By Petrus. Narrated by Margareta Selly Novy and Sint Aidit Tokoro

“I’m Papuan, I need Peace,” is our mutual commitment as a couple–Sint Aidit Tokoro and Selly Novy. For Sint, poverty occurs because of injustice and loss of love, therefore we are committed to supporting the Papuan people to build trust in order to make changes themselves. Once a year we travel to outlying, forested regions around Papua to hear people’s experiences and to support and strengthen them. People often live in forested areas because they have been displaced by armed conflict.

On December 19, 2021, we flew from the city of Sentani, Jayapura to Merauke on a 1.5 hour flight. When we arrived in Merauke, we stayed in the Sota District, which is one of the tourist attractions on the border between Merauke and Papua New Guinea. We stayed in the home of Mr. Bimbert Gurik, the Chairperson of the GIDI-Evangelical Church in Indonesia on the Maro South Coast. In Merauke we helped with services for many children.

This year we made a different journey. We spread peace not only through pulpit sermons as we have in the past, but also through short Creating Cultures of Peace sessions and Power of Goodness stories. We met Thea Rumere in 2020, who introduced us to the Creating Culture of Peace training. Since then we have tried to share this experience with children in Papua. From December 2021 until January 2022, we shared with children from the Korowai and Lani tribes. Ten children in Sota Christian Elementary School and 40 children from the Mapi and Asmat tribes around the GIDI Filadelfia Church in the Kelapa Lima Village participated in Power of Goodness activities. We practiced short Creating Cultures of Peace sessions on stopping, cooperative agreements, affirmations, and being a good listener. We shared six Power of Goodness stories: A Poet’s Memories; Boat under the Bed; Anna and the Speckled Hen; Seeds of Hope; First Bitter, Then Sweet; and The Mosque. Activities were carried out in two-hour sessions. In the Power of Goodness activities we included principles reflected in Bible verses. Here are examples of the Power of Goodness agendas that we ran.

The Cooperative Agreements we used were:

Affirm self and others; no put downs or put ups.
Stop, listen, don’t interrupt.
Speak simply and honestly without fear of mistakes.
Make friends, not enemies, with people similar to and different from yourself.
Use what’s needed and share the rest fairly.
Care for each person, the group, the community, and the natural world.

All tribes teach these principles, but it’s a new idea and experience to actually DO them!

Click images to view full screen

Theme: Friendship

  • Welcome and Introduction: Name and one good thing about me is…
  • Agenda Preview and Cooperative agreement
  • Reading Stories: A Poet’s Memory and Discussion
  • Core Self
  • Light and Lively: Blanket game
  • Reflect on Principles: Matthew 5:44-48
  • Reflection and Closing: one kind word for a friend

Theme: Affirmation

  • Welcome and Introduction: Name and one thing about me that I like is…
  • Agenda Preview and Cooperative Agreement
  • Read the Story: Boot under the Bed and Discussion
  • Standing on Line and Affirmation in Pairs
  • Light and lively: Big Wind Blows
  • Reflect on Principles: 2 Timothy 1:7
  • Reflection and Closing: Name and one word to take home

Theme: Safety

  • Welcome and Introduction: Name and one place I felt safe as a child was…
  • Agenda Preview and Cooperative Agreement
  • Reading Story: Anna and the Speckled Hen and Discussion
  • Affirmation: Bringing Goodness to “Care for the Earth”
  • What do I give to the earth? What has the earth given me?
  • What would you like to practice to love the earth?
  • Light and Lively: Jailbreak
  • Reflect on Principles: 1 Kings 17:7-16, Exodus 20:15,17
  • Reflection and Closing: One good word for the earth.

Theme: Transforming Power

  • Welcome and Introduction: What is your name and one hope for the future
  • Agenda Preview and Cooperative Agreement
  • Reading Stories: Seeds of Hope and Discussion
  • Activity: Hope Community
  • Light and Lively: Pass the Dance
  • Reflection and Closing: One Kind Word for Friends

Theme: Communication

  • Welcome and Opening: Name and How I feel when someone really listens to me…
  • Agenda Preview and Cooperative Agreement
  • Reading Stories: First Bitter, Then Sweet and Discussion
  • Light and Lively: Tear Paper
  • Three Question Interview
  • Reflect on Principles: Luke 10: 25-37
  • Reflection and Closing: Praying for friends

Theme: Cooperation

  • Welcome and Opening: Name and way of helping others is…
  • Agenda Preview and Cooperative Agreement
  • Reading Story: The Mosque
  • Concentric Circle and a Light and Lively
  • Reflect on Principle: 1 Corinthians 12:25-27, Hebrews 10:24, Romans 12:18
  • Reflection and Closing: What will I practice

Peace is the dream and hope of the Papuan people. Poverty and lack of access to education and health services are major problems faced by villagers in Papua.