Dance 4 Peace in the Philippines is piloted in Midsayap, in the troubled region of Mindanao in southern Philippines, which has been affected by insurgencies and other long-standing armed conflict. Peace panels and negotiations have improved the ceasefire architecture in the region, but citizens, especially young people, are realizing that their involvement in the peace process is now more crucial than ever. Grassroots movements for peace in schools and other communities have since become more vibrant than they have ever been, especially in this age of social media that promotes advocacy. Dance 4 Peace is a more than welcome addition to these movements, as it implements its first cycle in the Philippines with Southern Christian College, which has a long and excellent track record of peace activities. Dance 4 Peace partners with Southern Christian College's Community Education, Research and Extension Administration Center for Media and the Arts, where five Philippines PeaceMovers are implementing programming with 50 youth in the community. There is an even greater anticipation that the young people in Southern Christian College whom the program will train will grow to be proactive PeaceMovers themselves.
Philippines
“It's a fun and exciting way to get youth engaged while providing an avenue for them to be aware of themselves and how they can contribute positively to society. The program also creates a great rallying point to get youth to think and act globally. It is more amazing that Dance 4 Peace is a program that can be applied globally in differing cultural contexts.”
