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Jakarta Post

Groups agree to embrace peace education

NGOs and religious and society groups from 38 countries agreed on Friday during the 3rd World Peace Forum to share knowledge in formulating a peace education curriculum

Slamet Susanto (The Jakarta Post)
Yogyakarta
Sat, July 3, 2010

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Groups agree to embrace peace education

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GOs and religious and society groups from 38 countries agreed on Friday during the 3rd World Peace Forum to share knowledge in formulating a peace education curriculum.

On the closing day of the forum, the participants also agreed to expand networking for civil society groups that work toward world peace.

"In line with the theme of the third meeting on peace education, we recommend the formulation of a peace education curriculum," chairman of the meeting's executive committee, Rizal Sukma, said. He said there was no need to create an organizing committee to achieve the goal.

"Enhancing cooperation and networking is all we need," Rizal said.

The forum also recommended hosting educational activities in areas that have seen conflict.

The committee set a target of creating a framework for a peace and human rights education curriculum before the forum's fourth meeting, slated to be held in Jakarta in 2012.

"What kinds of programs and education *curricula* each organization will have - that's the kind of progress we would like to have made by the time of the next forum," Rizal said.

A lecturer from the Peace and Conflict Resolution Master Program at Gadjah Mada University, Rizal Panggabean, said that to create a peaceful society, knowledge and skill in conflict resolution were essential.

"The first step is to cultivate *peace* through education," Panggabean said, adding that teacher quality was critical in advocating peace.

"That's why supporting institutions that train teachers, such as universities, have to be integrated into peace education," he said.

Panggabean said that besides education, reform within the police force was also necessary.

"People taking the law into their own hands and violence acts committed by certain society groups can occur when the police fail to do their job," he said.

"If the police do their job well, Indonesians will live in peaceful bliss."

Former vice president Jusuf Kalla said in his speech during the closing ceremony that an open society as well as cooperation between religious institutions would pave the way to a peaceful society.

"Don't hesitate to learn about other religions because by learning, we understand and we can compromise. Peace will not be attained without compromises by all the stakeholders," said Kalla, who played a pivotal role in negotiating peace between the Free Aceh Movement and the Indonesian government.

Besides hundreds of international participants, Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin and former chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama's executive board, Hasyim Muzadi, also attended the closing ceremony on Friday.

After the ceremony, the participants went on a cultural tour around Yogyakarta, visiting the Yogyakarta Palace and Borobudur Temple.

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