The visit of five Indonesians to Australia – starting from 31 May with a Life Matters course in Brisbane, connecting with the IofC network in Sydney, and followed by a range of meetings in Melbourne till the end of June – brought a warm response from many and opened up a proposal for more ‘collective’ action between IofC Indonesia and IofC Australia. (Read more about their visit here)
One immediate outcome was the teamwork preparing, and then sharing, by six Australians in the Bandung Peace Week conducted 23-27 September by a team of 25 volunteers. During 11 sessions online covering Bahasa and English broadcasts, the program drew an audience of 332 people from 22 countries. Coinciding with the International Day of Peace, it featured 25 speakers from 11 countries contributing insights and experiences on themes like ‘Inner Development for Social Change’ and ‘Global healing and reconciliation starts from the family.’ A highlight was the launching of Creators of Peace Indonesia, another collaboration growing out of training their facilitators received during the June visit to Australia.
Miftahul Huda, one of the organising team, sent these reflections from participants’ feedback in the final session:
‘I enjoyed the “quiet times” held over four days, especially one on honesty which I need to continue practicing every day for my inner peace.’
‘I have made an apology to a friend I knew a long time ago, (with whom) I have had issues and unfinished business. Now I feel released and at peace.’
‘The Bandung Peace Week 2024 confirmed for me that I am not alone in this earth. I felt heard and able to share what is in my mind and heart.’
The program dedicated time for prayers for people in Gaza and Lebanon, led by Dr Nagia Abdelmoghney Said from Egypt for whom peace is about justice combined with freedom from hatred and corruption.
Closing remarks came from Pastor Obertina from GKP, a Christian church in Bandung. He had ‘just happened’ to see information about the Bandung Peace Week on social media and phoned to ask if he could join? The collective quiet time sessions at the start of each day, he said, had become ‘my retreat for deep reflection on the victimhood that I carried as the pastor leading a church which was closed and rejected. I found a strength and energy not to give up but to continue creating peace within me, with my family and with community’.
Huda concludes that the success of Bandung Peace Week is the result of ‘good relationships’ we have with IofC teams in Australia and the Netherlands, as well as other teams involved in the IofC International Trustbuilding Program, in Nepal, Nigeria, India and Cameroon.