Programme Activities in Central Kalimantan - Madura

The Community-Based Conflict Transformation Programme s in Kalimantan and Madura aims to assist in building reconciliation process between the native of Kalimantan and the Madurese Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) through dialogue workshop and building capacity for peace initiatives for the two communities.

Some of our current activities include:

• Second Track dialogue project between the indigenous peoples of Central Kalimantan and Madurese IDPs, involving representatives from the grassroots, local intellectual elites, indigenous and religious leaders, women, youth and government. The dialogue process aims to rebuild their social interaction, strengthen their communication, and explore potential joint peace initiatives to prevent future conflict. The dialogue project has put forward some ideas and recommendation both for the civilians and the local government on policies that should be implemented with regards to the needs as agreed by both parties. Since 2002 there have been more than 300 people directly involved in this process and a number of joint action activities have been implemented from both sides as follow up to the dialogues, such as Kids programme, Peace journalism programme and Womens programme.



• Peace Education project in Islamic Boarding Schools in Madura. This peace education project works with Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) in Madura, utilizing a peace education curriculum which draws heavily on Madurese and pesantren traditions. In he longer term this process aims to reduce stereotypes, prevent communal violence and help to manage interethnic relations positively.



• Children's Programme - Peace Education for Children is a joint programme between the children of Central Kalimantan and Madurese to produce a monthly youth bulletin called "Remaja Duta Damai" (Youth Bring Peace). The main objective of the programme is to show how the youth of Central Kalimantan and Madurese IDPs can work together although they have been in a conflict situation, and that they can freely express, create and share their ideas using their own media. Redam is an open forum for discussion on any issue of concern for these teenagers. It has been published since August 2003 and currently the third edition is being distributed. Redam is designed, edited, written, discussed and published by the youth in Central Kalimantan, Madura and other areas.



• Peace Journalism. Media usually plays a significant role in the peace process. A true reconciliation process or effort cannot be achieved without the support and the cooperation of the media, by publishing news or stories from a peace-perspective. However, sometimes the media has the opposite effect, stimulating a more provocative and destructive atmosphere in the conflict affected communities. Thus the Peace Journalism programme in Central Kalimantan and Madura works towards engaging journalists from these regions to understand the importance of their role in contributing to conflict resolution, and giving them practical skills to maximise this role. Training is followed up by guided working visits to the 'other side,' meaning Madurese journalists visiting Central Kalimantan and reporting on IDP return and reconciliation, and Dayak journalists visiting Madura and reporting on the IDP situation and other aspects of life there.

For further information on our CBP Programme in Central Kalimantan and Madura, please contact:

Eliakim Sitorus
Programme Manager
E-mail: esitorus@indocg.org

Wasis Sasmito
Field Officer, Madura
E-mail: wasis@indocg.org

Dahliah Umar
Programme Assistant
E-mail: dahliah@indocg.org