Region: Philippines, Asia

Main Areas Of Interest: conflict resolution, peace-building

Fellowship Period: December -February 2006

Keywords: human rights education, international humanitarian law

Biographical Profile:
Serafin Arviola Jr. is a board member of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), a national citizen network actively working for the promotion of human rights in the peace process between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front-Communist Party of the Philippines.

Serafin is also an Assistant Professor at the Center for Peace and Human Rights Education at the Philippine Normal University. He has worked as Convener and Conference Director of various youth related-projects, institutionalizing a youth participation program in the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines-Education Committee and ASP-net. His participation with UNESCO included holding the annual National Conference of Youth and Student Leaders dubbed as “Peace Camp” since 1998 and the International Youth Volunteers Encounter for Asia Pacific countries.

Since 1996, Serafin served as Program Coordinator of his school’s UNESCO Club, a network of more than 500 schools nationwide that initiates projects in support of UNESCO’s goals on peace promotion, human rights advocacy, and sustainable development. During his time at SoT, Serafin strove to gain to experience on program development directly addressing the issues of violence and reconciliation and increased exposure to strategies in dealing with trauma, separation, post-disaster behavior, and meditation especially in a grassroots multicultural setting.