COTABATO CITY (June 27, 2024) — The Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC), Office of MP Kadil “Jojo” Sinolinding and several partner institutions conducted this year’s Peace and Environment Youth Camp (PEYC) at Cotabato Foundation College of Science and Technology (CFCST) in Pikit, North Cotabato.
The youth camp, which started on Monday, June 24 and ended on Wednesday, June 26, drew together 40 in-school-youth, members of BYC-accredited youth organizations, Sangguniang Kabataan officials, and members of community-based youth groups situated in Special Geographic Areas (SGA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
BYC Commissioner Nasserudin Dunding, who represents the youth of Maguindanao, Cotabato City, and SGA, encouraged the participants to actively participate in various societal issues to affect meaningful change.
“Let’s have the initiative to perform our roles as Kabataang Bangsamoro and fulfill the promises of and challenges to our generation,” Comm. Dunding said.
The PEYC aimed to introduce the fundamentals of culture of peace, peacebuilding concepts, and conflict resolutions, and concepts and laws of environmental protection and conservation. It also seeks to develop a policy agenda on peace and environmental agenda.
The camp was funded by Office of Member of Parliament Kadil “Jojo” Sinolinding through its Transitional Development Impact Fund (TDIF), in collaboration with Integrated Democracy and Development for Meaningful Progress, Inc., (IDDMP).
Officials and representatives of MP Sinolinding, CFCST, Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (MENRE), Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE), Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), and IDDMP were also present in the camp.
The first edition of the PEYC was held in September 2021 in Mindanao State University – Maguindanao, and the second edition was held in June 2022 in Cotabato State University.
The Peace and Environmental Youth Camp conducted as part of the national celebration of the Philippine Environment Month this June, to raise environmental consciousness among youth and to increase their participation in the peace process and conflict resolutions. (BYC PR Unit/RMM)
