Breaking the cycle of conflict: Communities celebrate Diversity in Lampung, Indonesia

Community members in Lampung (Indonesia) gathered to celebrate cultural diversity and harmony at the Community Field of Bumijaya Village on Thursday (22/8), with support from the Strengthening Social Cohesion Project (SSCP)- a project funded by the European Union (EU).Led by ChildFund International in Indonesia and Yayasan Pembinaan Sosial Katholik (YPSK) in Indonesia, the overall objective of the project is for communities in Lampung, Indonesia to live in peace through culture-based practices aimed at preventing conflict.

Husnul Maad, Country Director of ChildFund Indonesia, said that as the project promotes cultural practices for peacebuilding, it is paramount to showcase the cultural and ethnicity diversity of communities. "Cultural, ethnicity and religious diversity could potentially cause conflict in the communities, but it could be prevented through dialogue and consensus building among community members - this is what the project will enhance," he further said.

While the culture-based practice of 'Piil Pesenggiri' in Lampung has promoted inter-communal peace through dialogue and consensus-building, there is a need to further integrate culture-based practices among youth. "The performers in this event are mostly young people. This is to show that young people are still caring and willing to uphold the values and principles behind traditional and cultural events," Maad added. In addition to cultural performances, there will also be games and competitions based on cultural themes to promote team building, group dynamics, and sportsmanship.

H.E Denis Chaibi, the EU Ambassador to Indonesia, expressed strong support for conflict prevention through culture-based practices. "The EU promotes cultural exchange as a way to build reconciliation, mutual understanding, and peace. We encourage young people to join in and become leaders of conflict prevention within their communities".Nanang Ermanto, South Lampung District Head/ Regentappreciates the implementation of SSCP in South Lampung District. "SCCP is a new initiative that brings important issues in society. We hope that this project can be implemented in more areas in Lampung Selatan District. It will help us to improve the capacity of youth and peacebuilding,"

The SSCP was launched on 1 February 2023 and will run until 31 July 2025. In addition to Lampung, the project is also being carried out in Liquiçá (Timor-Leste).

Since its inception until July 2024, the SSCP in Lampung has directly reached 781 participants of various SSCP activities such as inter-faith, cultural and generational dialogues, training and capacity building on storytelling, peace building education, communication and civic journalism, gender equality, diversity and social inclusion as well as meaningful youth participation. The participants include 338 students and young people, 197 teachers, 116 village officials, 25 South Lampung District officials, 22 traditional figures and 12 religious figures. In addition to individual religious and traditional figures, the SSCP also involving 10 religious networks in the peace and harmony dialogue. The SSCP also engage and capacitate 6 local Civil Society Organizations that have focus and programs on youths to enable them as the forefront of peace building, enhance harmony and strengthen social cohesion in the communities.

Collaboration is a cornerstone of the SSCP's implementation. In Lampung, the project has partnered with 13 villages, 5 sub-districts, 1 district, and 1 province, as well as 16 schools. This collaboration fosters participatory project implementation and promotes intercultural, religious, and generational dialogue. By building ownership and sustainability, the project aims to leave a lasting impact beyond its official end date in July 2025. One tangible outcome is the anticipated replication or scaling up of the peace education model to 164 junior high schools in South Lampung District through a partnership between the district's education department and the SSCP.

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About ChildFund International in Indonesia

ChildFund International (hereinafter referred to as ChildFund) is a global development organization that focuses on children. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, United States of America, ChildFund is a member of the ChildFund Alliance, a network of 11 child-focused organizations working in more than 70 countries. With a vision of building a world where all children have rights and reach their potential, ChildFund seeks to help deprived, excluded and vulnerable children to have the capacity to improve their lives and the opportunities to become young adults, parents and leaders who bring about sustainable and positive changes in their community.

ChildFund also seeks to promote a society in which individuals and institutions participate in respecting, protecting and advancing the values and rights of children. In Indonesia, ChildFund has been officially working since 1973 based on a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Indonesia through the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. ChildFund partners with 14 local organizations to strengthen community partnerships, empowering children, parents and local stakeholders to promote sustainable social change. Until now, ChildFund has reached more than 5 million children and families in Indonesia. In 2023, ChildFund works in 30 cities/districts in 8 provinces in Indonesia.

About the European Union

The European Union (EU) is the economic and political union of 27 Member States. Together, the EU has built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development while maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedom. In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the goals of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The EU is the world's largest trading bloc, and the world's largest source and destination of foreign direct investment. Collectively, the EU and its Member States are the largest donors of Official Development Assistance (ODA), providing more than half of ODA globally.

The 27 Member States of the EU (in protocol order) are: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.

ChildFund International in Indonesia

ChildFund International in Indonesia

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