138

Engaging Non-State Armed Groups Through Human Rights Education:

Experience with Youth from Southern Philippines
Ryan V. Silverio
T
nr Southeast Asia Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldieis (sr-
sucs) is a iegional non-goveinmental oiganization (oo) woiking
to piomote iespect and ensuie compliance with inteinational and
domestic child piotection standaids paiticulaily on the piohibition of the
ieciuitment and involvement of childien in aimed conict. It has mem-
bei-oiganizations fiom Indonesia, Buima, Tailand and the Philippines.
Srsucs undeitakes ieseaich, advocacy and human iights education tai-
geting goveinment actois, non-state aimed gioups and civil society gioups.
Since zooz, srsucs has conducted seveial human iights education woik-
shops in southein Philippines involving dieient gioups such as activists,
childien, youth, women, and academics.
In this aiticle I employ the cyclical piocess of piaxis by looking back at
my ist-hand expeiiences of conducting human iights education and ie-
ecting on the lessons leained. I focus on the added value of human iights
education in the woik of srsucs, and the contiibution of the initiative in
peace-building eoits in southein Philippines. I highlight lessons that can
guide the conduct of futuie initiatives with non-state aimed gioups.
Philippines: Engaging Non-State Armed Groups Trough Human Rights Education 139
Engaging Non-state Armed Groups
Te teim non-state aimed gioup (so) is dened as gioups that have
weapons, use foice to achieve its political andioi quasi-political objectives,
and opposed to, oi autonomous fiom, the state. Tey aie also commonly
being iefeiied to as iebel gioups oi aimed opposition gioups. In the con-
text of the Philippines, sos do not opeiate in a vacuum iathei they opei-
ate with the suppoit of communities and sectois oi gioups. In some cases,
sos aie consideied as de facto goveinment who aie given a mandate by
communities to exeicise inuence and contiol ovei ceitain aieas. Given this
conceptual undeistanding of sos, any engagement piocess with them
should involve communities oi gioups whose membeis may not necessaiily
be pait of the aimed gioups but diiectly oi indiiectly suppoit theii cause
and activities. Engaging these communities oi gioups is impoitant because
they can condone oi defy piactices of sos, oi facilitate oi countei the
piocess of changing theii policies and piactices.
Engaging sos to ensuie the non-ieciuitment, andioi secuie the ie-
lease, of child soldieis laigely iemains a new discouise. Many of the exist-
ing studies and liteiatuie focus on engagement with aimed gioups in peace
piocesses (Chhabia, n.d., Guinaid, zooz, Hottingei, zoo, Ledeiach, 1,,;,
Petiasek, zoo). Tey piovide lessons that should be consideied paiticulaily
in ielation to the dieient objectives and methods of engagement.
Teie aie two categoiies of engagement based on objectives: political
engagement and humanitaiian engagement. Political engagement connotes
eoits to peisuade aimed gioups to negotiate a peaceful iesolution of the
aimed conict, including facilitating theii paiticipation in piocesses to this
end (Petiasek, zoo, ). Humanitaiian engagement on the othei hand in-
tends to peisuade aimed gioups to iespect human iights and humanitaiian
standaids (Petiasek, zoo, , Besslei and McHugh, zoo6, ). Humanitaiian
engagement is useful in achieving the following goals: secuie humanitai-
ian access to those in need, secuie agieement on opeiational mechanisms,
ensuie humanitaiian woikeis safety and secuie piotection foi vulneiable
peisons in conict situations (Besslei and McHugh, zoo6, 1z).
While theie aie dieiences in teims of objectives, the lines aie bluiied
between political and humanitaiian engagements. Fiom the peispective of
peace building, these two appioaches aie seen as ieinfoicing. Achieving a
situation of peace addiesses peiennial humanitaiian conceins. On the othei
140 HUMAN RI GHTS EDUCATI ON I N ASI A-PACI FI C
hand, the people and communities aected by aimed conict iequiie spe-
cial attention and have special needs to be addiessed while the piocess of
peace building takes place.
