Peace, Democratization and Human Rights

The UP-CIDS Program on Peace, Democratization and Human Rights aims to:
1. Redefine and enlarge the role of the university as an agent of peace by:

generating studies and other activities that will contribute to the critical and practical knowledge on various aspects of peace, human rights and conflicts, democratization and;
serving as initiator, facilitator, coordinator, “good offices”, and resource center of peace-related activities and projects. (i.e. Philippine Campaign to Ban Landmines, Coalition for Peace)

2. Build an academic community active in the pursuit of a just and lasting peace by encouraging the development of and harnessing the ideas, expertise and services of community members for such activities on a continuing basis.
3. Help build a just and peaceful Philippine society and a more peaceful world at large.

For 1999-2002, the PCRHRP proposed the following research thrusts which it would operationalize through a roundtable discussion series (RTDs):

Military Budgets, Civilian Violence and Armed Conflict;
Development as a Right and a Foundation of Peace; and
Tools of Peace-Building.

Despite announcements of the research thrusts for possible project proponents, the Program has not obtained any response. Because of this, a suggestion was made to shift to democratization, a related concern which the Third World Studies Center (TWSC) is currently pursuing. Developing democratization as a research thrust will involve bringing together faculty members from different UP units.
With its new thrust the PCRHP changed its name to Peace, Democratization and Human Rights Program. A series of RTDs in the different UP campuses is proposed to brainstorm on the possible research agenda of the democratization issue.