various governments and international bodies, but most especially of various movements and organizations. Although the issue have gained international attention, the need to bring the discussion to the grassroots population, who are oftentimes the most affected of environmental destruction and climate change, is still a challenge. The scientific nature of this problem still needs to be translated into a language that the grassroots would understand, thus making them realize the impact of this problem to their daily lives.
In
Mindanao is the southern part and the second largest island of the Philippines that is rich in culture, tradition and natural resources. It is inhabited by the tri-people, namely: the Bangsamoro or the Islamized; the Katawhang Lumad or the Indigenous Peoples; and the Mindanao Migrants and their Descendants or those Christianized coming from the Northern part of the Philippines and were either resettled by the government or migrated in search for a better living in the island dubbed as the “Land of Promise”.
Known for its abundance in natural resources offered by its wide track of fertile lands, mineral-laden mountain ranges and long stretch of fishing territories, Mindanao has been a favorite spot of multi-national Large-scale Mining and Logging Concessions and export oriented Agri-business and fish processing and canning firms. In other words,
This state of affair has been in placed since the time of colonization and gained structural “foot-hold” with the advent of globalization and liberalization being facilitated by the local elites. Thus, its people were stripped-off of its rightful possessions and were driven into marginalization, poverty and even hunger in the midst of natural abundance. In fact, majority of the poorest provinces and villages in the
The virtual economic control, which necessitates political and socio-cultural dominance, on one hand, and the historical marginalization and increasing poverty on the other hand, are the major root causes of this complex “Mindanao Problem”. This complex problem is visibly expressed by the centuries-old bloody confrontations between various revolutionary and secessionist forces in
In the over-all picture, it can be said that the wanton environmental destruction in
THE 5TH MSYPC
Operating in a framework that the young peoples are right-bearers of peace and thus, they should have an active role in determining the future of Mindanao, the Alyansa ng Kabataang Mindanao para sa Kapayapaan (AKMK) or the Alliance of Mindanao Youth for Peace with its service institution the Mindanao Tri-People Youth Center (MTPYC) Inc. has been active in working with other movements, institutions and sectors in relation to the over-all peace building initiatives for Mindanao. Maximizing the innate character of the young people to be critical, active, idealistic, adventurous and passionate, AKMK made it one of the major highlights of its peace building efforts to launch a periodic Mindanao Summer Youth Peace Camp (MSYPC).
This year, the 5th MSYPC will be anchored on one of the burning issues of the day concerning the alarming state of our environment and its impact on the peace building efforts, especially on the grassroots and the youth. The experiences of the tri-people of
Creative and youthful in nature, the 5th MSYPC will not only provide an open venue for the young tri-people of
To maximize the gathering of the different member organizations and with the presence of the key persons of the alliance, organizational concerns shall also be discussed to further review the thrust of AKMK and strengthen the every member organizations and the clusters where such organizations belonged to. In connection to this, there will be three sub-camps and these sub-camps are composed of designated clusters or a combination of clusters depending on the number of representatives from each cluster. These sub-camps will collectively organize themselves and discuss their systems, policies and elect their leaders
The 5th MSYPC will be held on May 23-27, 2008 in Dableston, Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte with more or less 150 tri-people youth participants coming from the different clusters and local organizations of AKMK. This year’s summer youth peace camp will provide a colorful and meaningful summer for the tri-people youth. It will be another chapter of their collective history in working for peace, strengthening their unity and building trust and solidarity between and among them. It will be a contribution of the tri-people youth in
4th
Youth and Governance: The Tri-People Youth’s Role in Good Governance”
A year had already gone since the last peace camp. With the rapid turn of events of the country today, the youth through the AKMK with its partner organization, Liga ng Makabagong Kabataan (LMK) – League of Alternative Youth, decided that a Fourth Summer Youth Peace Camp is very timely, aside from this being decided by the Assembly to be an annual event.
Years had past since the Philippine President pronounced that the country is in a fiscal crisis. Her pronouncement had caused a stir not only to the populations in
The 4th
This year’s peace camp will be the venue for the young peoples of
The camp will also be a sports camp, as different games and sports competitions will also be highlighted, such as volleyball and basketball, board games such as chess and scrabble. Also, Filipino sports and games will also be showcased like the luksong tinik, patentiro and sepak takraw. This will show the Filipino youths and the invited participants that the Filipino sports are as good as the sports introduced by the west, and that the youth of
Further, the member organizations and chapters of AKMK will display every evening of this camp a cultural night, as different cultural presentations. On the last evening of the camp, a Youth Peace Concert will be showcased, and audiences from the community as well as from the neighboring communities will be invited to witness the event. Awarding of the winners of the competitions will also be announced during this evening, and prizes will be given to the winners.
On the last day of the camp, the 500 youth delegates with the Local Government of Toril will have a Peace Caravan from the venue to the city proper of
Visitors from international community,
Hence, this youth peace camp will provide another avenue for the young people, to unite, build trust among each other, and strengthen their solidarity. This camp will give them chance to show their way of promoting peace, as their contribution to the overall peacebuilding efforts not only in Mindanao but as well as in the whole country and the world over.
AKMK Secretariat
The Previous Youth Camps: In Brief
Last May 2002 amidst the raging conflict in Mindanao, various youth organizations in Mindanao came together in the First Mindanao Summer Youth Peace Camp (1st MSYPC) in the Passionist Retreat Center, General Santos City. The said activity was aimed to provide space for the young people of different cultural practices and background to share experiences, exchange cultures, views and perspectives. This was attended by some 450 young individuals.
Out of that gathering a youth alliance, Alyansa ng Kabataang Mindanao para sa Kapayapaan (AKMK) or the Alliance of Mindanao Youth for Peace, was formed as embodied in a Manifesto declaration made by the peace campers. It was also during that 4-day activity that the youths’ voices, sentiments and concerns were heard during the workshops. The most significant outcome was the strong solidarity established and the united framework in building peace and sustainable development. Added to that, raw talents were discovered and given initial exposure during the cultural and solidarity nights.
After two years, the 2nd Mindanao Summer Youth Peace Camp was launched with its focus on tapping and enhancing the raw talents and skills of the tri-people youth in Music and Theater arts showcasing the beauty of the diverse cultures of the tri-peoples of
Aside from Music and Theater Arts, the 2nd MSYPC was also highlighted with discussions on the concern of the Katawhang Lumad (Indigenous Peoples) regarding their Ancestral Domain, the need for Environmental Promotion, Preservation and Protection and the need to campaign against encroachments of large-scale Mining and Logging concessions in the ancestral domains of the Katawhang Lumad. The resolution of these discussions was the commitment of the AKMK to campaign for environmental protection and ecological balance and manifest a strong statement to the plight of the Katawhang Lumad by holding the 3rd MSYPC in the ancestral domain of the Teduray-Lambangian Tribe in
The 3rd MSYPC was called the “Tri-People Youth Environment Expedition for Peace”. It was held last May 29 - June 3, 2005 and was attended by 243 tri-people youth. The 3rd MSYPC paved the way for an intensified campaign of the AKMK against the Mining Act of 1995.
In 2007, with the coming national, local and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) or Youth Council elections, the 4th MSYPC was held with the theme “The Role of the Tri-People Youth and Good Governance”. It was held in a Bangsamoro community in Sirawan, Toril,