Te engagement piocess cited in this aiticle can be consideied as a
humanitaiian engagement because of its cleai objectives: to iaise awaie-
ness and ensuie iespect foi and compliance with child iights laws, to cieate
mechanisms to ensuie the non-ieciuitment and use of child soldieis, to en-
suie the ielease of childien fiom the ianks of the sos, and to ensuie sup-
poit foi piogiams on ieintegiation of childien into a civilian enviionment.
Based on the expeiiences of civil society gioups woiking on the issue
of child soldieis in the Philippines, engagement takes place in vaiious yet
inteiielated foims, namely:
monitoiing and documentation of the numbei of child soldieis and
theii specic cases
dialogues oi negotiations (usually low piole due to the sensitivity
of the issue of child soldieis) with leadeis oi membeis of a so
1
advocacy thiough piess ieleases and letteis of appeal as methods in
ieaching sos that aie not accessible oi willing to dialogue with
civil society gioups.
Anothei foim of engagement entails awaieness-iaising and capacity
building foi membeis oi communities oi gioups suiiounding sos. Tiee
factois iequiie this kind of engagement: pieliminaiy dialogue with the
sos, ceitain level of condence and openness with it, and suppoit fiom
local gioups aliated diiectly oi indiiectly with it.
Childrens Involvement in Armed Conict
As a paity to the on-going conict in southein Philippines, the Moio Islamic
Libeiation Fiont (riir) has been cited seveial times foi violating human
iights and Inteinational Humanitaiian Law (ini) standaids. Te involve-
ment of childien below eighteen yeais of age in the ianks of the riir is one
example.
Accoiding to Cagoco-Guiam (zooz, ;6), at least ten to thiity peicent
of childien in a community inuenced by a so have volunteeied oi have
been convinced to paiticipate in its activities. Tis paitly explains why chil-
dien have been involved in the activities of the riir.
A zoo ieseaich that inteiviewed one hundied ninety-foui cuiient and
foimei child soldieis fiom dieient sos in the countiy shows a numbei
Philippines: Engaging Non-State Armed Groups Trough Human Rights Education 141
of ieasons foi the paiticipation of childien in the aimed conict. Most of
theii iesponses cited suppoit foi the political ideologies of the so, ie-
ligious conviction and belief, lack of options and unceitain futuie, and de-
fense and piotection of the family and community (PhilRights, zoo, o).
Te iespondents aliated with the riir expiessed stiong suppoit foi seces-
sionist advocacy guided by the belief that the stiuggle foi self-deteimination
was theii best oeiing to Allah (PhilRights, zoo, ;;).
Te ieseaich shows that the natuie of childiens involvement with
sos is highly voluntaiy. Othei ieseaiches (Cagoco-Guiam, zooz and Biett
and Specht, zoo) suppoit this claim.
Biett and Specht (zoo), howevei, qualify theii concept of voluntaiy in-
volvement by questioning the degiee of fiee choice the childien have piioi
to theii paiticipation. Tey fuithei add that the inteiplay of vaiious factois
such as militaiization, the piesence of aimed conict, poveity, lack of op-
tions, ieligion and cultuie pushed the childien to be involved.
Childien fiom Bangsamoio (Muslim) communities in Mindanao who
might have voluntaiily joined a so also believed that doing so meant
obeying Islamic teachings and fullling the iesponsibilities of a good Muslim
laid down by theii eldeis (Cagoco-Guiam, zooz, ;). Some of these childien
have paients who weie mujahideens (fieedom ghteis) while some childien
believed that it was theii ieligious and moial obligation to take pait and help
the adults in the community in theii jihad oi holy stiuggle to libeiate theii
community fiom social injustices (Cagoco-Guiam zooz, o).
