Regional Youth Leaders for Peace Summit (RYLPS) – Campfire

 

Camp Facilitators, Initiators, and Resources Elites or CAMPFIRE, an event-management federation composed of youth leaders-volunteers from different youth organizations, have been conducting city-wide capacity-buildings, technical skills training, and youth development programs since 2017. One of its annual advocacy programs is the Youth Leaders for Peace Summit held annually not only in Ormoc City, but also in other areas of the region.

In pursuit of its commitment to contribute to SDG Goal 16, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, CAMPFIRE, under the umbrella of and in partnership with UNIFY, Inc., came up with the regional counterpart of the said summit anchored on its vision to attain lasting peace not only in Ormoc but also within its neighboring towns and beyond.

In accordance to CAMPFIRE’s values to build meaningful networks and partnerships in all its programs and engagements, they partnered with different national and local agencies including the Philippine National Police, Department of the Interior and Local Government, National Youth Commission and Armed Forces of the Philippines, hence the birth of the first Regional Youth Leaders for Peace Summit (RYLPS) in the Philippines. Among its plenary speakers were Dangerous Drugs Board Undersecretary Gilberto Cruz, National Youth Commission Assistant Secretary Christine Joy Escober, and the Regional Directors of the Philippine National Police and other agencies.

RYLPS convened 270 SK Federation officials, Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo (KKDAT) Officers, and significant Youth Leaders from Leyte, Biliran, Tacloban, Samar, and Southern Leyte who participated in the plenaries and break-out sessions to identify concerns and key roles, and develop policy and PPAs. These young peace advocates met with the key stakeholders and relevant national government agencies to collaboratively discuss in diplomatic dialogue the long-term action plan to harmonize peace and order efforts especially on drug and insurgency where the youth are known to be primary targets and vulnerable victims. RYLPS is a year-ender summit to close 2021 and kick-off 2022 highlighting peace as a sustainable approach to lasting development.

Its major outputs include Philippine Alliance of Youth Advocates for Peace Action (PAYAPA) Plan 2022 containing all the Action Plan from different stakeholders playing a vital role in keeping the region safe, peaceful, drug-free, and insurgence-free. The plan, which is the result of collaborative efforts of the Region 8 youth leaders and stakeholders, likewise contains the Regional Youth Unified Statement on Peace and Order.

The regional summit was hosted by Ormoc City which has been recognized as the Safest City in the Philippines and among the first to be declared a Drug-free City. Being the first in the region to implement face to face New Normal events during the 2020 Linggo ng Kabataan with zero transmission attributed to date, Ormoc City’s hosting of this regional gathering was likewise carried out with maximum compliance to the highest standards of New Normal setting, taking into strict considerations the regulations imposed by the National and Local Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for COVID-19.

 
 

The Regional Youth Leaders for Peace Summit (RYLPS) is expected to be held annually with different host local government units. KKDAT Philippines, through its National Adviser Dr. Ces Noble, also supports the idea that this best practice be replicated in other regions of the Philippines.

The youth of Region 8 made a history in youth participation in Governance as they UNIFY to keep the CAMPFIRE burning to attain real peace.

#WeNeedRYLPS and #WeMade8Happen! www.rylps.org