PBI? Well, we’ve got a few things going on…
I’ve been volunteering with PBI in Indonesia for 3 months and over that time I’ve worked for all three teams. I’ve enjoyed working in all the locations and have especially enjoyed the variety of the work, but it was during my time in the Wamena team that I was able to see explicitly why PBI is needed in Indonesia.
The clients in Wamena come to the PBI house everyday, either to chat with the volunteers or use the peace library, and they always have new ideas for the ways in which we can collaborate. Our client from BUK (Bersatu Untuk Kebenaran) has been working with PBI on a number of domestic violence workshops in the local villages. He’s really concerned about domestic violence and says that it continues to be a usual occurrence within families and that education is needed to help stop it. He had great ideas for the workshops and he has plans to go to a number of villages. PBI supported him in carrying out some of the workshops and it was amazing to see village women starting to speak out about domestic violence for what was possibly their first time.
In fact, even amongst our circle of friends there is always room for more discussion about gender and domestic violence issues. This past January, we held a peace discussion regarding gender and domestic violence, inviting all clients, partners and friends of PBI. The discussion was a great chance for the experts in Wamena to share their thoughts and ideas for working together and making changes within the community. We also have a regular schedule of film screenings, the last one provoked discussion from a number of members of the community who I’m not sure often find themselves debating whether women can be great leaders!
BUK has also been working with PBI and our other clients; JAPH&HAM (Jaringan Advokasi Penegakan Hukum & HAM) and Humi Inane (Suara Perempuan), on a workshop for the police on domestic violence. The workshop was requested by the Vice Head of Police in Wamena, and the clients are really keen to do the workshop to help educate the police and furthermore, this also will build their relationship with the police. This is a real chance for the clients to gain confidence and further respect in the community.
But, it’s not all about domestic violence in Wamena. We are also working with a local partner (YSBA) on a programme of traditional storytelling activities. The idea is that members of different tribes who used to wage war on each other now will come together to tell traditional stories about peace and discuss what can be learnt from each other and these stories can be used in today’s society. The hope is that we will then create a book or a film and some recordings for the local radio station so that the stories and lessons can reach a wide and diverse audience.
The WAST team have so many plans and yet we’re currently not in Wamena as we’ve had to leave for a short time. We have been forced to adapt and think of new ways to support our clients from a distance. We now do 17 check in calls a day which often take up to 2 and a half hours and we hope to provide a series of workshops from Jayapura at the request of the clients. Yikes, there’s so much to do, I must get on with it…
