Violence has been part of Philippine politics for such a long time that it is almost considered to be “normal.” Political and electoral violence contributes significantly to the marginalization and disempowerment of many Filipinos from meaningful participation in governance. ACF seeks to address this by building national and local constituencies that advocate for peaceful and democratic politics; linking-up with the international movement for peaceful and democratic politics; engaging government towards policy reforms that will ensure peaceful and democratic politics; and supporting government initiatives toward peace-building and national reconciliation.
A key ACF project is the COMPACT for Peaceful and Democratic Elections, which regularly brings in international election observers and experts to several “hotspots” to witness how elections are being done and to give recommendations on how to improve the process. The COMPACT project also highlights “best practices” of active citizenship towards democratization.
