Upi, Maguindanao – Responding to the pressing need to discuss and discern the present unpeace situation in Mindanao brought about by the impasse on the peace talks between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Government of the Philippines plus the incessant threat of development aggression in communities , more than 70 young tri-people from 21 youth organizations in Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Cotabato City gathered collectively at the Local Youth Peace Camp at Upi Agricultural School (UAS) on October 21-23, 2011.

Organized by the Alyansa ng Kabataang Mindanao para sa Kapayapaan – Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Cotabato City (AKMK-MagNoCot) Cluster, the camp brought about discussions on the current threats to peace which reminded the campers as leaders of the youth movement of their role and responsibility to struggle through critical participation the building of a culture of peace and harmonious co-existence between and among the Lumad, Moro and Migrants.

The vast destruction of the environment caused by logging and mining concessions in Maguindanao and North Cotabato affecting mostly the indigenous communities and ancestral domains and how such aggression leads to the staggered annihilation of tribal communities which rely mostly on the wealth of their natural resources were also brought to the forefront of the deliberations. Mr. Ludz Marcelino from the Timuay Justice and Governance shared the experience of the Teduray and Lambangian tribal communities both in the highlands and the coastal areas face the day-to-day survival against the effects of logging in their ancestral domains since 1999 when concessions were allowed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to operate in Maguindanao through the Integrated Forest Management Agreement.

Meanwhile, Mr. Vhong Fenis of the Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Movement shared input on the present global situation and how young peoples in Europe, Middle East and the United States lead to challenge decision-makers and leaders to address the on-going economic and political crisis that put this generation into a bleak future.

Working together to find resolutions on problems they are currently facing, the young peoples of the peace camp adopt a tree planting site offered by the Upi Agricultural School and collectively came about a Youth Peace Declaration which calls for environment and gender justice, upholding of human rights and human dignity and genuine peace through peoples’ solidarity and inter-generational responsibility.

“The young peoples of Mindanao should realize that we are not just the future; we are the present partners in building peace in our communities. The youth alliance for peace has been asserting that right and has been actively filling that space since 2002 when more than 500 young tri-people gathered in General Santos City in its 1^st Mindanao Summer Youth Peace Camp to call for the recognition of the youth as stakeholders and partners to peace”, Alvin John Neyra, the Secretary General of the Alyansa ng Kabataang Mindanao para sa Kapayapaan said.

Now, in its road towards the 6^th summer peace camp, the youth alliance held various local peace camps in Zamboanga del Sur and Lanao del Norte and some still on the works for the Greater Davao Area and CARAGA.