Slovenian Embassy launches youth street theatre in Mindanao to advance Women, Peace and Security agenda
High-level guests and youth attending the final stage of an innovative youth advocacy initiative: "Pasundayag: Mindanao Street Theatre for Sustainable Peace" | Author Philippine Commission on Women (PCW)
Financial support for the initiative was provided by Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. The closing showcase was personally attended by Dr Smiljana Knez, Ambassador of Slovenia, alongside Her Excellency Yuliia Fediv, Ambassador of Ukraine.
The project utilized raw, community-driven youth street theatre as a powerful dynamic channel for children and young adults (aged 7 to 17) to convey critical messages regarding modern peace, systemic non-violence and historical marginalisation directly to regional policymakers.
Opening the festival, Ambassador Dr Knez stated: "Voices of children and youngsters are too often overheard, so that is why we welcomed this initiative to give a voice to children in the form of street theatre and storytelling."
Using Art to Address Complex Realities
The centre of the event featured an emotional, half-hour street performance spanning five distinct acts. Developed by the PCW’s local office alongside the Balay Foundation and the Valencia National High School, the performance followed the harrowing journey of young people displaced by armed conflicts into temporary evacuation centres. The narrative detailed how the characters fled domestic instability for the streets, only to fall victim to urban violence and criminal syndicates.
The creative performance was heavily interactive, transitioning directly into:
- Audience Intermezzos: An immediate dialogue exploring the crowd's initial emotional responses.
- Community Simulations: A live, acted simulation of a local community council meeting addressing the structural themes of the performance.
- Open Dialogues: An extended town-hall style forum where local community members, parents, and indigenous leaders actively shared their insights.
Part of the performance of the "Pasundayag: Mindanao Street Theatre for Sustainable Peace" | Author Philippine Commission on Women (PCW)
Translating Art into Policy Realities
The performance was followed by a high-level round table discussion bringing together Ambassador Dr Knez, Ambassador Fediv and the Chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Women Ermelita V. Valdeavill. They were joined by representatives from the Local Government Unit (LGU), the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), local youth leaders, non-governmental organisations, and regional indigenous communities.
The panel focused heavily on the core message delivered by the youth troupe: that true peace means far more than simply the absence of war. Panellists stressed that post-conflict societies require intentional, inclusive social and economic frameworks to ensure vulnerable communities do not slip back into cycles of insecurity.
For the Embassy of Slovenia, the initiative directly aligns with its top foreign policy priorities. The targeted regional engagement provided a crucial framework to systematically assess existing institutional gaps, address the complexities of localized displacement, promote intersectional gender equality, and establish concrete baselines to strengthen the ongoing