Empowerment for Peace through Information & Communication
EPIC empowers some of society’s most vulnerable youth. They may be out-of-school youth living in the poorest of communities. They can be victims of armed conflict, former child soldiers, or members of extremist groups. Or, they may be vulnerable to joining such groups. What most share in common is a sense of exclusion and frustration.
EPIC gives these young adults a sense of inclusion. It helps them become peace actors by developing peace-building skills. We start with 5-day live-in workshops close to where they live. The workshops build awareness about forms of violence, nonviolent communication, conflict management strategies, leadership, digital citizenship and social media campaigning skills. On the last day, beneficiaries pitch social media campaigns, which they conceptualize and develop using skills learned during the workshop. They also return to their communities where they re-echo what they have learned.
Currently, workshops are held in six cities in the Philippines for 25 youth per area. Two cities at a time hold their workshops simultaneously. Videoconferencing is then used to “bridge” the workshops at times, so beneficiaries from the different regions can learn together. Participants use social media to continue relationships between each other.
Workshop dates :
April 23-29 — Baguio City with Cagayan de Oro City
July 16-22 — Cebu City with Cotabato City
September 24 -30 – Metro Manila with Zamboanga City
Find out more about the workshops on #epicyouth2017’s Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1876964805891747/
Photo credit to: Aldimar JM Photography
