Bantay Bayanihan dialogue slated Nov. 27 in Dumaguete

From the Philippine Information Agency (Nov 20): Bantay Bayanihan dialogue slated Nov. 27 in Dumaguete

A round-table discussion (RTD) on the Bantay Bayanihan project will be held on Nov. 27, 2012 at Bethel Guesthouse, Dumaguete City as part of the project’s series of dialogues to solicit feedback on how it will affect communities. The dialogue will be attended by representatives of civil society organizations, Philippine National Police (PNP) and units of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) involving operations, intelligence, civil military, human rights, education, and training. “These representatives are our dialogue partners both in the local and national level conversations,” said local Bantay Bayanihan Convener Marietta Jambora. She said the concept of Bantay Bayanihan will be presented during the dialogue and the parameters of the group’s work will be discussed. Bantay Bayanihan was launched on Nov. 29 with the goal of serving as an oversight body to monitor the implementation of the AFP’s Internal Peace and Security Plan-Bayanihan and to provide a dialogue space where issues of peace and security can be openly discussed. Under the project, the AFP is engaging civil society organizations and the academe in framing what they want to do in the next six years. Jambora said a network of civil society organizations currently serve as a core group for the project with the Ateneo de Manila University Department of Political Science-Working Group as the convener-secretariat. “Note that while the BB has been launched and general principles have been agreed upon by member core-groups, the details and fine prints of the organization especially the local counterparts continue to take shape,” she added.

http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1121353394449