Rumpi di Museum (Gossip at Museum)

Our visit this Saturday was different. 

Don't you see those gossiping things always come out when gathering with your friends or colleagues? Sometimes, it could be fun and attach us to a better friendship. But, sometimes it goes wrong and even ruins a friendship too and leads to hatred.

But? It won't occur with our School of Peace that always comes for the youth with peace and other social issues to gossip about. We still gossip, but that Saturday we did so about history. Yes, the history that emerged from our lovely city, Bandung, that was successfully creating an important landmark for peace and conflict resolution. History will always remember that Indonesia had just celebrated its independence with the risk of haunting colonialism since 1945. At the same time, many Asian African countries were still under colonialism as well, encouraging a lot of parties in the world to think of eradicating it while developing peace for the countries. It is believed that people all around the world are equal and deserve just as well as fair treatment and respect as a part of human rights. 

Conflicts that lead to wars always cause various drawbacks and end with the superiority of the country that starts them. Meanwhile, human rights degradation usually occurs. With a series of concerns, Indonesia took a lead in 1955 to invite Asian African countries to the Asian African Conference that was conducted in Bandung. 

And, that Saturday was our walk and gossip accompanied by the Museum educator in the Asian African Conference Museum, to figure out the history behind the conference and to remember that the meeting was a milestone for reaching peace on behalf of human rights principles and equity for all. 

By Fanny Syariful Alam

Morning Walk In Circle of Peace

2 July 2022, Saturday morning. At 9 am we started our thing. 

It was absolutely an expected thing when gathering with our youth friends. They come from various religious backgrounds. Who are they?

Some come from the Mormon Church, including their elders from the USA and Semarang. Some of the others come from Hindus, Christian churches, and students of Islamic University plus Trust Building program members, and a transmen representative. 

What is behind this? 

The fantastic collaboration between us, Bandung School of Peace Indonesia (SEKODI Bandung), and the Trust Building Program (TBP) from Initiatives of Changes Indonesia, supported by Metrum, a streaming radio network for community as our media partner,  really made this gathering out. Both of us have the same mission in terms of cultivating peace for the youth through the development of understanding, empathy, and tolerance. Therefore, we can promote the eradication of suspicions among all with different cultural and social backgrounds. 

We started by walking around Taman Lansia, a public park with lots of trees and fresh air around. After some walking sessions, all of us started our stories by telling what interested and upset us. It was our great reflection due to our diverse story to practice our capacity to listen and to speak out what came to our minds without feeling fear. This is believed to intensify our empathic and tolerant minds to see our diversity. After that, we continued the session of Friends of Life by playing cards that created an exercise to share our stories, objections, and debate without offending one to another. 

In the end, we think that our diversity and difference will not interrupt our friendship. In fact, this relationship could be one of the role models for us in promoting peace amongst people with different backgrounds with no exceptions. 

By Fanny Syariful Alam