COTABATO CITY – The first ever Bangsamoro Ideation Impact Challenge (IIC) awarded nineteen youth innovation teams that put together community peacebuilding and development projects in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The event was led by the Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Philippines through its two projects – Youth Co:lab funded by Citi Foundation, and the Preventing Violent Extremism through Promoting Tolerance and Respect for Diversity Phase II funded by the European Union. 

The Bangsamoro IIC: Connecting Minds, Creating the Future was organized to jumpstart youth as change-makers by inviting young individuals to identify problem areas and a set of solutions that will allow them to meaningfully engage in positive change community transformation and development in the Bangsamoro Region. 

Twenty-seven qualifying teams underwent the Unfold: Project Development Bootcamp last 16-18 October 2021, an interactive learning activity where participants were provided tips and tools to enhance their projects through 14 curated sessions co-designed with BYC, UNDP Philippines and Makesense Philippines. 

On November 17-20, 2021, 19 teams advanced to the Baraguna: Mentors Convergence and the Sindaw: Project Showcase, where they pitched their solutions to a panel of judges. The judges selected five teams that demonstrated potential sustainability through entrepreneurship and won a special award of Php 25,000 each from UNDP's Youth Co:Lab Project. The winning teams will be incubated in UNDP's Regional Springboard Programme, which supports youth-led social enterprises to scale up their projects, guide financial sustainability, and measure and manage their impact on livelihoods and communities. 

UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran urged all the participants of the Bangsamoro IIC to "engage in discussions on issues that matter to you and use your voice to tell your stories to your fellow youth and others; and encourage and empower your fellow youth, work with like-minded people, and influence those who have yet to know about youth empowerment. Use your voice wisely, continue the work to reach the farthest first, and "leave no one behind."  

The Bangsamoro IIC has become a platform for youth empowerment and leadership in the region and contributed to developing narratives of peaceful engagement, respect for diversity, and positive social transformation among youth leaders in the BARMM. The organizers hope that the IIC will continue to foster youth-led entrepreneurship, social innovation, and leadership and encourage all stakeholders to engage young leaders in all aspects of development.