Full Project Title: IM GLAD TO CONSOLIDATE PRIDE IN MINDANAO

The project is in line with the vision of IM GLAD, that is, to contribute to shaping an equitable, free, and safe society in Mindanao where the people proactively nurture and protect the rights and dignity of the LGBTQIA+ community. One of the ways to achieve this is by widening and fostering a space for political participation, especially for the marginalized LGBTQIA+ in Mindanao. Concurrent with the issues besetting the LGBTQIA+ in the context of the human rights situation in the Philippines, the staple presence of impunity in Mindanao, and the overarching constraints posed by patriarchal, bigoted, conservative, and heteronormative convictions, this project aims to lessen the vulnerability of the LGBTQIA+ community through increased awareness, organizational capacity, and public support towards addressing gender and sexual discrimination and violence. To achieve the main goal, three-pronged strategies will be employed as ways to consolidate Pride in the areas covered by the project: Unfurling the Pride, Living the Pride, and Marching the Pride. These strategies will be employed to enhance awareness, capacity, and support for IM GLAD. The Unfurling the Pridestrategy aims to heighten the awareness of LGBTQIA+ members on their rights and issues. Under this, a series of online rainbow sessions and face-to-face community education will be organized. Conducted on the onset of this project, the Online Rainbow Sessions seek to educate at least 100 participants coming from the different IM GLAD communities about LGBT Rights and relevant human Rights Instruments, LGBT situation, issues, and challenges. On the other hand, face-to-face community education will be organized during the end of the project and will be initiated, mainly, by 30key leaders (the trainees of this project) in their respective IM GLAD local organizations. The Living the Pridestrategy centers on improving the organizational capacity of the LGBTQIA+ members –both in terms of enhancing the technical capacity of the different IM GLAD local organizations and setting the direction of IM GLAD as a movement. In enhancing technical capacities, training on (1) public speaking, organizational development, and leadership and (2) Strategic Planning, Communication Planning, and Effective Messaging will be conducted to 30 trainees.
As well, a series of community assemblies and Pride Congress will also be conducted to facilitate the agenda and direction setting of IM GLAD. During community assemblies, organizational structures per area will be formalized and workshops will be conducted to identify the salient LGBTQIA+ issues and challenges that are present in the communities where IM GLAD operates. These issues and challenges will be consolidated and shall form the basis of creating the IM GLAD agenda which will be given proper direction during the strategic planning. Pride Congress will also be conducted to formalize the IM GLAD agenda and elect LGBTQIA+ Council Representatives and Executive Committee that will supervise the movement. Finally, the Marching the Pridestrategy will be employed to broaden solidarity with other LGBTQIA+ movements and allies to gather stronger public support. This includes representation in local government bodies and establishing networks with local, national, and international LGBTQIA+ organizations.

“Being born to a family whose father is an inactive member of Erumanen ne Menuvu and mother is a Cebuano, I have limited background of the issues that my tribe is facing like the issue on territory. If not for MPPM I would have not understood the struggle our leaders have been fighting for. They have been very brave to assert our right to our ancestral domain. And now, being a youth, I have become one of them who continue to fight for our territory.”

 – Leah Ignacio, Erumanen ne Menuvu Youth Tribal Leader

The Mindanao People’s Peace Movement and their partner indigenous leaders and youth’s resolve did not waver throughout the process of securing the indigenous peoples’ (IP) full inclusion in the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).  

Informed communities and leaders have become actively involved in the monitoring, documenting, and feedbacking of human rights and IP rights situation in their respective communities, i.e., IP killings, displacement and armed conflicts. Capacitated IP leaders have become more active in representing their respective tribes and organisations in different peace and policy processes to negotiate and lobby for the recognition of their rights. Among these processes are local and national dialogues, congressional hearings and consultations, meetings and discussions with relevant legislators and committees in both houses of the congress. It is important to note the following results/changes: 

1. On July 23, 2018, the Congress passed the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) with significant provisions on IP rights. 
2. During the BBL deliberations from May to July 2018, 10 senators  and 3 congressmen/woman engaged by trained and informed IP leaders from Mindanao raised the proposals of the IPs and Loyukan (an IP support group composed of indigenous political structure and IP advocate organisations and individuals). 
3. On March 18, 2018, 9 young indigenous people (4 from the Erumanen ne Menuvu of North Cotabato and 5 from the Teduray and Lambangian in Maguindanao) started to utilise their acquired skills in visual short telling to develop stories that would amplify the call for full inclusion of IP rights in the BOL.
4. In the first quarter of 2018  Indigenous Political Structures (IPS) of the Teduray and Lambangian and Erumanen nu Menuvu  have  submitted  position papers, based on the said  policy proposals, during the BBL consultations and public hearings of both house of the Congress held in Midsayap,  Cotabato City and North Cotabato. 
5. In the first quarter of 2018  Indigenous Political Structures (IPS) of the Teduray and Lambangian and Erumanen nu Menuvu  have  submitted  position papers, based on the said  policy proposals, during the BBL consultations and public hearings of both house of the Congress held in Midsayap,  Cotabato City and North Cotabato. 
6. In 2018, IP issues/demands/policy proposals vis-a-vis IP rights in the BBL and other related issues are published in the local and national media. 
7. In May 2018, IP support groups for the full inclusion of indigenous peoples rights  in the Bangsamoro Basic Law broadened with additional  4  organisations (WLB, IDefend, PhilRights and IIPV)  actively  supporting IP during the BBL deliberation in the Senate and House of Representatives.  
8. In the height of the campaign for the full inclusion of IP rights in the BBL from 2017 – 2018, informed and trained  young Teduray, Lambangian and Erumanen nu Menuvu leaders have actively participated in the assertion for their rights as indigenous peoples. 

To add, through the Mindanao Peoples Peace Summit organised by MPPM, Timuay Alim Bandara, a Council of Leaders Member of the Timuay Justice and Governance, shared about the development of Loyukan, a group that developed during the height of lobbying for IP inclusion in the Bangsamoro Basic Law. He mentioned that through the project with Voice, they were able to have some success with their lobbying in the Congress and the Senate. This happened by converging with CSOs, and which has helped them in developing capacities in advocacy and confidence to work and dialogue with key decision makers. Through these convergences, he also mentioned that small successes in the communities can be seen, such as the increased capacity to lead and have a more informed decision-making process. Acts of unity happened especially as they continue to be highly involved in the peace process. 

MPPM was also able to explore effective means of communicating with the indigenous communities beyond the traditional meetings, forums, seminars and discussions. The Keetew, an exhibit that contains visuals like maps, traditional crafts, videos, pictures, statistics, printed news headlines pertaining to IP rights assertion, and issues and challenges faced by IP communities got positive feedback from the communities and leaders.