MANILA, 21 September 2025 – This International Day of Peace, we are reminded that peace doesn’t happen in one big moment. It’s built in the small, everyday conversations we choose to have — especially those started and led by children and youth.
Little Hands, a university-based youth organization and U-Report partner, held an Alternative Classroom Learning Experience with UNICEF Philippines this April. Here, youth leaders session gave their fellow students a chance to reflect on the realities of children in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and to talk about how young people across the country can stand with them.
The experiences of children in BARMM don’t always make it into classroom discussions in Metro Manila. That’s what empowered Little Hands’ U-Reporters to bring the topic forward and open space for their peers to listen and learn together.
“We may not be in BARMM and not have as much shared experiences with them as we do have with the children of Manila; however, it is important to remember that we may have glaring similarities with our lived experiences, as members of the youth sector,” said France Mathieu Tacderan, U-Reporter and then-President of Little Hands. “As such, it is our social responsibility to empower our organization’s members to advocate for the rights of children in BARMM while we continue the struggle of fighting for ours, and continue to hope that children and youth will live to see a more equitable and child-friendly Philippines,” he added.
Children in the Bangsamoro region grow up with unique challenges shaped by history, inequality, and the lingering impact of armed conflict. Many continue to face barriers to education, healthcare, and opportunities, yet their stories are also marked by resilience and hope. These realities call us to remember that peace goes beyond ending hostilities; it’s about ensuring that every child in this region and all over the Philippines, has spaces to be heard, supported, and to thrive.
With U-Reporters creating space and taking an active part in these dialogues, the power of youth in championing children’s rights becomes clear, especially when rooted in solidarity with their voices and experiences.
As we celebrate the International Day of Peace, we fondly look back on efforts like this alternative classroom with the hope that it inspires us to keep standing for peace in our own ways. When young people speak out, organize, and take action for children’s rights, peace begins to take root in powerful ways. And with platforms like U-Report Philippines, UNICEF Philippines’ digital youth engagement platform, youth voices don’t just echo, they gather, grow, and push for change.
Know more about the situation of children in BARMM here: https://www.unicef.org/philippines/stories/situation-children-platform-paves-comprehensive-child-rights-monitoring-philippines
