EASTERN INDONESIA: PUBLIC POLICY TRAINING PROGRAMS IN

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