In iesponse to these ieseaiches and iepoits, the riir issued a state-
ment ieiteiating its policy conceining the involvement of childien in aimed
conict, to wit:
1. Te geneial policy of the riir is not to ieciuit childien foi
conict, if they aie with the riir, theii ioles aie puiely auxiliaiy in
chaiactei,
2. Te riir is fully cognizant that the iightful place of childien is
in schools,
3. Te riir iecognizes the iight of eveiybody including childien to
self-defense especially when communities oi villages aie undei indis-
ciiminate militaiy actions by the enemy, and
4. It is piefeiable that childien, who aie foisaken oi those who have
no ieliable guaidians, aie taken caied of by the riir iathei than allow
them to [become] mists of society (riir ieiteiates policy on child
soldieis, zoo6).
142 HUMAN RI GHTS EDUCATI ON I N ASI A-PACI FI C
Te Philippine goveinment as well as vaiious non-goveinmental oiga-
nizations (oos) iesponded to the issue. Te goveinment established an
Intei-agency Committee composed of lead goveinment agencies such as
the Depaitment of Social Welfaie and Development, the Depaitment of
National Defense, Oce of the Piesidential Advisei foi the Peace Piocess,
and some oos as well. Tis Committee was mandated to implement pio-
giams aimed at the demobilization, iehabilitation and ieintegiation of chil-
dien involved in aimed conict. Teie weie suppoit seivices meant to help
in the ieintegiation of the childien into civilian life such as piogiams foi
education, livelihood, and tempoiaiy sheltei foi those who weie sepaiated
fiom theii families oi communities oi foi those whose families oi communi-
ties weie involved in oi aected by aimed conict.
On the pievention of ieciuitment and involvement of childien, sr-
sucs held low-piole dialogues with membeis and leadeis of sos. Tese
dialogues led srsucs to iealize that the infoimation shaied and the en-
gagement in the dialogues was limited to the top leadeiship. As a iesult,
srsucs modied its appioach by employing human iights education as an
alteinative stiategy.
Human Rights Education as a Strategy
On z to May zoo6, srsucs held a tiaining woikshop entitled Tiaineis
Tiaining on HR and ini foi Bangsamoio Youth at the Bangsamoio
Development Academy, Cotabato City, Philippines. Te woikshop was oi-
ganized in coopeiation with inteinational oiganizations such as Geneva
Call and local oiganizations, namely, the Centei foi Muslim Youth Studies
and the Institute foi Bangsamoio Studies.
Tis woikshop seived as a follow-up activity to a pievious woikshop
on human iights, ini and child piotection involving membeis of the riir.
Te pievious woikshop took place on 1z-1; Novembei zoo and was oi-
ganized by seveial oiganizations, notably Geneva Call and the Institute of
Bangsamoio Studies.
2
Tis woikshop involved twenty-ve youth who weie selected by the
leadeiship of the riir. Te paiticipants iepiesented oiganizations and
communities in the aimed-conict-aected piovinces of Maguindanao and
Cotabato.
Tis woikshops oveiall objective was to encouiage iespect and com-
pliance with inteinational human iights standaids.
3
To achieve this objec-
Philippines: Engaging Non-State Armed Groups Trough Human Rights Education 143
tive, the tiaining employed a piogiessive appioach that staited with iaising
awaieness and ciitical undeistanding of vaiious laws and piogiams, and fol-
lowed by the tiaining on developing capacities and skills to educate othei
youth.
Tis woikshop had a foui-day piogiam consisting of plenaiy discus-
sions and small gioup inteiactions on topics iegaiding basic human iights
laws and piinciples, the Geneva Conventions and its Additional Piotocols,
the landmines issue including Geneva Calls Deed of Commitment banning
anti-peisonnel landmines signed by the riir,
4
the iole of young people in
peace building, and child piotection issues and conceins.
Te sessions on child piotection focused on both inteinational and na-
tional laws, including the Optional Piotocol to the Convention on the Rights
of the Child on the involvement of childien in aimed conict. Te facilitatois
stiessed that both state and non-state aimed gioups have the iesponsibility
to obseive human iights laws and ensuie the piotection of childien. Te
session was also designed to elicit ideas and piactical measuies to encouiage
theii communities and also the riir, as a political body exeicising eective
contiol of ceitain communities, to become child-fiiendly oiganizations. See
Annex A foi a similai tiaining module used in the zoo tiaining woikshop.
