Marawi Youth Develop Rights-Based Communication Advocacy

“Be happy… struggle to be happy “– Ms. Niza Concepcion

This is the challenge shared by Ms. Niza Concepcion to the IDP youth participants during the online-blended Communication Advocacy Training last March 29-31, 2022 in Naawan, Misamis Oriental. She expounded that the youth must face the realities of today with pure grip and compassion in communication and to positively and gracefully take steps to commit and fulfill its cause for pushing their existing campaign and advocacy.

The activity was attended by 15 youth IDPs from the different temporary, permanent and home-based shelters from Marawi City. They are gathered to draw out creative contents that can be used as an ‘Information, Education, Communication ‘(IEC) output in promoting IDP Rights advocacy and upscaling of the campaign of the Reclaiming Marawi Movement.

On the first day, Ms. Rose Trajano of the In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND) discussed the relevance of truthfulness and the threat on the shrinking democratic spaces in her discussion “Situation of the Current State of Disinformation in the Philippines”.

Ms. Rose highlighted the different forms of disinformation that persist in social media today and how this falsification of narratives manipulates people’s perception and shape public opinion.

She also shared the significance of freedom of expression to the ‘advocates’ and ‘defenders’ in order to counter false narratives and present facts that describe and narrate the real condition and situation of the people.

She challenged the youth to continue what they have started in communicating the truth, to be just, to not cower from threats, and to not settle in silence.

On the second day , Ms. Niza Concepcion, Communications Committee Head of iDEFEND gave her talk on “Analyzing and Countering Existing Narratives of Disinformation”, giving emphasis on a “heartwired approach.”

“The heartwired approach to research focuses on the ways that emotion, values, beliefs, identity and lived experiences combine, and often collides, to shape people’s attitudes and behaviors.”

Ms. Niza stated that whatever the campaign is, it is important to understand the target audience. In order to support and develop clear messaging, it is also essential that the campaign objectives support the communication strategy. This way, it can effectively deliver and connect to people’s lives.

Ms. Niza also provided a workshop on writing counter-narratives, putting relevance on the genuine condition and the real connection of the people towards their struggle. This has portrayed a description of what is the truth and showed the lived experience of the people.

Ms. Niza also shared the concept of “hope-based messaging”, the content to which translates fear to hope, problem to solution, against to for, threat to opportunity and victim to hero . This signifies that the strategy for change is hope.

In the afternoon, Mr. Jhay de Jesus ; iDEFEND National Coordinator shared a presentation on “Communication Mapping: Ways to Effectively Develop Content and Tools in the Promotion of the IEC output”.

Mr. de Jesus presented a communication map that shows the continuity of developing a relatable and effective message from knowing the issue at hand to the frequency it is being shown or promoted to the target audience.

He then facilitated a workshop on “Communications Strategy” by giving examples from RMM’s campaign core issues and calls. He shared a template that would help RMM’s communication team develop an IEC output that is creative, clear, and effective in both promotion and seeking immediate support and commitment from the various stakeholders in providing adequate and long-term solutions in response to its calls and demands.

During the synthesis, they were able to share their commitment in taking part of a ‘right-based communication advocacy’ that will further strengthen their skills in an effective, efficient and truthful communication that they see necessary in pursuing the campaign they have started.

Because it is an online-blended training and workshop-based, the participants managed to actively engaged in the course of discussion through direct participation in the exchanges of insights and learnings and asking of relevant questions to the resource speakers/facilitators.

At the end of the training, the participants were able to draft a communication plan and suggest content that can be further developed as an IEC output.

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CONCERN Inc., with the support of We Effect, continuously supports the political empowerment of the IDPs of Marawi, in partnership with Reclaiming Marawi Movement through the “Capability Assistance for People’s Initiatives at Transformative Actions and Leadership in Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience to Disasters” or CAPITAL in CCARD Project.