In the short span of time that Kaakbay TPYD has operated, it had made great strides and breakthroughs that even its own members could not begin to imagine feasible, considering its initial strength and lack of material resources. If it had not been for the invaluable support of the GOP-United Nations Multi-Donor Programme Area Coordinating Team for South Central Mindanao and the Youth Affairs Development Office of General Santos City, the organization could not have possibly surpassed the challenges that fate had dropped on its young lap. The fusion of young talent, skills, determination and dedication alone could not have realized the things that Kaakbay TPYD had done for the Tri-People. To them we owe our profound gratitude and fondest appreciation.

In retrospect, using the organization's past accomplishments as gauge, the potential that its members - individually and collectively - could put into reality is practically immense. Such high hopes for such young members is but natural. Risks had been taken and overcome, yes, but the enlightenment of wisdom brought about by incurring the scars of defeat and loss have not yet been tasted. We anticipate these with full knowledge of our limitations. But we are confident that the idealism that is normally found among the youth has been properly tempered by the realism acquired from our past experiences in leadership and teamwork.

However, the fact remains that Kaakbay TPYD is still bereft of the proper supporting means to fully operate and completely reach out to the community in the grassroots, the academe, and the other sectors of society in spreading a culture of peace and in contributing to community development in Mindanao. Considering that most of its members are collegiate and high school students, the organization could barely get by in attaining its aims and objectives. In addition, Kaakbay believes that the grassroots area, the barangay level, the places where the culture of peace matters the most, have not yet been substantially affected. Despite the presence and great number of - as well as the efforts exerted by - other peace advocating organizations and foundations present in southern and central Mindanao, the culture of peace has been very much limited to a very small degree. The aim of Kaakbay is to reach as much of the grassroots as soon as possible. Clearly, this great yet noble task needs as much assistance from partners.

All the projects and activities that it had accomplished since its inception had been done using facilities, supplies and equipment from varied sources. With regards to the production and reproduction of correspondence and other paperworks, the organization either uses the computer, printer and supplies of the offices of the other organizations of the members, or go to a computer and internet shop to do them. In our trainings, we borrow gratis the sound system, television set, vhs/cd player, camera, videocamera, photocopying, etc. of other agencies like the Local Government Unit's General Services Office, it's Youth Affairs Development Office and the GOP-United Nations Multi-Donor Programme. In our travels to the rural areas, we commute using our own pocket money as fare.

The most urgent things needed by Kaakbay are: (1) the organization's own computer set (with deskjet and dot-matrix printers, speakers, scanner, cd-rom writer, computer table, modem) a vital tool in any undertaking in this day and age; (2) a television set large enough to be viewed by 40-100 people and a vhs/cd player, which are obligatory equipments in the capability-building trainings we are conducting. (3) a videocam, a camera, and a laptop computer (for real-time documentation purposes and on-the-spot paperworking needs) - all easy enough to lug around in our rural and countryside trainings all over the SOCSKSARGEN region of South Central Mindanao; (4) a mobile-type sound system (karaoke or otherwise) with microphones, which shall be the training team's means to communicate with the participants in the trainings, as well as for recording purposes; (5) the organization's own office space, where it could receive the public in their requests to have us conduct trainings in their communities, serve as headquarters and gathering place for meetings, plannings and briefings, and serve as jump-off point from our respective homes or places of origin to our mission's target destination; and (6) supplementary funding of grassroots-level culture of peace / conflict transformation / disaster management / community development trainings and their re-echoes, as well as funding for other peace-building related activities.

On this matter, we are making this call to unity. Particularly to all concerned local, national and international donor agencies and foundations that have - or intend to have - peace and development programs that could help us in our support needs in order to achieve and sustain our objectives. Let us unite in bringing a genuine and lasting culture of peace among the Tri-People of Mindanao and the whole of the Philippines. Use us as an instrument in implementing and realizing your peace-related civic concerns. Let us do this for the Tri-People. Let us do this for eventual community development. Let us do this for peace.