The Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), parents, local leaders and teachers in communities in Western Lanao area expressed their unequivocal support to the campaign #Children, Not Soldiers, a drive which seeks to delist the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) from the United Nations list of armed groups that recruit children to armed agenda.
During the activity dubbed “Pakaradiyaan o mga Kangudaan (Children’s Festival and Recreational Activities)” recently held this month, the BIAF, Local Government Units, community leaders, parents and teachers coming from of Pualas, Munai, Tangkal and Picong and its adjacent towns signed their respective “Statement of Support to Children.”
The signing of the statement is a manifestation of the teachers, parents and community leaders’ willingness to support initiatives for the protection of the children. They further expressed their support to children to exercise and enjoy their rights as young citizens.
Bilal 1 Base Commander Sultan Abu Subair Hadji Mustapha said in local dialect in his speech, “We commit to abide with the United Nations-MILF Action Plan on the non-recruitment of children to BIAF.”
“We declare our support to uphold child’s rights and child protection,” he added. “And we follow the directives of the Central Committee not to admit and use children in our military agenda,” he stressed.
Commander Minsupala of Bilal 2 Base Command also expressed their support to the campaign and urged the children to pursue their education for “it is very important to acquire both secular and Islamic knowledge.”
“Our base command has been adhering to the UN-MILF Action Plan of not to recruit children,” said Base Commander Abusalman Hamdam Pamaloy of Ansar Base command during the children festival held at Picong National High School. “We sincerely abide with the action plan and we are not fooling anyone,” he stressed.
The parents, teachers and representatives of Barangay and Municipal Local Government Units of the said communities also declared their commitment to support the campaign. They recognized the importance of education to build a bright future of the young generation.
The teachers and representatives of the Department of Education commended the organizations behind the initiatives that converged various sectors in order to uphold the child’s rights and refrain the children from holding arms.
“Ang mga bata ay hindi dapat humahawak ng baril, bagkos pluma at aklat ang kanilang hinahawakan (Children should not be holding guns but pen and books),” said Samsidar Torondaya of Banisilon Central Elementary School from Tangkal.
The young participants presented cultural dances, drama, and declamation to express their thoughts and dreams for a peaceful communities and achieve bright future.
In their statements, the children vowed to do their responsibilities to pursue education in order to achieve their dreams. They asked their parents and community leaders to protect and continue guiding them in their journey as a child.
The undertaking advocates child’s rights and child protection in MILF communities. Community leaders, LGUs, parents, children and the BIAF (MILF’s military wing) are the target audiences of the campaign.
Plan International staff said it has conducted awareness raising orientations on child’s rights and protection for BIAF, children, parents and community leaders respectively in eight base commands. The orientations are part of the benchmarks undertaken by the MILF and community members to comply with the action plan.
During the orientations, the facilitators explained the vulnerability of children to danger when involved with the armed groups and that engaging the young ones to armed struggle is one of “six grave child’s rights violation.”
The daylong children’s festival is a follow through activity that heightens the community’s commitment to the campaign “Children, Not Soldiers and celebrate children’s rights through the recreational activities.
It was facilitated by the Plan International with strong support of Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) and the local MILF organizations.
At least two hundred young participants from each target community joined the children’s festival and recreational activities.
The MILF signed an action plan with the UN in 2009 which concretized the mechanisms to heighten a holistic campaign to stop the recruitment of minors in the BIAF. The undertaking is a comprehensive communications campaign geared towards delisting the MILF from the UN list of armed groups that recruit and use children in armed struggle.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/new/item/526-biaf-parents-teachers-lgus-in-lanao-support-children-not-soldiers-campaign
The signing of the statement is a manifestation of the teachers, parents and community leaders’ willingness to support initiatives for the protection of the children. They further expressed their support to children to exercise and enjoy their rights as young citizens.
Bilal 1 Base Commander Sultan Abu Subair Hadji Mustapha said in local dialect in his speech, “We commit to abide with the United Nations-MILF Action Plan on the non-recruitment of children to BIAF.”
“We declare our support to uphold child’s rights and child protection,” he added. “And we follow the directives of the Central Committee not to admit and use children in our military agenda,” he stressed.
Commander Minsupala of Bilal 2 Base Command also expressed their support to the campaign and urged the children to pursue their education for “it is very important to acquire both secular and Islamic knowledge.”
“Our base command has been adhering to the UN-MILF Action Plan of not to recruit children,” said Base Commander Abusalman Hamdam Pamaloy of Ansar Base command during the children festival held at Picong National High School. “We sincerely abide with the action plan and we are not fooling anyone,” he stressed.
The parents, teachers and representatives of Barangay and Municipal Local Government Units of the said communities also declared their commitment to support the campaign. They recognized the importance of education to build a bright future of the young generation.
The teachers and representatives of the Department of Education commended the organizations behind the initiatives that converged various sectors in order to uphold the child’s rights and refrain the children from holding arms.
“Ang mga bata ay hindi dapat humahawak ng baril, bagkos pluma at aklat ang kanilang hinahawakan (Children should not be holding guns but pen and books),” said Samsidar Torondaya of Banisilon Central Elementary School from Tangkal.
The young participants presented cultural dances, drama, and declamation to express their thoughts and dreams for a peaceful communities and achieve bright future.
In their statements, the children vowed to do their responsibilities to pursue education in order to achieve their dreams. They asked their parents and community leaders to protect and continue guiding them in their journey as a child.
The undertaking advocates child’s rights and child protection in MILF communities. Community leaders, LGUs, parents, children and the BIAF (MILF’s military wing) are the target audiences of the campaign.
Plan International staff said it has conducted awareness raising orientations on child’s rights and protection for BIAF, children, parents and community leaders respectively in eight base commands. The orientations are part of the benchmarks undertaken by the MILF and community members to comply with the action plan.
During the orientations, the facilitators explained the vulnerability of children to danger when involved with the armed groups and that engaging the young ones to armed struggle is one of “six grave child’s rights violation.”
The daylong children’s festival is a follow through activity that heightens the community’s commitment to the campaign “Children, Not Soldiers and celebrate children’s rights through the recreational activities.
It was facilitated by the Plan International with strong support of Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) and the local MILF organizations.
At least two hundred young participants from each target community joined the children’s festival and recreational activities.
The MILF signed an action plan with the UN in 2009 which concretized the mechanisms to heighten a holistic campaign to stop the recruitment of minors in the BIAF. The undertaking is a comprehensive communications campaign geared towards delisting the MILF from the UN list of armed groups that recruit and use children in armed struggle.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/new/item/526-biaf-parents-teachers-lgus-in-lanao-support-children-not-soldiers-campaign
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