I AM BRAVE National Convention LVF

Victorias City (Philippines). On 15 November 2024, about two thousand young people from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in the Philippines gathered at the Coliseum of Victories City, in Negros West, to participate in the National Convention I AM BRAVE organized by the Laura Vicuña Foundation of St. Mary Mazzarello Province (FIL) on the theme of child protection in the Philippines, on the occasion of the National Month of Childhood.

Choosing to be brave means choosing to support change. At its root, courage affirms a fundamental truth: safety is not a privilege but a human right. This is the spirit that animated the I AM BRAVE Convention

Several studies from 2022 confirm that almost half a million Philippine children have been trafficked to produce sexual exploitation material (CSEM), making the country the crossroads of child pornography. The country ranks 7^th globally in modern slavery, and in 2018, Palawan was labeled as a ‘back way’ to Malaysia for human trafficking. In addition, bullying in public schools has reached alarming levels, with the Philippines at the top of the PISA 2018 ranking.

The Laura Vicuña Foundation (LVF) for 30 years, has undertaken significant projects to address these critical situations with the “Child Protection Clinic on Wheels” to support the prevention of child abuse and trafficking in Luzon and the Visayas archipelago. Sister Maria Victoria Santa Ana, FMA, Executive Director of the LVF, explained that the initiative aims to bring together and empower young people so that they become advocates for the protection of human dignity for themselves and their peers against all forms of abuse.

The speakers shared valuable content from different points of view, providing a complete key to reading the problem and the steps necessary to fight it. Fr. Marvin Labasan, according to the theological perspective, stressed the sacred responsibility of protecting the dignity of a person made in the image and likeness of God. From a human rights perspective, Sister Sarah Garcia, FMA, starting with her advocacy work in Geneva, highlighted the global imperative to safeguard human dignity. Karl Ballentes, from a gender perspective, highlighted the importance of equity and inclusion in building stronger communities. Andrea Muhlach, from a legal perspective, provided participants with knowledge of justice, privacy law, and legal remedies for victims of abuse. Social worker Emy India shared her knowledge on local governance, while Joy Hugo explained the LVF’s mission and programs.

This extraordinary event marked the launch of the I AM BRAVE movement – in the presence of the LVF Board of Directors – Francisco Dizon; Ms. Vicky Cuisia, and her husband, Ambassador Jose Cuisia; Mr. Eric and Ms. Bea Puno; Mr. Bledes Fores Legarda; Sister Teresita Padron and Sister Marivic P. Sta. Ana, FMA – with the aim of joining together at a national level to promote a more respectful, welcoming, and safe world.

Sofia de Guzman explained how the #iamBRAVE movement can integrate with non-governmental organizations working for children and youth. A 2-minute video teaser, part of the program, allowed to deepen the reality with which some young people are measured today.

Sister Maria Victoria said that this national conference is just the beginning, that the LVF has launched provincial and regional initiatives, then become national and she hopes that this initiative will reach other parts of the world.

Participants committed to becoming “Buddies”, engaged allies who inspire and support the mission of the movement. With their voices, these young leaders bring a message of hope and resilience, ensuring that the fight against exploitation and abuse will continue beyond this event.

Why the Buddies? Sister Maria Victoria replied, “Confessions of abuse usually take place with close friends, so we are mobilizing peers or friends to fight against abuse, violence, and exploitation, including trafficking.”

An important moment of the day was the round table with the participation of student leaders representing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao who, with their ideals and their enthusiasm, helped to outline feasible ways of supporting the goals of the Movement.

Their words reaffirmed the shared responsibility to combat abuse, violence, and exploitation by drawing up a Manifesto:

“We, children and young people participating in the IamBRAVE National Congress, believe that we have the right to live safe and be protected from all forms of abuse and exploitation. We have the opportunity to help others through support and encouragement, and only we can help to remedy this problem.

We commit ourselves to uphold the idea of being BRAVE (courageous) not only in words, but also through our actions, a living testimony that we support the spirit of courage in our community and engage ourselves in our context and society.

We will be companions who do not just listen, but speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

We are committed to formation and education to be equipped with the knowledge, disposition, and skills necessary to help our community.

We will be courageous in defending ourselves, others, and our community.”