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Community-based Dialogues (CBD) Project
CBD Regional Institutionalization-Localization Workshop held for Regions VI and VII

The 3rd leg of the Community-based Dialogues’ (CBD) Regional Institutionalization-Localization Workshop for the year was held last July 5-6, 2017 in Iloilo City covering Region VI (Western Visayas) and Region VII (Central Visayas).

CBD Workshop

HSF

Now on its 4th project phase (2017-2019), the CBD is giving particular focus on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) as one of the major recommendations resulting from the past regional dialogues with the objective of understanding the role of the security sector in the common effort to promote ESC rights toward nation-building.

The 2-day activity was attended by 55 participants composed of commanders and other key officers (including human rights officers) from the AFP central command and different units under the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, PNP regional and provincial offices, CHR regional offices, CSO/community leaders, NEDA and DILG regional officials, and members of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) representing partner organizations (AFP HRO & Philippine Army HRO, PNP HRAO, ALG, HSF).

CBD workshop

HSF

In pursuit of the institutionalization-localization efforts, part of the Program includes a planning session to identify strategies and activities to build on and sustain the gains of the project (CBD mechanism) as well as the formation/strengthening of a core group per region to follow-through on agreements made as well as to monitor the progress of the plans/activities and share the developments on the field to the PSC. It is expected that this multi-stakeholder core groups (AFP, PNP, CHR, CSOs) will convene on a regular basis to discuss and address local issues and concerns and/or be represented at regional bodies such as the Regional Development Council (RDC) and the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) to ensure project sustainability.

CBD Workshop

HSF

The CBD project is a partnership among the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Local Communities. Spearheaded by the AFP Human Rights Office (HRO) and the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations, the PNP Human Rights Affairs Office (HRAO), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) and the Alternative Law Groups (ALG) as lead implementing organization, it has been ongoing for the last nine (9) years with the support of the Hanns Seidel Foundation/Germany (HSF).

With an improved relationship between the security forces (AFP and PNP) and local communities and civil society organizations as a key factor, the project is now accelerating efforts on the institutionalization of the Human Rights Dialogues at the local level through the CBD’s multi-sectoral approach, i.e., the security sector working closely with civilians to collectively discuss the issue of human rights promotion and protection, and how cooperative efforts for on-going and future actions toward this end can be maximized.

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