KAMINKAP, as a concept, came to the mind of its Executive Director, Tommy Pangcoga, around September 2003, while he was still the President of a community-based peacebuilding youth organization operating in General Santos City and nearby Sarangani Province, Kaakbay Tri-People Youth Dialogue, Inc. (KTPYD). As an entity, KAMINKAP was formed on January 2 2004.

Realizing through exposure and experience that, to be effective at truly empowering the youth sector of Mindanao and elevate them to the position of working partners to stakeholders in addressing Mindanao societal affairs, a social development organization following a non-governmental organization format was a more appropriate vehicle to use for a group of young men and women who would like to make a difference. As advised by many friends and counsels who are veterans in the field of Mindanao peace and nonprofit work, the ideal size to begin a sustainable NGO was around twenty persons. To go beyond this number and reach upto to the hundreds would court disaster in the form of partisan infiltration, delinquent members, and disparities in understanding organizational ideals and concepts, among others.

At first, the intent for KAMINKAP was to be more attuned and involved with the field of politics in Mindanao as a means to eventually effect social change therein. However, Philippine politics was too unpredictable and too dangerous a field to enter into by such a small group as ours. A return to nonpartisan civil society participation was therefore decided by the group.

Combining the different backgrounds and experiences of each member, .