(continued from Vol.1 )

Q. What are some tips for success that you can share with other
peace builders?
Dadang. BakuBae usually conducts meetings outside the conflict
areas. This is why we met in Jakarta or other cities. During these
gatherings the challenge is to steer discussions away from the
vested agendas among the participants for that can sway the
crux of our message, which was to stop the fighting. For instance,
ameeting with lawyers representing both religions, led to each
side accusing the other for the killings. The mood was to justify
the killings rather than look for ways to foster forgiveness by end-
ing the violence. Still we persevered— the meeting continued
over four days. The best result was when the two sides finally
decided to work together and formed an organization called Legal
Aid to help the survivors. The secret to successful meetings with
religious groups depends on being able to invite the moderates
on both sides. This allows discussions to focus on peace making.
Another key to success is to focus on the future of the
community and to steer away from the ongoing violence. This
makes the participants see beyond blame.
Other tips we have learned is to push the concept of learning
from tradition by bringing up the way our ancestors lived
together led by their king who practiced respect for religion.
BakuBae also analyzes government policies and illustrate
how the state has systematically ignored the wisdom of
traditional knowledge causing the breakdown of harmony in
the community. Our experience confirms such sessions raises
objectivity and deepens the understanding of peace that cuts
across religious division.

Q. How did you manage to maintain the sustainability of BakuBae?
Dadang: For a start, foreign funding played an important role to
conduct our meetings, workshops and surveys that we needed to
have to prepare for the next step. But apart from funding the
process was to take peace building through all its stages. As
the community meetings progressed we still faced ongoing splits
between Christians and Muslims so we could not give-up. Our
meetings began to look into other aspects of maintaining peace
such as changing the infrastructure on the Ambon islands that
has physically separated the two communities based on their
religious differences. We also worked on sensitive issues as
religious symbols that were actually working against religious
spirituality that are based on the values of humanity transcend-
ing suface objects. In 2002 we even held a workshop for the
kings in Ambon where eight kings from Muslim communities
participated with eight kings from the Christian side. They reflect-
ed themselves on their role indesigning the future of Muluku and
agreed to be proactive in the post conflict era. We also facili-
tated meetings and workshops on the building of demolished
buildings and schools as well as unemployment. Workshops on
development of learning and teaching processes that inserted
Mollucan cultures without discrimination also became an inte-
gral part of our peace building. So, you can see the BakuBae
community movement covers peace building comprehensively
based on the commitment to people`s participation.

Thank you for sharing your inspiring work under the BakuBae
concept.

(continued to Vol. 3)