Indigenous Youth in Mindanao Fight Mining Threats Through Citizen Journalism
A groundbreaking initiative, 'Empowering Indigenous and Local Communities Through Citizen Journalism to Protect Against Tampakan Mining Exploitation', has emerged in Mindanao to combat threats from the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project. The project, funded by the European Union and Cultural Survival's Indigenous Community Fund, is empowering Indigenous youth to preserve their culture and protect their ancestral lands through storytelling and citizen journalism.
The project began with a grant of $480,000 from Cultural Survival in 2024, supporting 57 Indigenous communication projects worldwide, including the Mindanao Climate Justice Resource Facility. This facility later received an additional €250,000 from the European Union for its journalism project. The initiative has faced challenges, such as the abduction of a volunteer staff member and the red-tagging of advocates like Angelika L. Moral, but it continues to inspire resistance and cultural preservation.
At the heart of the project lies Tingog: Citizen Journalism Training, a three-day workshop led by esteemed journalists Inday Espina-Varona, Froilan Gallardo, and Carol Arguillas. This training equipped 30 Indigenous and allied youth with mobile reporting, digital safety, and trauma-informed storytelling skills. The result was the formation of the Kinaiyahan Youth Network, an alliance of Indigenous and environmental youth advocates committed to using storytelling as a political act of cultural defense and survival.
The 'Empowering Indigenous and Local Communities' project stands as a testament to the power of storytelling in preserving culture and protecting ancestral lands. Despite threats from the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project, which could destroy over 27,000 hectares of ancestral land, displace thousands, and pollute vital river systems, the project continues to empower a new generation of Indigenous youth in Mindanao. Through citizen journalism, these young advocates are not only safeguarding their heritage but also ensuring that their voices are heard in the face of adversity.
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