MANILA, Feb. 25, 2013—The Youth Coordinating Council of the National Capital Region is holding a campus youth congress to discuss youth involvement in the coming elections.
The first PPCRV-NCR congress slated on March 8 at the Pasig Catholic College, is in collaboration with the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), Manila Archdiocesan and Parochial Schools Association (MAPSA) and the Catechetical Foundation of the Archdiocese of Manila (CFAM).
Themed “Kilos Kabataan: CHAMP 2013”, the event aims to bring together private, parochial and public schools in NCR to a discussion on how to have a CHAMP or Clean, Honest, Accurate, Meaningful and Peaceful 2013 mid-term elections.
According to organizers, the event also aims to establish fraternity/fellowship among students in the private schools/colleges/universities with those in public schools/universities and colleges in NCR, especially students who are first time voters as well as those who are existing voters; and to animate interest of campus-based students in the coming elections and the succeeding ones, particularly in voters education and engage them in the formation of CHAMP campuses in their respective schools.
The congress will also bring the campus-based students to become more actively involved in the coming and succeeding elections, especially as PPCRV volunteers for the 7 types of poll watchers and their inclusion in the volunteer’s database.
Organizers further explained that the activity will facilitate in establishing a PPCRV youth core group in every school for sustaining CHAMP campuses that will move forward youth engagement in elections from “Pang Eleksyon Na, Pang Habang Panahon Pa.”
With the congress, the youth council is hoping to establish a base in identified schools/colleges or universities through institutional partnerships with said educational institutions’ authorities that will guarantee support for continuing voters education in their campuses, inclusion of voters education in formal curriculum as well as mobilization of volunteers for PPCRV’s non-partisan and continuous programs for electoral reforms, good governance and election exercises during election season and/or out-of-season, from one election period to the next.
A mass will highlight the event together with voter’s education sessions and workshops, PCOS demonstration and mock election, and a CHAMP tsunami play offs.
An estimated 2,000 youth attendees from 50 schools and dioceses within NCR are expected to attend. Several speakers will also grace the event. (Jandel Posion)