Duiing the open foium, one paiticipant asked why was it impoitant
that the youth become awaie of human iights, ini and child piotection
standaids. One of the facilitatois iesponded that if the youth wanted to cie-
ate an independent Bangsamoio state, it would be necessaiy that they pai-
ticipate in the development of policies and laws that weie consistent with
inteinational human iights standaids.
Te woikshop intioduced an innovation by including piactical sessions
on facilitation skills and development of tiaining modules. Aftei pioviding
knowledge on human iights and ini, the paiticipants weie challenged to
develop ways of disseminating such infoimation to theii colleagues. Tey
weie divided into gioups and weie asked to pioduce modules ielated to the
topics assigned to them. Te modules weie tested duiing the tiaining and
weie ciitiqued by the facilitatois and fellow paiticipants.
Te paiticipants appieciated well the woikshop. Duiing the evaluation
session, most of the paiticipants said that theii attendance in the woikshop
on human iights and ini was a ist. Te knowledge gained was new and
could give them an alteinative view in dealing with aimed conict.
Tey also appieciated the methodology employed, which allowed them
to cleaily undeistand the content. With the use of simple language and pai-
144 HUMAN RI GHTS EDUCATI ON I N ASI A-PACI FI C
ticipatoiy methodologies the inteiaction and exchange of opinions became
highly valued.
Te issue of involvement of childien in aimed conict tuined out to be
a sensitive mattei. Teie weie diveigent and conicting positions that sui-
faced duiing the discussions. To explain the ieasons behind the voluntaiy
involvement of childien, the paiticipants iaised ieligious obligation and the
need to iespond to the injustices and oppiession caused by the goveinment.
Otheis mentioned that child soldieis did not exist in theii communities,
but theie weie childien victims of wai who weie in the custody of the com-
munity leadeis.
While the woikshop piogiam had an explicit position on the issue, the
facilitatois designed the sessions in the foim of a dialogue. Te facilitatois
iealized that imposing pieviously held views was not benecial. Fiank and
open discussions giounded on iespect foi each otheis opinions and cultuial
backgiound weie the pievailing noim.
Te exchange of dieient views was a leaining piocess foi both the
oiganizeis and the paiticipants in oidei to have a widei peispective and
bioadei analyses to addiess the pioblem. Undeistanding the cultuial foun-
dations of theii peispectives was benecial in developing context-specic
appioaches in the design of futuie woikshops. Agieements on ceitain ciiti-
cal issues weie not anticipated. Te undeilying inteiest, howevei, was to
seek a common undeistanding on the need foi fuithei dialogue and inteiac-
tion, and a common objective to piotect the iights of childien.
One of the stiengths of the woikshop was its iespect foi the capacity of
local paitnei gioups. Such piinciple of iespect inspiied all membeis of the
oiganizing team to mutually ieinfoice and suppoit each otheis inteiests.
Te woikshop was intended as a collaboiative eoit to establish a sense
of local owneiship of the pioject. Hence, theie weie close consultations with
paitnei oiganizations fiom the piojects conceptualization, to the design-
ing of the tiaining piogiam, and to its implementation. Te local paitneis
who suppoited the woikshop weie the Centei foi Muslim Youth Studies
(crvsi), a local youth oiganization based in Mindanao, and the Institute of
Bangsamoio Studies (ins). Tese two oiganizations have also played a vital
iole in facilitating srsucs iequest foi peimission fiom the leadeiship of
the riir to undeitake the pioject. Othei inteinational oiganizations such as
Geneva Call have also given a signicant contiibution to the pioject.
Encouiaged by the paiticipants positive feedback and inteiest to sus-
tain the initiative, the woikshop oiganizeis plan to hold follow-up woik-
Philippines: Engaging Non-State Armed Groups Trough Human Rights Education 145
shops. Tis time the focus will be on the development of skills in the aieas
of facilitation, cieative pedagogy and module development. Tis is intended
to equip the youth with knowledge and skills needed to systematically ieach
out and spiead the infoimation to othei membeis of theii community.
