OVP brings Angat Buhay Youth to ARMM
Arts project for Marawi siege survivors from Lanao youth group wins at AB Youth Summit
A youth arts organization from Lanao del Sur was named the top winner at the Angat Buhay Youth Summit in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) for crafting the best project centered on promoting peace in the conflict-torn region.
In a bid to boost the role of young people in peace-building, the Office of the Vice President gathered members of 28 youth organizations from provinces in the ARMM for the five-day Angat Buhay Youth Summit in Cotabato City in Maguindanao from October 21 to 25, 2018 to pitch projects that will cultivate a culture of peace and counter violent extremism in their communities.
On Thursday, October 25, 2018, Vice President Leni Robredo led the awarding ceremony for the top 10 best pitches, held at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex in Cotabato City. ARMM Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman was also present during the awarding.
For this summit, the OVP partnered with the Office on Bangsamoro Youth Affairs, the US Embassy, and the ARMM Development Academy and United Voices for Peace Network.
The youth participants proposed different projects from providing help for children traumatized by the Marawi siege to conducting a basic seminar on agriculture and entrepreneurship for out-of-school children in their areas.
The winner—Okir University Arts Club from Lanao del Sur—proposed an art therapy workshop called “Teaching Artistry Learning Advocacy” or TALA for in-school and out-of-school children ages 7 to 13, who survived the months-long siege by Islamic State-inspired militants in Marawi City.
They will be sent to participate in the Asia Pacific Youth Exchange (APYE) in Seoul in August next year. The Okir Arts Club and the other nine winners will receive seed funds of P50,000 each—P25,000 from the US Embassy’s small grants program and the other half from the Office of the ARMM Regional Governor.
During the ceremony, Gov. Hataman announced that his office will also give the rest of participating youth organizations will P25,000 seed grants.
In her message, VP Leni lauded the youth participants, who mostly resided in areas affected by the war, for crafting innovative project proposals despite the limitations they encountered.
“Iyong kabataan ninyo, iyon iyong magagamit ninyo para mahanap iyong lasting peace dito sa Mindanao. Iyon iyong mindset na gusto nating i-cultivate dito—to turn limitations into opportunities—and that is what you did over the past four days,” she said.
During the summit, participants underwent workshops to equip them with proper knowledge on violent extremism, religion, community sensitivities, as well as the on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which will transform the ARMM into a Bangsamoro region depending on the outcome of the plebiscite on BOL in January 2019.
They were also trained to better design, market and implement projects in preparation for the pitching competition held a day before the awarding ceremony.