Photo from Kris for Peace Organization Facebook Page
To address societal issues through peace, a project proposal entitled “BidaPayapa: Kabataan Tungo sa Kapayapaan” was created by the Supreme Student Council (SSC) of the Mindanao State University-General Santos City (MSU-Gensan) in which it landed among 10 finalists in the Panaghiusa Youth Fund (PYF)’s national peace pitch competition for young Filipino peace-builders.
FINALIST PITCH. Jaysan Phillip Castro, SSC Senator, pitched and lobbied BidaPaya: Kabataan Tungo sa Kapayapaan through a video entry.
The BidaPayapa main proponent -- Jesselyn Baroquillo, an SSC senator in MSU-Gensan, saw the need for the peace project over what was observed as a continuing societal dilemma confronting society, particularly in Mindanao.
Baroquillo pointed out that while Mindanao is considered to be the melting pot of diversity, cultural misconceptions, gender-based stereotypes and biases still persist.
Baroquillo’s and the SSC’s proposal aims to mitigate negative connotations against Mindanao by equipping the youth to become serious peace-builders through the said project.
Coined from two Tagalog words, bida (hero) and payapa (peace), the name BidaPayapa suggests that everyone can be actors, capable of achieving the collective vision of peace, Baroquillo said.
The organization’s competition aims to empower young leaders – ages 16 to 30 years old, who represent youth-led or school-based organizations that want to contribute to peace building and make a positive impact in the country.
Cultural appreciation
According to Baroquillo, Mindanao has a long history of conflict and despite the success of many peace efforts, problems still exist.
“We are the melting pot of diversity and that may also lead in others not understanding others,” remarked Baroquillo, also chairperson of the SSC Committee of Peace Development.
BidaPayapa will help strengthen a sense of cultural appreciation and inclusivity among the youth in General Santos City, starting with student leaders.
The project will initially involve seminars and masterclasses, where topics include basic understanding about the concept of peace and conflict, inclusivity, basic roles of the youth, empowerment and advocacy, Baroquillo said.
With these trainings, she emphasized that student leaders are expected to have the capacity to maintain peace and advocate for peace-building initiatives, creating strong ties and rapport with each other amidst their differences, and to influence more youth into advocating their cause.
Not the usual
Baroquillo pointed out that the trainings will not be like the usual seminars where participants will just sit and listen. “Here we will be crafting mini activities in between sessions where they could somehow apply their learning,” she stressed.
She cited as example a topic about empowerment and advocacy, where the mini activity will get student leaders to craft their own advocacies, which will later be used for a masterclass about social media campaigns.
The student leaders will then re-echo what they learned to their schoolmates and members of their respective communities.
Upon their seminar completion, she said, student leaders can become members of the Greenists or warriors of environmental conservation and environmental peace led by the MSU-Gensan SSC.
Public speaking
In the masterclasses, Baroquillo said these would include the basic "hows" in public speaking. “We need to utilize our voices and make it heard,” said Baroquillo.
She added that the masterclass would include the use of social media for advocacy efforts in which making use of modern technology helps ensure the success of the said program.
Furthermore, she expressed that the nature of social media, where people can easily judge, criticize and even laugh at others for the way they are, cultural sensitivity and respect must come first.
“Marami na kasing tao ngayon na mas eager on doing and posting bad things. We want to start the chain reaction of goodness,” Baroquillo explained.
High optimism
Winning peace proposals in the PYF will be announced this September, the National Peace Consciousness Month.
The top three winning peace projects will receive a seed grant of up to PHP 30,000.
The money will be used to help fund the project or idea to promote peacebuilding and development in the communities.
Baroquillo and the SSC have expressed high optimism that their BidaPayapa proposal would be chosen, given the felt need for such a peace project. (Guia A. Rebollido)
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