EU-funded project on women, security launched at MSU

A project funded by the European Union to enhance a diploma program on women, peace, and security was launched at the Mindanao State University on April 14. — Photo from the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy

MANILA, Philippines — A project seeking to enhance the Diploma on Women, Peace and Security (DWPS) program currently being offered at Mindanao State University (MSU) was launched through a two-year initiative funded by the European Union.

READ: PH gets P3.4B grant from EU for Mindanao peace, development programs

In a statement, the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID) said they formally launched the project on April 14 in partnership with MSU, the University of the Philippines Center for Women Studies Foundation, Inc. and the Department of Women and Development Studies at UP Diliman.

It said the project is called Institutionalizing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Mindanao.

“The project aims to enhance the Diploma on Women, Peace and Security, currently being offered in  MSU, by strengthening its academic framework, capacitating the faculty, and promoting wider outreach by offering training to communities,” said PCID.

The event was held at the Commission on Higher Education auditorium in Quezon City and was attended by academics, government officials, and the diplomatic community.

The PCID said the ceremonial launch in Quezon City was opened by its president Amina Rasul-Bernardo and European Union Ambassador Massimo Santoro.

“I have witnessed the resourcefulness, resilience, and capacity of Filipino youth. Among you are future leaders, peacebuilders, and change makers. By equipping you with knowledge and skills on women’s role in resolving conflicts and building peace, we are one step closer to guaranteeing that the  Women, Peace and Security agenda is not only discussed at policy tables, but that women’s role is recognized and respected in communities,” said Santoro, as quoted by PCID.

PCID said the launch of the project coincides with the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, a landmark resolution adopted in 2000  recognizing women’s roles in conflict prevention, resolution, and post-conflict recovery.