Apait fiom the follow-up woikshop, the paiticipants have also ex-
piessed theii inteiest to oiganize themselves into a gioup that would take
the lead in educating young people on human iights and ini, and also to
undeitake monitoiing and iepoiting of violations within theii communities.
Reections on the Activity
Srsucs chose the youth as piimaiy paiticipants in its human iights edu-
cation pioject given the belief that they constitute the new blood and can
catalyze change within theii community. Tis is piobably manifested by the
plan of the paiticipants to oiganize theii ianks as a youth-led mechanism
that piomotes human iights and ini within theii ianks thiough education,
and monitois theii violations.
5
Te cieation of this youth-led mechanism
can also be seen as similai to devising new stiuctuies of accountability, an
element consideied to be pait of social change (Shaima 1,,,).
While the tiaining did not make all paiticipants agiee to the new pei-
spectives conceining childiens involvement in aimed conict, they nevei-
theless gained common undeistanding on the shaied iesponsibility of pio-
tecting childien.
Te woikshop piovided seveial benets to the sectoi. Fiist, it piovided
new knowledge to the youth and built theii capacities ielating to human
iights and ini. Te tiaining helped them ll the gap in the education pio-
giam foi young people, paiticulaily on human iights and ini.
Second, it helped piovide a positive image to aimed gioups such as the
riir in allowing civil society gioups such as srsucs to conduct a human
iights education activity. A positive image is necessaiy to mobilize suppoit
to its advantage given that the riir is cuiiently engaged in peace negotia-
tions with the Philippine goveinment.
It is impoitant to note that the riir used to be listed by the goveinment
of the United States of Ameiica as a teiioi oiganization. It is also listed in
the United Nations Secietaiy Geneials iepoits submitted to the Secuiity
Council as one of paities that ieciuit oi use childien in situations of aimed
conict. (United Nations, Ai,i6,-Sizooi;z, page 8)
146 HUMAN RI GHTS EDUCATI ON I N ASI A-PACI FI C
In teims of stiategies, the use of human iights education in engaging
sos seives not only the paiticipants but also facilitates the evolution of
a human iights cultuie. Te mobilization of local civil society gioups inde-
pendently opeiating in riir stionghold aieas seives to piessuie the aimed
gioup to seiiously take on its iesponsibility of iespecting human iights and
humanitaiian standaids. In this way, local owneis would sustain the mobi-
lizing of local suppoit foi any advocacy.
Contribution to Peace Building
Te woikshop in itself is not the solution to the conict in Mindanao but it
has a contiibution on the piocess of peace building. Te contiibution might
not be tangible compaied to the eoits of othei oiganizations pioviding
diiect seivices to victims. It might not be as piecise compaied to close in-
volvement in the conduct of peace negotiations.
Te issue of child soldieis is a conciete manifestation of a laigei piob-
lem ielated to the aimed conict. Addiessing the issue of child soldieis
thiough human iights education leads to the option of shifting fiom aimed
conict to non-violent politics. Te knowledge on human iights and ini,
including that of the non-usage of child soldieis, can seive as a catalyst to-
waids gieatei iespect foi the iule of law and giving piimaiy concein foi
civilians aected by wai.
Addiessing the long-teim goal of iesolving the conict in Mindanao
is a long and aiduous task that would ceitainly involve all actois fiom the
national level down to the giassioots level. Addiessing the issue of child sol-
dieis thiough human iights education can then be viewed as a two-pionged
appioach using Ledeiachs paiadigm (Ledeiach, 1997).
Te woikshops contiibution can be chaiacteiized as a ieinfoicement of
the peace piocess as it piomotes a sense of obligation and accountability to
all paities to the conict to iespect noims and standaids to piotect vulnei-
able gioups such as childien, and at the veiy least iespond to theii needs
to alleviate sueiing. It also seeks to minimize fuithei violations that could
eithei pose as a consequence of oi an impetus to peipetuate the conict.
