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The event took place on January 26, 2017 at Discovery Primea Manila. This event marked the ending implementation phase of the European Union-funded 18-month project “Democratic Party Development Bangsamoro” (DEPAdev).

More than 100 guests including representatives of the project’s beneficiaries in Mindanao, the Philippine Government, the European Union Delegation to the Philippines and the diplomatic corps followed the invitations from KAS Philippines Office and IAG. During the event, panelists shared their views regarding the current political situation in Mindanao including the development of basic democratic institutions.

Seeing the need for an empowered civil society as a foundation for peace and participatory democracy, the DEPAdev project aimed at promoting genuine political parties and movements within the future autonomous region Bangsamoro. Access to political decision-making for civil society actors representing different social groups is the key component. For this non-partisan approach, political training activities were implemented throughout the year 2016 which addressed various political groups inside the future Bangsamoro entity. Trainers from various countries in Southeast Asia and Europe lectured on both basic and more advanced political issues based on the principle of catering to each group’s specific needs.

The European Union will continue its support of the Bangsamoro peace process and it was announced that a new project which also targets the empowerment of democratic political parties and civil society groups in this part of post conflict-affected part in Southern Philippines will start soon in 2017.