Evidence-Based Communications Planning for the Bangsamoro Peace Process

The project aims to support the Bangsamoro Peace Process through better and evidence-based communications planning. For almost five decades separatist violence prevailed in the Philippines predominantly in Muslim Mindanao. Over the years a number of attempts to put in place peace agreements to settle conflict have been marked with violence delays and failures. The project is designed to address potential public skepticism about a new peace process (initiated in 2016) through strategic planned of communications to the citizens. Activities include: (1) briefing Peace Implementing Panels (made up of representatives of the government of Philippines the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front) on the results of previous studies of public opinion; (2) holding consultations on the Panels’ data needs for developing their communications strategies; and (3) conducting additional sample surveys and targeted focus-group discussions with all vital sectors in the peace process (i.e. security sector officials women government employees and officials indigenous peoples and base communities of the liberation fronts). The Asia Foundation is implementing the project in collaboration with Social Weather Stations a non-government data generation institution in the Philippines.

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (1) strengthened capacity of Peace Implementing Panels to incorporate public opinion into their communication planning and strategies; and (2) improved ability of the Peace Implementing Panels to respond to concerns particular sectors (security sector government officials and employees women MILF MNLF) and direct targeted messages articulated in communications plans.