COTABATO CITY (March 23, 2023) — Members of the Technical Working Group (TWG) for the Bangsamoro Regional Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security (RAP-YPS) and Bangsamoro Youth Volunteer Program (BYVP) convened to identify their plans of actions to launch these initiatives.
The TWG members, who met for the third time in Cotabato City, include youth leaders from several sectors across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). They provide policy and program advice on the strategic direction, implementation and assessment of the key initiatives, RAP-YPS and BYVP.
The Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), on the other hand, serve as the TWG Secretariat. Both of the key initiatives are receiving support from the UK Government.
Bangsamoro RAP-YPS
Next week, the survey questionnaires will be rolled out, on a pilot basis, to several youth to answer questions about their insights and notions that focus on their actions related to their contributions to conflict prevention and resolution and building sustainable peace.
After the pilot rollout, consolidation of results, and enhancement of the survey tool, it will proceed to its final rollout throughout the region. The results will be presented to the government agencies and relevant institutions, and the plan will finally be launched in mid-2023.
BYC Commissioner Pratima Sabal-Samsaraji said the Commission has partnered with government ministries and agencies, civil society organizations, and development partners since 2020 to develop the Bangsamoro Regional Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security.
“Throughout the process, the involvement of youth-led and youth-focused organizations has been actively encouraged,” Commissioner Samsaraji said, citing the creation of the TWG, whose members are youth leaders.
There have been provincial consultations with youth leaders across the region to get recommendations and insights in order to provide a contextualized contribution to the national and regional action plan on YPS.
Youth volunteers
To foster a more meaningful and active participation of youth in community development and nation-building, the Bangsamoro Youth Volunteers Program is being developed by BYC and UNDP.
Commissioner Mohammad Faisal Alih said the BYVP is a mechanism aimed at promoting active citizenship and community engagement among the youth in the Bangsamoro region.
“The program is designed to provide opportunities for young people to contribute to the development of their communities and to empower them to become leaders and change-makers,” Commissioner Alih added.
The BYVP will focus on two tracks: track one for the participants of the Youth Reintegration Program (YRP), and track two for Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials across the region.
YRP participants are slated to learn from School of Peace and Democracy modules, and SK officials will learn about SK mandatory trainings and significant codes in the Bangsamoro region.
After the trainings and lectures, they will become youth volunteers who will help their communities after their trainings and learning sessions.
The pilot rollout is expected to happen in mid-2023. (BYC PR Unit/RMM)
