Jakarta, 21 November 2014 – According to the 2010 census there are 65 million young people in Indonesia who make up about 28 percent of the population. These young people (aged 15-24 years) can make a difference in their communities, the nation and the world when they participate in making decisions that affect them. Imagine the impact these millions of young people could create if they were united to speak and act for peace.

Many young Indonesians are already active in creative peacebuilding initiatives at the local, national and international levels. For example, the Bandung-based interfaith Jakatarub Community who is organizing the third annual “Bandung Sea of Peace (Balada)” event to celebrate International Day for Tolerance on 16 November. Madura Peace Ambassadors and Ngalam Peace Leaders in East Java, Bogor Peace Community in West Java and many others have engaged in peace advocacy. Awareness of the importance of their participation and leadership in peacebuilding has increased among Indonesian youth. As Jawad, a young activist from Bandung, says, “"We all have one mission for Indonesia in the future… to build a more peaceful Indonesia."  

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) Indonesia and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Indonesia recognize that harboring the potential youth participation and leadership is crucial to developing a peaceful Indonesia. Thus, both organizations will collaborate in an event titled "Peace Pledge: Youth's Commitment to Peacebuilding” to be held on Tuesday, 25 November 2014 at the @america cultural center in Jakarta. The event will provide a platform for about 200 young activists from various organizations, networks and educational institutions across Indonesia to discuss their views on youth involvement in building peace and democracy in Indonesia. 

Young people in Indonesia have an important role to play in Indonesia’s future development, both in peacebuilding issues and other development issues. As described by Mr. Jose Ferraris, the UNFPA Representative in Indonesia, “Young people are creative innovators and agents of change. Their contributions should be actively sought, supported and regarded as essential to building peaceful communities and supporting democratic governance and transition.”

At the “Peace Pledge” forum, youth leaders will voice their commitment to building peace in Indonesia, based on the “Guiding Principles on Young People’s Participation in Peacebuilding”. Launched on 24 April 2014 in New York, the guidelines were developed through a collaborative process led by the UN Peacebuilding and Support Office (PBSO) and SFCG in the UN Interagency Network on Youth Development, within the Subgroup on Youth Participation in Peacebuilding. Seeking to offer overarching guidance on meaningful youth engagement and participation, especially in conflict or transition settings, the principles were also launched in 16 countries, including Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Nepal and Timor-Leste.  

“As Indonesia moves into a new era of open and participatory democracy, the event’s end results will be a set of priorities created by participating youth groups that can be presented to the government and other youth development stakeholders. These priorities will serve as powerful resource for positive change that will hopefully contribute to lasting peace,” says Mr. Scott Cunliffe, Country Director of SFCG Indonesia.

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About Search for Commond Ground

Search for Common Ground is an international non-profit organization dedicated to peacebuilding. SFCG has worked in Indonesia since 2002, partnering with people to ignite shared solutions to destructive conflicts. SFCG brings people together from across dividing lines at all levels of society to build sustainable peace through dialogue, capacity building and creative media productions (television, film, radio, comics and social media). 

About UNFPA

UNFPA is an international development agency committed to delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA partners with the Government of Indonesia, non-government organizations, and the private sector by providing technical expertise in the areas of its mandate to address the needs of the people of Indonesia

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