Monday, April 7, 2014

NCMF, AFP hold peace building, disaster preparedness camp in Zambo City

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 7): NCMF, AFP hold peace building, disaster preparedness camp in Zambo City

Zamboanga City -- The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos’ (NCMF) Bureau of Peace and Conflict Resolution (BPCR) is holding a three-day peace building and disaster preparedness camp in this city.

The event, dubbed as 2014 Summer Peace Building Camp, is being held starting Monday until Wednesday at the Girl Scout Camp at the Mayor Cesar Climaco Freedom Park in Mount Abong-Abong, Pasonanca, this city.

BCPR Focal Person in-charge Dr. Yusuf Morales said the peace building camp is part of the programs of the BPCR on instructions of NCMF Secretary Mehol Sadain as a response to the social preparation of the Mindanao youth in preparation and response to the ongoing peace processes of the government.

“We feel that there is a need to prepare our youths to respond to man-made disasters and natural disasters because the next contours of conflict would already be the small sporadic opposition to the CAB (Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro) or the disasters that would happen like the (typhoon) ‘Yolanda’ and ‘Bohol’ (earthquake),” Morales said in an interview.

The participants of the three-day event that formally opened Monday are composed of school-based youths, madrassah-based youths and out-of-school youths.

Morales said that the peace building camp is divided into four components and these are: discussion of present state of the peace process; peace and conflict resolution tools (specifically appreciative inquiry; to prepare the youths for climate change and disaster relief operation; and, the Bayanihan or volunteerism.

“So considering that the youth plays a vital role in nation building, the NCMF decided to host this peace building and disaster preparedness camp in order to start a core group of Muslim and Christian youths who can play an important official role to partner with government agencies in disaster preparedness. They will serve as the Quick Response Team,” Morales said.

The three-day event is being held in partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) through the Army’s First Infantry Division, which is one of the units under the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).

First Infantry Division Civil-Military Operations’ Administrative Officer Capt. Frank Suelto said the peace building camp “will be the first of a series of NCMF-AFP Youth Camp” to be held in the region.

Suelto said there will be more similar activities in the future that will advocate peace building to include the role of the youths in nation building.

“The objectives of this activity are to develop the leadership of the youth as preparation for their role in the society and their role in nation building,” Suelto said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=633161

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.