Indigenous Youth as Instruments of Peace and Development

Around the world, the youth are connecting—to each other, to their communities, to futures they are empowered to choose. The Make a Connection Project is a collaboration of Nokia’s Community Development Program and the International Youth Foundation. To date, the project has reached 24 countries, changing the lives of over 280,000 youth since the year 2000.

Overseen by Consuelo Foundation here in the Philippines as the Philippine Indigenous Youth Leadership Training Program (PIYLTP), the project is implemented by 13 different organizations in the country for 18 different cultural groups, with a majority of the project sites located in Mindanao. Providing culture-based leadership and life-skills training programs, as well as small start-up funds for livelihood projects, the Make a Connection Project in the Philippines focuses on indigenous youth, recognizing their immense economic and socio-cultural potential.

Through the program, the indigenous youth learn to appreciate their unique culture, and use this awareness of themselves in applying their skills to various positive and productive endeavors. In a study conducted by The Heller School of Management of Brandeis University, ninety-one percent (91%) of the completers of the program have involved themselves in their communities by volunteering for various youth programs, such as the Sangguniang Kabataan, or youth against drugs. The same percentage of completers have also become economically self-reliant, already contributing to household expenditures through the livelihood programs they have learned from and continue up to this day. One hundred percent (100%) of completers say they have re-connected to their indigenous culture, using their own language, and participating in their traditional dances and rituals.

The various gatherings of the different participants of the Make a Connection project have also seen intercultural dialogue and understanding manifest among the different tribes.

All of these are documented in the publication Make a Connection: Nurturing Future Leaders prepared by Consuelo Foundation with the support of Nokia and the International Youth Foundation. The publication chronicles the implementation and results of the Make a Connection Philippine experience, complete with testimonials from the youth themselves. The publication is to be launched today at the Tiara Oriental Hotel in Makati City, in a simple program wherein the indigenous youth, together with representatives from Consuelo Foundation and Nokia will share their learnings.

The photo exhibit designed by Idea!s

Green Two with Melchor, a Higaonon youth.

Pink Five growls into the mic, Yellow Four cheers on and Illac prepares his powerpoint.

Blue Three poses as an indigenous youth.

Idea!ists and Elsa Ravelo, Senior Program Specialist of Consuelo Foundation, and beloved in-charge of the Make a Connection Project in the Philippines.