Indonesia

Since 2002, SFCG has worked with local civil society organizations (CSOs), media, conflict survivors and others to develop appropriate and innovative conflict transformation initiatives. Over time, SFCG has established strong working relationships with local officials, community leaders, teachers and schools, religious leaders, and community-based organizations, in Aceh, Bali, Jakarta, Kalimantan, Madura, Papua, and Sulawesi, where we seek to expand knowledge, change attitudes and advance the practice of peace.

Read the Indonesia Update (July-October 2009): pdf

Projects

Access to Justice
SFCG works with the Indonesian Supreme Court to implement a program to increase public awareness of the judicial system and improve public access to justice and legal assistance for the poor, women, and other marginalized groups. By enhancing public knowledge, and changing perceptions and attitudes, the EU/British Council Good Governance in the Judiciary initiative strives to promote new behavior when Indonesians face legal challenges. The media campaign includes a 30-episode radio drama series called Mencari Keadilan (“Looking for Justice”), a “know your rights” radio contest, public service announcements, comic strips, and comprehensive advertising and marketing. It is being broadcast in 6 major urban centers throughout Indonesia (Jakarta, Makassar, Padang, Surabaya, Denpasar and Jayapura), and covers a wide range of legal issues, including domestic violence issues, land law, labour law, family law, inheritance law and human rights issues. [more]

Community-based Conflict Transformation
Working with communities and civil-society organizations in conflict-vulnerable areas of Indonesia in Kalimantan, Madura, and Papua, the Community-Based Conflict Transformation teams at SFCG have been implementing cross-sectoral and multi-level dialogue programs, conflict resolution & journalism training, peace education programs and Islamic boarding schools, peace bulletins for children, video dialogues, peace festivals and grassroots-level mediation programs.

Comics for Conflict Transformation
SFCG has been using comics as an innovative media tool for several years, combining entertainment and education to engage youth in conflict-transformation activities. These programs aim to reduce youth’s tendency to join negative identity-based groups that depict the “other” as enemies or obstacles. [more]

Peaceful Elections
During the 2004 national election cycle, SFCG implemented a program to reduce violence, particularly communal and politically-motivated violence by providing capacity building support for civil society organizations in selected vulnerable locations. This effort focused on increasing informed participation in the election process while, at the same time, preventing violent conflict. The program aimed at encouraging voters to "participate in peace" in conflict-vulnerable areas, including locations where there remain many internally displaced persons (IDPs). SFCG is developing a program strategy for the upcoming National Elections in 2009, focused on peaceful and participatory elections. This strategy includes programming to strengthen media and civil society capacity, and public awareness-raising.

Women Transforming Conflict
Women play many roles in all stages of conflict – as direct or indirect targets and victims of violence, as community-based communicators, as mediators, and as those who drive post-conflict agendas. By helping victims re-knit the social fabric for communities to survive and thrive, women play important roles in transforming conflicts. SFCG has worked in the divided neighborhoods of Matraman in East Jakarta, in Central Kalimantan and Madura, and in Papua to support the role of women in conflict transformation. Activities included multi-ethnic, micro-credit and income generation, participatory theater, peace forums and dialogues. These programs actively engage women as local and national leaders in conflict prevention. SFCG has designed a new program to increase women’s political participation, combat violence against women, and advance gender justice and gender equity in Indonesia. The program will strengthen the capacity of women’s organizations to advocate for and empower Indonesian women to become agents of positive social change.

Youth Radio (Aceh)
SFCG recently launched a Youth Radio for Peacebuilding pilot project in Aceh, providing young people with space for increased civic participation and engagement. This program enhances peace-building and social reconstruction processes in Aceh’s post-conflict and post-tsunami development setting, and draws upon years of Common Ground experience in several countries. The project establish a platform for youth across Aceh to explore issues of common concern in a constructive, solutions-oriented way, and gives decision makers a direct body of information about the needs of youth, which they can consider in strategizing Aceh’s social reintegration and peace building process. [more]

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Common Ground Indonesia
Jl. Ciranjang No. 11
Jakarta, Indonesia 12180
Tel: +62 21 720 0964
commonground@indocg.org