Tri-People Organization Against Disaster Incorporated (TRIPOD,Inc.)- AKMK host organization

The Alyansa ng Kabataang Mindanao parasa Kapayapaan (AKMK) isa convergence of youth organizations coming from different points inMindanao. As an alliance that operates in different areas of struggle,our past projects focused on the providing capacity-building andsolidarity/networking in the advocacy for sustainable peace anddevelopment especially on pushing for the call of the youth alliance:Our Future is NOT for Sale. Generally,the alliance focuses on thestrengthening youth participation and empowerment on Peace-building in Mindanao, Inclusive and Sustainable Development, GenderJustice, Food Sovereignty and Climate Justice, and Youth Rights andWelfare. The alliance has been actively participating and involving inproviding spaces among the tri-people youth from different sectorsthrough organizing forums, local discussions, youth conference, localand Mindanao-wide camp, and community immersions. Through theinitiatives and efforts of the tri-peopleyouth to conduct and getinvolved in this cause, we have learned that diversity orintersectionality of struggle strengthened our bond and solidarity andthrough our different campaigns we have explored different platformsand utilized our creative ways to express and forward our differentstruggle as a youth. AKMK has parallel committee structure onLGBTQI members named Initiative and Movement forGenderLiberation against Discrimination (IMGLAD) PH from the Mindanao-wide level down to the cluster level of AKMK. The AKMK-IMGLADhasactive and functioning structure and members in Lebak, SultanKudarat, Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte; Iligan City and Begong,Zamboanga del Sur. AKMK has affiliation with other legal networksand movement such as the Mindanao Peoples Peace Movement(MPPM) and Multi-Stakeholders Initiatives for Humanitarian Actionagainst Disasters (MIHANDs). Presently, AKMK are in partnershipwith Mindanao Tri-people Women Resource Center (MTWRC), Tri-People Organization Against Disaster Incorporated (TRIPOD, Inc.)and Mindanao Peoples Peace Movement (MPPM) under a 4-yearprogramme entitled Freedom of Religion and Belief Program (FoRB).

AKMK operates in five major cluster area and sub-cluster areas inMindanao. Each of the clusters has members organizations. -MILANMO Cluster – Marawi City, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Lanaodel Sur and Misamis Oriental – Greater Davao Area (GDA) Cluster-Davao City, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley -Caraga Cluster-Butuan City, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte- Zambonga Peninsula Cluster- Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga delNorte, Pagadian City – MAGCOT Cluster – Maguindanao, CotabatoCity, North Cotabato, South Cotabato.

Full Project Title: #LGBTILivesMatter: A Grassroots Tri-People LGBTI MovementTowards Rights-claiming and Empowerment
In Mindanao, Philippines, LGBTI people in the tri-people(Bangsamoro, Indigenous Peoples, and Migrant Settlers) communities remain invisible, particularly those with families, clans, and communities that are highly conservative. The strong conservative cultures and practices dominant in the family, clans, and community of the tri-people in Mindanao are often oppressive and violent to LGBTI people, hence, forcing them either to run away (if not kicked out) or hide deeper in their closet just to have a family to belong to. One sad experience ofAKMK was when an LGBTI member was arrested in LebakMunicipality when she engaged same-sex relationship. They were both Bangsamoro Maguindanaon tribe and the parents of her girlfriend reported her to the police using other alibi complaints. In another case, during the height of coronavirus lockdown, a group ofyoung LGBTI people in Lanao del Norte was arrested, detained and harassed when they posted a video in social media exposing the inefficient emergency relief operation done by their Barangay Officials. Another was a group of Lesbian in Maguindanao were forced to have their heads shaved. These problems are just among the issues that the Sexual Orientation Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE)Equality Bill would like to address. However, for almost two decades the bill lingers long in Congress dominated by ultra-conservative and homophobic government leaders. Apparently, LGBTI people in Mindanao particularly in the four areas identified by the project urgently need protection against immediate violence from family, clans and community. And the best protection remedy is for LGBTI to mobilize their ranks in educating their community and the public about the SOGIE Bill, campaign for its LGBTI safe space mechanism for their protection and active participation. The project is about initiatives of LGBTI people with their alliance formation AKMK in addressing themost pressing issues of discrimination, social inequality, invisibility and lack of security protection experienced by LGBTI people in tri-people communities in Mindanao. Through this project, AKMK will mobilize its LGBTI members in four (4) different clusters such as Lebak, SultanKudarat, Iligan City, Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte and Begong, Zamboanga del Sur that have in place structures to organize the educational sessions, advocacy, and dialogue activities in different levels – family/clan, tribal groups, and community; that would bring about changes in the abovementioned situation. The overall objective of the project is to ensure the protection of rights and protection of LGBTI people as human beings, recognised and respected as members of the family/clan, tribes, and communities of the tri-people(Bangsamoro, Indigenous Peoples, and Migrant Settlers). After 12months of implementation, the project is to achieve the following: a)Increased public awareness and support to the SOGIE Bill and other LGBTI issues and agenda; b) Built the multi-stakeholders movement for the #LGBTILivesMatter campaign in the 4 target areas in Mindanao. c) Engaged with parents, elders, local tribal leaders, and barangay officials for the LGBT agenda and campaign. d) Equippedthe LGBTI and IMGLAD members with knowledge and skills on lobbying, Advocacy, and Campaign Management