SPECIAL FEATURE

Youth for Rights: A new breed of Human Rights Defenders

by Orlando Gravador

Initiation

In the summer of 2009, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) invited 36 student leaders representing 7 colleges and universities from the National Capital Region for a Summer Human Rights Workshop. They were introduced to basic human rights concepts and principles on the first two days of the event and on the following days, they were given arts workshop in theatre, music, poetry and visual arts so they could express their views on human rights through their newly acquired artistic skills.

 This was the beginning of Youth for Rights (Y4R).

To consolidate the group after the workshop, they were assembled to a meeting to plan for activities to continue their advocacy for human rights and on July 2009, Y4R had their first major independent activity, an Electoral Forum in UP Manila.  They invited Mr. Ramon Casiple, a political analyst and Convenor of Consortium on Electoral Reforms (CER) to speak about the prospects of the first automated elections in 2010.

First Quest

In September 2009, five members of Y4R, who were permitted by their parents, were invited for an immersion activity in a site of conflict. They visited Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya were they visited victims of human rights violations related to mining. At that time, mining company, Oceana Gold was still on exploration stage and were convincing the residents regarding the benefits of mining. The members were able to speak with different community leaders who were opposing the large scale mining looming at that time. 

Ondoy

 

When typhoon “Ondoy” flooded Metro Manila, without urging, members of Y4R mobilized and volunteered in the packaging and distribution of relief goods to communities in Cainta, Quezon City, and Manila. They witnessed the devastation in the community of Barangay Bagong Silangan were the dead and the victims who escaped the flood were sharing shelter in a covered court.

Expansion

To expand the membership of Y4R, Human Rights Orientation and organizing were held in colleges and universities in Metro Manila. Members in UP Manila, Adamson University and University of Manila invited TFDP to conduct activities in their school.

By October 2009, TFDP sponsored another event to raise more young human rights defenders. Through an Inter-faith Youth Camp in Maramag, Bukidnon, youth from different colleges and universities in Mindanao were given human rights orientation and similar to the activity in Baguio, an art skill workshop was also provided to them. On the last night of the event, the youth mounted a theatre production that focused on different cultures in Mindanao and the pursuit of peace through diversity.

Defining the Youth Agenda for Human Rights

In 2010, during the election year, Y4R focused on defining a human rights agenda for the youth. It participated in a Presidential Forum in De La Salle – College of St. Benilde, sponsored by TFDP and Center for Social Action (CSA). Y4R also participated in a Youth Agenda discussion in UP Manila spearheaded by the Sigma Alpha Nu Sorority.

After the elections, Y4R continued to use art in campaigning for human rights issues. They became the force behind ADIK KA para sa Karapatang Pantao (Arte, Drowing, Indak at Kanta para sa Karapatan Pantao). They created a play that featured the human rights violations in a mining community. In Luzon, 27 students from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), De La Salle University (DLSU), St. Joseph’s College, Adamson University, Marikina Polytechnic College and University of Makati attended the theatre workshop in Los Baños, Laguna. After a month, they opened their show “Gintong Yaman ng Sinirang Bayan”, in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, where they were given positive feedback by the leaders and residents, who were also victims of human rights violations due to mining.

Multiple shows were staged by Y4R at University of Makati, Marikina Polytechnic College and UP Diliman during a Knowledge Sharing Activity of The Asia Foundation.

 

The Y4R Mindanao also duplicated the same activity for their area. After a theatre workshop in Maramag, Bukidnon, attended by 22 students from Bukidnon State University, Central Mindanao University, Ateneo de Davao and Mindanao State University, they developed their own script that focuses on human rights violations related to dam development. They presented their play in a community in Kibawe, Bukidnon and at Bukidnon State University during the celebration of International Human Rights Day.

 Tech Savvy Human Rights Defenders

Y4R has taken lead on different online human rights campaign. During the 4 o’clock habit campaign for the release of Tatay Umbrero, it became instrumental for the popularization of the issue for the release of a political prisoner. Through the social media, it has made people realize the plight of prisoners in general and also the issue of political incarceration.

In 2012, during the 40^th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law, it was also instrumental in popularizing the campaign to a younger demographic. They helped conceptualize and formulate a one-year plan of activities to remember the hardships and sacrifices of other human rights defenders in order for us to enjoy our current liberties.

They took part in the Remember ML@40 campaign. They encouraged other youth to visit and join the online campaign for Pinky Pledge, were people take pictures of themselves as a promise to remember, inform and inspire about the lessons of that era.

Currently, they are taking part in the Free our Defenders campaign, a campaign launched by TFDP in 2013 to highlight the issue of political incarceration.

Orlando Gravador is the Human Rights Education Staff of Task Force Detainees of the Philippines.