UVPN attends 1st Bangsamoro Youth Summit

Written by Ahmad Musahari

Secretary General, UVPN-National Chapter

Bismillah. (This is a Quick post. Also published in Anak Iluh Blog)

Alhamdulillah, the 2-day Bangsamoro Youth Leaders Summit, with the theme "Transforming Potentials, Leadding the future", conducted last March 15-16, 2012 in the Office of the Regional Governor, Cotabato City was indeed a success. The activity was spearheaded by the Coordinating and Development Office-Bangsamoro Youth Affairs (CDO-BYA) and other partner organizations as AFADMin, C-CARE, YMPN and NYC. The author attended the Summit, representing the United Voices for Peace Network (UVPN).

The Regional Governor (third from right), the speakers, and the participants

Youth leaders from all over the region, representing the 5 provinces of ARMM: Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, were gathered in the event, to discuss important issues affecting the youths in the Muslim Region and how can these be addressed both by the regional government and the active youth leaders. Many prominent speakers from different stakeholders graced the event, and even the Acting Regional Governor himself, Hon. Mujiv Hataman, was present and interacted with the participants./
There were open-Forums with the RG, wherein discussions on issues and concerns afffecting the bangsamoro were tackled. The youth participants were also given the chance to voice out their sentiments and ideas on how the Regional and Local government can better improve their performances and services to the community for a better, reformed ARMM, In shaa Allah. In the end of the summit, the youth paticipants made commitments on making actions to help their local communities.

Quoting the paper presented during the summit, "The summmit will bee a multi-lateral platform for youth leaders to have better understanding of the issues that affects the Bangsamoro and develop an integrated, holistic and proactive approach in solving them. Moreover, it aims to form an alliance of network among them, thereby allowing broader and deeper perspectives.

Discussions.

The Summit will be an avenue to discuss with the ARMM Officials how they (the youth) can participate in the fashioning of peace and democracy and help create strategic mechanisms, thereby literally beginning on the journey of helping effect reform in ARMM, In shaa Allah."










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Author's note:

It was a wonderful experience. I met a lot of inspiring youth leaders. I feel so good (even though the way there is so far and so exhausting) to be part og this historical event. InshaAllah, this will only be the beginning of finaly seeing realistic change in our communities InshaAllah.

I have never been so hopeful that our Regional Government can acctually make a change, until now.

May Allah guide us all, let us acheive the greatest dream we, the Bangsamoro youths all have: A more developed, peaceful and islamically oriented ARMM.

Ameen Insha Allah!

ALLAHU AKBAR! ALLAHU AKBAR! ALLAHU AKBAR!
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What I learned in the 2-day event?

BELIEVE THAT CHANGE IS STILL POSSIBLE, AND IT WILL ALWAYS COME TRUE, INSHAA'ALLAH!

(The law of Attraction). :-)

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Photos:

The wall of Commitment

Out-put discussions

Participants from Sulu