MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA) -- As part of the commitment to aid needy citizens in the city, some government executives and private stakeholders were brought together to directly connect with the internally displaced persons (IDPs) here who were forced to vacate their homes due to the 2017 warfare, and support their safe and dignified return to the most affected area (MAA).
This, as the Marawi Transitional Justice Summit was organized by the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) in partnership with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) to provide a platform for the impacted residents to communicate their needs, and for the government and civil society organizations (CSOs) to develop an action plan to realize durable solutions.
“This is part of the continuing process with our local partners and IDP leaders. We want to relay their [IDPs] concerns and issues to other stakeholders, especially those policymakers in BARMM and the national government,” said IID Executive Director Gus Miclat.
Miclat stressed that although there have already been efforts from both national and local governments, Marawi issues and post-siege concerns remain to be a transitional justice issue for them as most have not yet returned to their abodes and residences in ground zero,
He stated that a lot of challenges still need to be addressed and his organization intends to integrate the IDPs in the overall flow of resolving the raised matters.
“Part of the ways forward is to get the IDPs more involved in the processes, planning, and actual implementation of the solutions to the problems,” said Miclar
The IID executive director conveyed that they are willing to be the bridge between the IDPs, the stakeholders, and the government but his organization still believes that it would still be best that the concerned citizens can link themselves personally.
Miclat heartened the IDPs to not lose hope while also encouraging the stakeholders and the government to not get tired of supporting initiatives addressing transitional justice issues, and help in creating an environment for the displaced residents to not lose hope. (CRG/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)
