AFRIM traces its origins to the dark night of the nation’s history, marked by poverty and repression. In an era where peace, justice, and equality were mere catchwords of a generation that has seen better days. At a time when even the news media were intimidated to the point of losing their soul.
Martial law had spawned abductions, salvaging, torture, hamletting, transnational incursions into farmlands, and other unspeakable agonies. People’s resistance then was strong and ever expanding. Some turned to the printed page. Others utilized protest art. Many took to the streets. Thousands went underground.
This experience eventually led to the discussions on creating an organization that will document the incidents of state oppression and the people’s resistance. In June 1978, a group of people from media, research, and justice and peace work convened to discuss the research environment in Mindanao.
The Alternate Forum for Research in Mindanao (AFRIM), Inc. emerged as a response to the pressing need for timely and relevant information at a time when media was under the control of Marcos’ repressive regime. Mindanao-based and action-oriented, AFRIM was geared toward disseminating the findings of research through popular forms. The ultimate goal was people’s empowerment.
It took up issues that had become a rallying cause for the then heightening anti-dictatorship struggle—from militarization in the countryside, the coconut levy and agribusiness corporations, to development projects and multinational incursions—with a clear bias for basic sectors with whom it has been working for the past years: peasant and labor.
Twenty-six years after its inception, AFRIM has established itself as a reliable social research, advocacy, community development, and communications institution, providing information and analyses so necessary towards forging a sound development framework for Mindanao. Without abandoning its acknowledged bias for the marginalized sectors, AFRIM likewise engages in mainstream policy debate, influencing media and policymakers in and out of government towards the promotion of the genuine development for Mindanao.
Vision
We exist in the pursuit of pluralistic Mindanao that is truly progressive, people-centered, self-sustaining, egalitarian and free.
Mission and Goals
We shall advocate, through action research studies, policy initiatives and other forms of legitimate intervention that would best ensure the genuine empowerment of the poor and all marginalized sectors.
We shall support and strengthen, through timely information, training and other services, the development efforts of nongovernmental and people’s organizations.
And we shall advocate a development framework that will enhance the synergy among government, the private sector, and cooperatives and other voluntary organizations.
We are people of diverse cultural and geographical backgrounds. As individuals and as an institution, we shall adhere, to the highest possible standards of excellence, responsibility, objectivity, and professionalism in social development work.
AFRIM’s current programs constitute the core competencies of the organization:
There shall be the marks of our action research and policy studies, trainings and consultancies, lobby work and media advocacy, integrated communications and information services.
