Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08SURABAYA12
2008-01-31 04:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Surabaya
Cable title:  

EASTERN INDONESIA: PUBLIC POLICY TRAINING PROGRAMS IN

Tags:  PREL ID PGOV KPAO 
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VZCZCXRO5583
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJS #0012 0310441
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 310441Z JAN 08
FM AMCONSUL SURABAYA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0146
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0070
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 0009
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0134
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 0018
RUEHJS/AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0151
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0022
RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0068
UNCLAS SURABAYA 000012 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP, DRL, EAP/PD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ID PGOV KPAO
SUBJECT: EASTERN INDONESIA: PUBLIC POLICY TRAINING PROGRAMS IN
POST-CONFLICT AREAS REACH OUT TO EDUCATORS


UNCLAS SURABAYA 000012

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP, DRL, EAP/PD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ID PGOV KPAO
SUBJECT: EASTERN INDONESIA: PUBLIC POLICY TRAINING PROGRAMS IN
POST-CONFLICT AREAS REACH OUT TO EDUCATORS



1. (U) Much-welcomed USG-funded assistance programs aimed at
capacity building and conflict resolution are being
reestablished in areas which have suffered through years of
ethnic and religious conflict. During separate mid-January trips
to the eastern Indonesian provinces of Central Sulawesi and
Maluku, Surabaya Principal Officer and Pol-Econ Officer
participated in DRL-funded Project Citizen training programs --
"Kami Bangsa Indonesia" (KBI) -- targeting middle school
educators and students. KBI is an active learning program
focused on developing public policy and citizenship skills in
post-conflict areas of Ambon, Maluku; Poso, Central Sulawesi;
and Sorong West Papua. The training, conducted by the Center
for Civic Education Indonesia (CCEI),is designed to introduce
local educators to an active learning curriculum that can be
adopted by educational authorities at the local or provincial
level. The program is designed to give students (and their
families) the skills and knowledge necessary to use government
effectively to respond to issues in their communities.

Ambon, Maluku
--------------


2. (U) On January 22, PO spoke at the opening ceremony of a
five-day KBI program in Ambon. The hands-on, interactive
training, involving educators from 20 local Islamic, state,
Catholic, and Protestant schools, was conducted by lecturers
from the local Pattimura University and CCEI staff members.
Pattimura University, regarded as the top university in Ambon,
suffered significant damage during the 1999-2003 conflict. The
active learning curriculum is designed to teach children about
public policy; to identify public policy issues that affect
their lives; to help them investigate alternatives and
solutions; and to teach them how to deal effectively with the
government. Participants were to be divided into smaller groups
made up of teachers from different schools and backgrounds to
enhance the dialogue and foster cooperation between groups.
Teachers participating in the training expressed enthusiasm
about the importance of the program to the development of civic
education.


3. (U) In his opening remarks, the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of
Education at Pattimura University observed that participants had
a rare opportunity to participate in this training program. He
emphasized the value of strengthening educational competence and
improving teaching skills and quality through this training.
Echoing the Dean's remarks, the representative from the Maluku
Department of Education also thanked the USG for its support of
educational development and capacity building.

Poso, Central Sulawesi
--------------


4. (U) On January 18, Pol-Econ Officer spoke at the closing
ceremony of the KBI program in Poso, Central Sulawesi. This
week-long training program, conducted in cooperation with the
Education Faculty of Sintuwu Maroso University, was attended by
40 teachers from the local community. CCEI trainers took
special care in this post-conflict region to both balance and
integrate the composition of the class in terms of religion.
Trainers divided the groups up into teams comprised of teachers
from different faiths and regions. Many teachers told the
trainers that this was the first time they had spoken with
colleagues from other faiths about how they might work together
toward reconciliation. Several teachers told Pol-Econ Officer
that they valued the training for its direct impact on their
classroom teaching and also for its indirect impact on forging
bonds between professionals. A local education department
official and the Assistant Dean of Sintuwu Maroso University
thanked the State Department for its support of the program and
pledged support for a follow-on showcase of student projects
scheduled in April.

MCCLELLAND