Purwa Lintang, an autistic 12th-grader took to the stage and enthusiastically delivered his English on speech Wednesday to convey a message about peace at the hall of SMA 74 Jakarta state senior high school, in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta.

“Peace is a condition when people can solve their problems without involving any single [act of] violence,” Purwa said in his six-minute-long remark, condemning violence, including past horrors of mass student brawls and turf wars.

Hundreds of his schoolmates responded to the speech with cheers and ovations. Dozens of others exhilaratingly raised colorful banners that read, “Peace begins with a smile”, “Peace can change the world” and other adages promoting hope of a more forgiving and peaceful world.

Purwa said he hoped the event could strengthen peace and bonds among students, particularly in overcoming the bad image of Jakarta’s high schools as the public had often associated them with violence, brawls and bullying.

“I know how the suffering feels because in the past I was among the students who often fell victim to bullying by senior students,” he told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the event.

School staffers and teachers who also gathered at the hall, prepared to count down the clock before releasing pigeons and balloons, which they said symbolized peace.

The activities were part of celebrating the International Day of Peace, an event sponsored by the UN, which annually falls on Sept. 21.

The school, which has a history of student bullying and mass brawls, cooperated with NGO Global Peace Foundation (GPF) to hold the event, advocating “building blocks for peace” as its main theme.

Tedy Domuli, the education manager of GPF Indonesia, said the event was aimed at instilling tolerance and harmony among the younger generation.

The school’s principal, Markorijasti, acknowledged that her school had long been associated with violence because of its track record of mass student brawls. She added that according to a report released by a relevant city agency recently, her school was ranked the fifth most violent school because it students often engaged in brawls.

In November 2014, for example, the Jakarta Police detained nine of its students for beating up a student of another school using sharpened bicycle parts, bamboo and other hazardous objects.

“Through this event, we hope that it will strengthen bonds among students and gradually change our image. I am sure it will bring about a positive impact,” said the 51-year-old woman, who for the past one-and-a-half years had been at the school’s helm. (fac)

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