COTABATO CITY, May 13 (PNA) – – The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will jointly launch here on May 18 the “Children, Not Soldiers” campaign aimed at sparing children from any form of military activity.
The campaign is a series of public events to be run by the MILF, in coordination with the UNICEF, in their base commands to signal their commitment that no child should be recruited or associated with any future MILF armed endeavor.
The MILF is currently engaged on a comprehensive peace overture with the government for the formation of the proposed MILF-led Bangsamoro entity that would replace the old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao set-up.
The UNICEF-MILF communication campaign is expected to raise the standard of spreading the message to the MILF, their children and families in communities across Mindanao – that no child under the age of 18 should be engaged in any form of military endeavor.
The MILF-spearheaded campaign with the backing of the United Nations thru UNICEF would include various activities such as group discussions with children in war-torn communities, radio programs, and a theatre play.
UNICEF partner agencies, meanwhile, has prepared banners, steamers, posters and a series of visual materials that will help endorse the advocacy.
Expected to grace the scheduled program launching at EM Manor Hotel here are UNICEF Philippines Representative Lotta Sylwander and MILF top honchos, among others. (PNA)