ARMM holds youth dialogue with youth leaders in Marawi

ILIGAN CITY – To address issues facing the youth who are affected by the ongoing crisis in the Islamic City of Marawi, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao's (ARMM) Office on Bangsamoro Youth Affairs (OBYA), in coordination with the National Youth Commission (NYC), conducted a dialogue with youth sector representatives here on Saturday, July 1.About 100 youth leaders from different organizations in Marawi City shared the challenges and problems they are facing with suggestions on how to solve those problems. Participants were given the chance to contribute their ideas in building stronger and more resilient communities. This serves as the venue for youth leaders to directly voice out thoughts on significant issues in their city. We are here to listen and we want to understand your real situation, NYC Chairperson Aiza Seguerra said in her message to the youth.Key points raised during the discussion centered on the role of the youth in battling terrorism, discrimination on the Filipino Muslims, scholarships for students, and efforts of the government to help internally displaced persons in the city. During the forum, participants appealed to Seguerra to help them spread the message especially on discrimination against Muslims. Magkaiba man tayo ng relihiyon lagi nyong tatandaan nawe are also against Muslim discrimination,makakaasa po kayo sa suporta ko sa inyo dahil iisa po ang ating mithiin at yun ay ang kapayapaan, Seguerra said.Amir Mawallil, executive director of the OBYA, emphasized the need to face the problem of radicalism head on and discussed possible ways to counter the violent ideology of terror groups in the region. We need to act and assert more strongly against violence because this cannot be the start of another cycle of displacement, Dir. Mawallil said during the dialogue. He also stressed the importance of the voices of the youth against terrorism. We need to listen to the voices of youth and understand how we can all better engage in preventing and countering violent extremism in all its various forms, he added.Jalilah Hadji Sapiin, 25, youth leader from Brgy. Raya Saduc in Marawi City said she is willing to encourage young individuals not to join the terror groups. Karamihan sa mga sumasali sa grupo ng mga terorista ay mga kabataan, kaya dapat maengganyo natin ang kapwa kabataan na may magandang kinabukasan nakalaan sa atin kung patuloy natin isusulong ang kapayapaan, Sapiin said. Patunayan natin na tayong mga kabataan ang tunay na pag-asa ng bayan, she added.Seguerra told the participants that If all of us will speak one message, then we will definitely be heard and we are with you, we will always be with you. NYC Commissioner-at-Large James Ventura encouraged the youth in the ARMM to establish a network for the voice of the Moro youth. Kapag nabuo ninyo angyouth networkdito, mas madali kayong maririnig, dahil hindi lamang isang boses ng kabataan ang magsasallita kung hindi buongMoro youth, Ventura said. The OBYA-ARMM has previously conducted a consultation and congress for the youth across the province of Lanao del Sur.The OBYA and NYC have committed to draft and submit a position paper echoing the youth's demands and proposals for the national government’s rehabilitation plan for Marawi City based on the recently held dialogue.