The Generation Peace Youth Network believes that
peace is possible through the collective effort of all sectors of our society,
including the youth sector. We, the youth, are here to discuss peace and
conflict and to forge empowered partnerships for the advancement of peace and
human rights.
Gen Peace works hand in hand with other
organizations on peace advocacy and peace-building by putting peace at the front
and center of our organizations’ agenda. Gen Peace affirms the pivotal role of
the youth in the continuity and sustainability of peace.
Why PEACE?
The Philippines is ravaged by seemingly
insurmountable conflict situations: the Mindanao conflict and the CPP NPA NDF
struggle. These armed struggles, spawning for almost 4 decades, have severe
economic and human security costs. If we are to rise above our ailing condition,
then peace and human rights are pre-requisites for human and socio-economic
development. Whether directly or indirectly affected by violence, the basic
human rights of children and youth are often neglected in war zones.
Our Stand, Our Time!
We are a generation that resort to non-violence
and advocate peaceful means to resolve conflict. We refuse to be passive and
miss the historic opportunity to bring the conflicts to an end. What better
stand than PEACE! What better time than NOW!
Projects and Activities:
GENERATION PEACE: OUR STAND! OUR TIME! NATIONAL
YOUTH SUMMIT
Gen Peace--The milieu calls for active youth
involvement in discussing and resolving matters of governance, armed conflict
and human rights violations. This assembly of organizations representing the
youth, religious, academe and grassroots, local level as well as national level
formations focuses on the value of peace and human rights. The youth summit
identified the need for a common framework of the youth sector on issues of
peace and human rights which birthed the Generation Peace Youth Network.
OPERATION DAY’S WORK
Youth Aid organized its 3rd year of Operation
Day’s Work, where teens work for one whole day and donate their salary to
finance projects for children. The students convinced their schools to suspend
one day of classes each year to allow them to work and earn money for their less
fortunate counterparts in developing areas. This year, thousands of Youth Aiders
helped raise Php 600,000 for children in Camarines, Negros and Bukidnon.
PEACEBUILDING WORKSHOP FOR ASIA-PACIFIC YOUTH
LEADERS
The Center for Peace Education of Miriam College
organized a youth workshop geared towards developing the youth’s potentials as
builders of a culture of peace, a culture that rejects violence in all its forms
and upholds justice, respect for life and human dignity. The workshop provided
not only knowledge and peacebuilding skills but also value orientations and
action possibilities so that the youth can take a leadership role in
peacebuilding efforts. There were 72 participants representing 23 youth
organizations from 9 different countries (the Philippines, Burma, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Timor Leste, Korea and Japan).
PEACETECH
Imagine a world where bridges and not barriers are
built. Assisi Foundation pioneered Peacetech which is a seven-part video
conferencing series on peace building that promotes dialogue between Filipino
youth living in different parts of the Philippines. The hi-tech conference
series is the first peace building video conferencing in the world. It focuses
on uniting Muslim, Indigenous and Christian youth from Mindanao and Luzon.
GEN PEACE YOUTH CONCERT
GZO Peace Institute--In commemoration of the
International Day of Peace, hundreds of students and youth leaders representing
different schools and peace organizations converge at the Philippine Normal
University to celebrate peace and music. The event aspires to popularize peace
with the young generation thru dynamic means such as songs, dancing, plays,
poems, video presentations and peace messages. The presentations
emphasized the peaceful resolution of conflicts and fresh ways of portraying war
and peace. More than 30 bands, theater groups and artists joined the concert
with their diverse expressions of one message: PEACE!
GENERATION PEACE CONFERENCE
Gen Peace--The conference seeks to develop and
empower the peace advocate in all of us. The conference is a discussion of
triumphs and setbacks in different initiatives from varied fronts, academic
discourses on peace and possible solutions and outcomes. The national conference
establishes the importance of bridging the gap between age-old peace practices,
indigenous peace mechanisms and hip, avant-garde popular education-style
peacemaking. By having a common framework, the youth peace advocates are
encouraged to take part in creating a just and sustainable peace and advancing
human rights. It is a rallying point for the new generation of peace builders to
create the ripe condition for peace to thrive.
