The campaign tagged as “Children, Not Soldiers” was launched yesterday, May 18, 2015 at Cotabato City by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) together with United Nations’ Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The campaign is a call for the stop of the use of children in armed conflict. It is aimed at promoting the rights and protection of children and preventing them from being recruited to any military-related or conflict activities. Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF representative to the Philippines described the event as the start of an important benchmark in the UN-MILF Action Plan designed to spread the message to MILF.

“A message to their children and their families in the communities in MILF Base Commands across Mindanao- that no child under the age of 18 years old should be engaged in any form of military activity or be involved in armed groups,” she added.

Sylwander said that it is UNICEF’s job is to ensure that children’s rights are observed, that the best interest of children are upheld and that children are protected from abuse and violence.

“Children affected by conflict are the most vulnerable as they are deprived of their basic rights and it is our duty to make sure they can live in a peaceful and secure community tomorrow”, she further said.

The MILF central committee was represented by Muhammad Ameen, secretary to the Chairman.

Sammy Al-Mansoor, chief of staff of MILF Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) delivered message of support in the campaign.

The 5-men panel of the MILF who were tasked of UN-MILF Action Plan also attended led by its chairman Architect Eduard Guerra.

Message of a former child advocate

A message from a former child soldier became the highlight of the event.

Abdulnasser B. Kumilang shared his experience of conflict, displacement and the difficulty of life being no direction.

“In war, I lost my home, I lost my family, and I lost friends. I sleep under the trees or with walls without ceiling. No schools because it is being occupied by families fled from their homes, and even sometimes, occupied by forces, soldiers with guns and war tanks. No proper time to eat or diet to think”, Kumilang said.

But he was a survivor.

Kumilang was able to find peace by schooling realizing the difference of gun and pen, of battlefield and school and of uncertainty and having own family and children.

He finished studies, earned a degree and now an educator and a child advocate.

BDA’s role

Engr. Windel Diangcalan, deputy executive director represented BDA in the event.

BDA is a partner of UNICEF for its Tahderiyyah Program that includes child protection, education and the water, sanitation and health (WaSH).

To note, series of orientation for the information dissemination of the UN-MILF Action Plan have been conducted across MILF camps and communities from September 2014 to January 2015.

It was jointly facilitated by the BDA, MILF 5-men panel, UNICEF and Plan International.