Diplomatic row grants aid to human rights winning projects

MANILA, Dec. 10 (PNA) — The embassies of Spain, Australia, Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom, European Union and the Asia Foundation on Tuesday each awarded grants of up to P1 million to winners in eight categories of an inaugural human rights writing competition billed as “Kasama” (Karapatan Sa Malikhaing Paraan) convened by the Asia Foundation.

Kasama was launched last October 13 “to foster bold ideas and encourage innovation, risk-taking and determination in addressing perennial human rights concerns,” according to the Asia Foundation.

The winners in the respective categories were: Indigenous People - Developmental Legal Assistance Centre, Farmers - Water, Agro-forestry, Nutrition and Development Foundation, Women - The Forum for Family Planning and Development Inc. and Engende Rights Inc., Prison - Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation, Media and the Arts--VERA Files Inc., Task Force Detainees of the Philippines, Dakila Philippines, and Anthroposophia Wellness foundation Inc., Poverty — Filipino Matters, Desaparecidos—Free Jonas Burgos Movement, and Peace —Bangsamoro Center for Justpeace in the Philippines Inc.

The winner in the Indigenous People category’s winning project was titled, “Start-up for DepEd-Acredited, Culturally-Appropriate, Pre-School Curriculum for Indigenous Children of the Menuvu and Mehindanew.”

The project, “Establishment of Community-based Human Rights Watch”, was the winning entry of the Bangsamoro Center under the Peace category.

The winning entry in the Farmers’ category was a project titled “Emancipation of the Near-landing Farmers and Implementation of the Co-management Land Scheme in Dipology City.

”Paralegal Coordinators Project” was the title of the winner in the Prison category, while “Naks! A non-profit junkshop and Recycling Center” was the winning entry under the Poverty category.

Kasama is described as a “facility for development partners on one hand to share resources, and for non-governmental organizations, people’s organizations, student groups, cooperatives and other private non-profit organizations, on the other hand, to develop and obtain funding for their ground-breaking work.”

It invited human rights advocates from various parts of the country to craft and submit exceptional proposals on a wide range of human rights issues, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.(PNA)