Second, human iights education piovides options. Te piocess of ie-
solving the conict also needs to iecognize the need foi the community to
sustain its post-conict pioductivity. Human iights education can piovide
a dieient way of looking at social life in teims of ones ioles and contiibu-
tions. Te iole of childien and young people can be taken as one aspect.
Philippines: Engaging Non-State Armed Groups Trough Human Rights Education 147
Given the justications foi involving childien in aimed conict in
Bangsamoio aieas as piesented in existing ieseaiches, it is indeed dicult to
advocate foi the non-ieciuitment and non-use of childien in aimed conict
fiom the peispective of human iights standaids. Howevei, human iights
education piovides an alteinative appioach that can piovide an undeistand-
ing of the stiategic iole of childien and young people in the development
of an ideal Bangsamoio society. As aiticulated by the paiticipants, allow-
ing childien and young people to paiticipate in the aimed conict weak-
ens the iealization of the vision of having futuie doctois, nuises, educatois,
engineeis and othei piofessionals that will constitute the social capital in a
post-conict Bangsamoio society. Tis is piobably one message that has to
be communicated in oidei foi aimed gioups to see the benets of engaging
with srsucs and othei civil society institutions.
Conclusion
Engaging non-state aimed gioups to iespect and comply with human iights
and humanitaiian law standaids is a long and aiduous piocess. One chal-
lenge facing any entity that wishes to engage an aimed gioup is to identify
common inteiests undeilying conicting positions. Human iights educa-
tion is a potential tool in both extiacting common inteiests and iesponding
to them. Based on the expeiience of srsucs and my ieections, these com-
mon inteiests can be found in the following factois: the piovision of benets
to the so such as capacity-building and legitimacy, and the integiation of
eoits to the laigei goal of building peace that would benet both the so
and its constituency at the community level.
Endnotes
1
A conciete example of the second foim of engagement is the multi-paitite dia-
logue with the Revolutionaiy Pioletaiian Aimy Alex Boncayao Biigade (RPA-ABB)
that eventually led into the signing of a unilateial statement in 2005. Te RPA-ABB is
a leftist aimed gioup that bioke away fiom the Communist Paity of the Philippines-
National Demociatic Fiont-New Peoples Aimy (CPP-NPA-NDF). Te talks with the
RPA-ABB conceining the issue of child soldieis staited in 2003 by an NGO called
the Philippine Human Rights Infoimation Centei (PhilRights). Te authoi was di-
iectly involved with the talks with RPA-ABBs Commandei Gen. Caiapali Lualhati.
Te talks intioduced to the gioups leadeiship inteinational and national child pio-
tection laws and identied ways by which the RPA-ABB could coopeiate in vaiious
148 HUMAN RI GHTS EDUCATI ON I N ASI A-PACI FI C
aspects of child piotection woik. Te dialogues with the RPA-ABB culminated with
the signing in Febiuaiy 2005 of a deed of commitment on non-ieciuitment oi non-
use of child soldieis.
2
See: Geneva Call, 2006, Tiaining of Tiaineis Woikshop, http:iiwww.geneva-
call.oigiiesouicesiconfeience-iepoitsif-confeience-iepoitsi2001-2010igc-2005-
12nov-totm.pdf
3
Tese include the Optional Piotocol of the CRC on the involvement of childien
in aimed conict, the Geneva Conventions, the ILO 182 on the woist foims of child
laboi as well as domestic laws such as the Republic Act 7610 on Special Piotection
of Childien Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Disciimination Act.
4
Te Deed of Commitment foi Adheience to the Total Ban on Anti-peisonnel
Mines and foi Coopeiation in Mine Action was signed by the Moio Islamic
Libeiation Fiont (MILF) in 2002. See: http:iiwww.genevacall.oigiiesouicesitesti-
iefeience-mateiialsitesti-deedi2007-07api-milf.pdf.
5
SEASUCS is cuiiently woiking togethei with key peisons fiom the gioup
foimed by the paiticipants to oiganize a follow-up woikshop focusing entiiely on
skills development in the aieas of human iights education philosophy and pedagogy,
module development, and tiaining techniques. All these aie aimed at suppoiting the
gioups function to piomote human iights and inteinational humanitaiian law by
educating the membeis of theii ianks.
