Building peace while empowering women on Indonesia's Java Island

Cross-posted by UN Women

In Klaten, Central Java, a group of 20 women from this farming community gathered and pledged before their neighbors and friends: "We, Indonesian women, are determined to live in love and peace with all elements of society regardless of one's ethnicity, religion, and faith."

With this pledge on 1 November, and the signing of a peaceful village inscription by the Regent of Klaten, Nglinggi became the first community in Indonesia to be declared a model Kampung Damai, or "peace village."

The Wahid Foundation, an NGO, is working to create peaceful communities is 30 multi-religious villages of Java. The project, w hich facilitates group discussions within the community on what it takes to become a peaceful village and encourages resolutions of conflicts that arise is funded by UN Women.

Community members start by making peace within the family, then agree on guidelines for the community: People of various faiths should cooperate to solve problems and set community policies; neighbors should jointly maintain the community such as by cleaning and fixing common buildings; and women must be economically and socially empowered.

Read the full story on UN Women's regional website for Asia and the Pacific.