Manager for Women Peace Building Program At Common Ground

Search/published: http://www.sfcg.org/programmes/indonesia/indonesia_transforming.html

This is my involment at international NGO , Common Ground, working on conflict transformation/ peace building, based in New york and Brussel. I started my involvement as a consultant for need assessment program; reseach at the conflict areas in Kalimantan, Madura, Papua and Jakarta. The findings of my research was for a new proposal/program of women transforming conflict. When the reserach and proposal was done, this organisastion asked me to be the manager of this program. I was attached psychologically to the community when I was doing my research. So I didn't think too much, I accept the position. And being a manager for the new program, new department was challenging! (will write down the experience as a peace builder) later.

Women Transforming Conflict Programmes

Women play many roles at all stages of these conflict: as direct or indirect targets and victims of violence; as community-based communicators; as mediators; as those who clean-up after the conflict by supporting victims and by re-knitting the social fabric sufficiently for their community to survive and carry on either at the conflict location, in Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps or a new location; and many other roles.
This programme aims to empower women in their peace-building role, and to develop ways for more involvement of women in the conflict transformation, through developing perspective on gender and conflict transformation, art, media, and economic activities.

Our activities include:

• Economic project: Establishing and empowering women's groups and networks for transforming conflict through economic activities in Berland and Palmeriam area, Jakarta. These are two areas involved in communal conflict for long periods.
• Cultural project: Establishing youth theatre group. The theatre can be a tool to convey messages about conflict prevention, gender awareness, assertiveness, self-confidence, solidarity, and trauma-healing. This youth theatre group is targeted to teenagers involved in the conflict at Berland and Palmeriam, and utilizes Playback Theatre techniques.
• Networking: Facilitate the establishment of Women Network called Dara Arum for women from Madura and Central Kalimantan involved in ethnic conflict. They have intensive dialogue, training on gender and conflict transformation, and local mediation activities.
• Training: Provide training on Gender and Conflict Transformation for women in Papua experiencing conflict between tribes, ethnic groups and other parties.
• Gender mainstreaming within CGI: Strengthening gender perspective of Common Ground Indonesia's staff which would be applied into their programme s through intensive discussions, ongoing internal training, and attending relevant networks.
• Prepare modules for gender and conflict transformation training for various target-audience based on the experience and lessons learned gained in Common Ground Indonesia's programmes.
• Prepare concept for film-making to record women's activities and experience in transforming the conflicts in Madura, Kalimantan, Papua and Jakarta.

For more information about our Women's Programme , please contact:
Yuniyanti Chuzaifah, Programme Manager E-mail: yunich1@indocg.org
Mega Priyanti Field OfficerE-mail: mega@indocg.org

Common Ground IndonesiaJl. Ciranjang No. 11 Jakarta, Indonesia 12180Tel: +62 21 720 0964 commonground@indocg.org
Brian Hanley Programme Director (When I was in CG, my director was Vanessa Johanson).