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150 HUMAN RI GHTS EDUCATI ON I N ASI A-PACI FI C
Annex A
Session on Child Protection in Armed Conict
Prepared by the Philippine Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
Workshop Objectives: To
1. Determine the notions of the participants on children and childhood, exploring
Islamic and organizational perspectives on childrens rights, particularly survival,
development, protection, and participation;
2. Identify the existing policies of the MILF on children, childhood, and child
protection;
3. Determine the extent of knowledge and views of participants on international and
national laws and instruments (such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
the Child (CRC), the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conict,
and Republic Act 7610, Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation
and Discrimination Act) and whether the group has considered these instruments in
making their policies/ practices.
Workshop Flow:
1. Introductions and Expectations Check
The summary of the participants expectations is as follows:
Knowledge
Means to protect children
National and international laws concerning child protection
Understand the Optional Protocol
Understand the minimum age for recruitment
Identify ways to prevent the involvement of children in armed conict
Skills
Ways of caring [for fellow] children
Ways of handling children captured/ rescued during conict
Skills to disseminate information concerning child protection/ rights.
2. Understanding Childhood
There was a change of module given certain factors: time-limitation, attention span
of the participants, and their expectations. In the initial group (Davao/Tausug group),
there was a preliminary activity to elicit the participants childhood experiences. The
Philippines: Engaging Non-State Armed Groups Trough Human Rights Education 151
plenary was divided into four groups and instructed to complete the following phrases:
Noong bata pa ako, ang naaalala kong masayang pangyayari ay.
(When I was a child, one happy experience I can remember is)
Noong bata pa ako, ang naaalala kong malungkot na pangyayari ay.
(When I was a child, one sad experience I can remember is)
Noong bata pa ako, ang turo sa akin ng tatay ko ay..
(When I was a child, my father taught me)
Noong bata pa ako, ang turo sa akin ng nanay ko ay.
(When I was a child, my mother taught me)
Noong bata pa ako, napagalitan ako ni tatay dahil
(When I was a child, my father got angry at me because)
Noong bata pa ako, napagalitan ako ni nanay dahil.
(When I was a child, my mother got angry at me because)
Noong bata pa ako, natuwa sa akin si tatay dahil
(When I was a child, my father was happy with me because)
Noong bata pa ako, natuwa sa akin si nanay dahil
(When I was a child, my mother was happy with me because)
This activity was dropped during remaining sessions. Instead, the discussion
proceeded with some process questions to elicit the participants understanding of
childhood. The matrix below provides the summary of the participants responses:
152 HUMAN RI GHTS EDUCATI ON I N ASI A-PACI FI C
Who is a child? When can you say
that he/she is no
longer a child?
What are your bases? What is the view of
the MILF on the age
of the child?
- Someone who needs
attention, care and
direction
- Plays unlimitedly
- Neglect or ignores
the parents advice
- Not more than 15
years old.
- Adolescents:
Girls - 13 to 14 years
old;
Boys - 15 to 17
- Not balig (A Moro
term for puberty. There
is no specic age
indicator to determine
when a person is in the
stage of balig. Ages
differ between girls
and boys. The signs
of balig are the
following:
- Adams apple
- Menstruation
- Pubic hair
- Wet dreams/ desire for
sexual intercourse
Note: Initially, the
question asked was
How does the Holy
Quran dene the child?
Almost all the participants
responded that they need
a religious leader to answer
that. Hence, the trainers
rephrased the question
into: Based on your
understanding of the
Islam, how does it dene
a child?
- Understand Islam
- Obligatory to do
prayers during
Ramadhan
- All should learn and
understand the
Quran
There were various
responses
but the most
common was no
comment.
Others gave the following
answers:
- Based on Quran
- 15 years old and below
- 18 years old and below
There were other process questions to surface the participants understanding of
children and their parameters of their participation in community.
What can a child do which adults cannot?
