Children as Agents of Peace: Lesson Learned from Mindanao, the Philippines
World Vision Ireland (WV IRE) and World Vision Philippines (WVDF), through the funding support from the European Union (EU), implemented a three-year initiative (2023-2025) focusing on Promoting Efforts Addressing Conflict through Education in Mindanao (PEACE Mindanao). The project seeks to foster a culture of peace, tolerance and greater social inclusion in the cities of Marawi and Cotabato, Mindanao, through the following objectives: i.) Increase the capacity and confidence of children and young people to act as ambassadors of peace within their communities, and ii.) Enhance the capacity of government entities and civil society organisations (CSOs) to prevent conflicts, respond to crises and build peace.
Given the project’s strong focus on children and youth, the Empowering Children as Peacebuilders (ECaP) model was a core pillar of its implementation. ECaP is a World Vision project model centered around peace education and value-based life skills as a means of addressing conflict-related issues. It is based on five practices to promote peace in an engaging and expressive way: art, music, dance, drama, and storytelling.
The ECaP model entails a seven-part training, informed and delivered by young people themselves, complemented by the creation of school or barangay-based Peace Clubs. It highlights the distinctive role young people can play as credible messengers, organisers, and bridge builders.
Key learnings emerging from the application of the ECaP suggest that the model’s strength is its practicality: modular sessions and activity plans adaptable to cultural calendars and norms, peer facilitation that scales, and partnerships that make participation feel legitimate and safe. Its potential lies in how it is delivered, prioritising predictability, participatory approaches, and localised content. When young people lead often, in formats they enjoy, with visible backing from schools and barangays, the work travels further and lasts longer, reaching both students and those outside formal schooling to build confidence, forge connections and nurture peace at multiple levels, from the personal to the community.
