Youth Democracy Academy: Online Learning Series for Bangsamoro Youth - Session 1

The youth in the Philippines are active in informal forms of political participation such as volunteerism, student activism and social media campaigns. There are also formal governance platforms for youth representation such as the Sanggunian Kabataan (Youth Council) and Katipunan ng Kabataan (youth assemblies). However, there is lack of formal and civic education to prepare them for effective participation in these platforms. The young people in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are particularly vulnerable to influence from extremists, and report high levels of disenfranchisement and feeling of being marginalized due to faith, economic class, freedom of movement and access to social services.

There is an opportunity for a more engaged youth in BARMM with the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), where BARMM was established as a new and expanded political entity. BARMM adopts a parliamentary form of government, and with this, inclusion of youth representation in the Bangsamoro legislature with reserved seats allocated for non-Moros indigenous peoples and settler communities, and sectoral seats allocated for youth, women and traditional leaders.

The Online Learning Series for BARMM Youth, inspired by International IDEA’s Youth Democracy Academy, aims to contribute to enhancing knowledge on democratic governance of youth leaders and young activists and support a community of practice among youth activists in BARMM. The sessions will focus on technical overview of selected topics and discussion on comparative experiences or perspectives of similar context to Bangsamoro. Session topics for this series are:

1.  Introduction to Democracy

2.  Constitutions

3.  Elections

4.  Political Parties

5.  Parliaments

6.  Civil society

The learning series is co-organized with the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS)  

For more information, please visit YDA page or contact Nyla Prieto, Programme Officer, Asia and the Pacific.