Playing such as entering small spaces, sucking mothers milk, playing naked,
begging, crying out in public
What can an adult do which a child should not do?
Sex, handling rearms, driving vehicles, carry heavy equipment, travel freely
Can a child marry?
Participants categorically said no. However, they said that there are certain cultures
in Mindanao that allow such.
Can a child vote?
Participants mentioned that children are not legally allowed to vote. But there are
Philippines: Engaging Non-State Armed Groups Trough Human Rights Education 153
exceptions when they are coerced to do so.
3. Discussion on International Standards and National Laws
The trainers gave an overview of the following international laws pertaining to child
protection:
[United Nations] Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conict
ILO Convention 182 on Worst Forms of Child Labor
The national laws covered during the discussion were the following:
Philippine Constitution
Republic Act 7610, Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse,
Exploitation and Discrimination Act
Republic Act 7658, Act Prohibiting the Employment of Children Below 15 Years
of Age in Public and Private Undertakings
Republic Act 9208, Anti-trafcking in Persons Act of 2003.
The participants raised many questions and clarications. Some shared rst hand
information of human rights and humanitarian law violations committed by the Philippine
armed forces that they have witnessed. The trainers suggested that these incidents
have to be documented properly and submitted to independent bodies such as the IMT
[International Monitoring Team], the ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross],
and the UNCRC [United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child].
Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Violations Shared
In Sibugay, a mother and a two-year-old child were imprisoned for three months
after they were caught by the police for unestablished reasons.
In Camp Abubakar, military ransacked schools in the community during the military
takeover in 2000.
Some were not specic with their cases. Instead, they have repeatedly mentioned
the actual conditions of Bangsamoro children where they do not have access to
education and basic quality healthcare.
Clarications/ Talking Points on the Topics Discussed
What do we mean by situations of emergency? It involved both natural disasters and
human-made disasters such as armed conict or other forms of disturbances.
154 HUMAN RI GHTS EDUCATI ON I N ASI A-PACI FI C
Protection should include children who are in conict with the law. What will happen
to children who are caught because they are involved in the conict?
What is the role of UNICEF? Do they have an ofce in the Philippines?
What are the penalties if we violate the law?
Is there any country that was already sanctioned because of their violations of the
CRC? [United Nations] Security Council listed down countries where child soldiers are
being used.
These included Congo, Burundi, Sudan, Sierra Leone and Rwanda. There are calls
for arms embargo. There were six resolutions made already related to children in armed
conict.
- The laws are there but whats the point? Such was raised commonly by
participants who expressed frustration on the non-implementation of the laws. (This
could have been processed better by asking them also: How could the MILF contribute
towards the respect and implementation of these laws?)
Recommendations by the Participants Raised during the Discussions
Reproduce materials
Conduct follow-up trainings particularly on the conduct of monitoring and
documentation
Need more time to discuss the laws.
4. Evaluation of the Session
The participants were asked the following questions:
What is your dream for children?
What can you do to make that dream a reality?
Dreams for Children Contributions Feelings after the Session
Education
Peace
Freedom
Leader
Impart knowledge
Provide training
Provide education
Help them become
Brave
Good ghter
Good counselor
Good father
Provide security
Work for peace
Happy
More knowledgeable
Satised
Remembered the past
Comfortable
Liked everything
Feel good
Best
Philippines: Engaging Non-State Armed Groups Trough Human Rights Education 155
Some observations on the process:
Time allotted is very limited given the coverage of topics.
The participants seemed to be open to directly discuss the issue of child
soldiers. It was opposite to some assumptions that bringing such topic
would instigate a heated debate that might lead to discussions on religious
perspectives. Should the topic of child soldiers be brought up, the discussion
must be from a legal/ policy angle.
Some groups have undergone the human rights and International Humanitarian
Law session prior to the child protection session. It would be good to build on
their understanding of human rights and International Humanitarian Law in
discussing the issue of child soldiers.
There is a need for more audio-visual materials such as videos and pictures.
Using the local language makes the discussion more participatory. In fact,
various stories and information were shared during the informal discussions
during breaks.