From left -Intan, Venus. Standing -Arif and Raissa, Kins. Turning point, Regional Peace Training, June 2022 at Peace Place Pati, photo by Nanik
“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”
― Albert Einstein
The Power of Goodness, which I came to know in December 2021
, is a fresh wind for peace building in Indonesia. Violence occurs when we underestimate human needs. People have an emotional need to be regarded – to be appreciated and to appreciate. When our voice is not heard by others, we may stop hearing our own voice. We often underestimate the need to have our existence recognized by others.
My desire to contribute to peace began with my own bitter experiences of violence that permeated my life. When I witnessed violence, my conscience rebelled and opposed it. It did not feel natural or humane. In Java, Indonesia, violence occurs everywhere: domestic violence, bullying among peers, workplace abuse, teachers threatening students, and state and local authorities’ use of force. On a regular basis I witness peers bully each other and authorities abuse power. I saw a fellow student stab a college friend because of the tension after a heated debate in a student association meeting. I rescued a friend who was evacuating Yogyakarta because of ongoing inter-ethnic riots.
Power of Goodness brought a fresh wind. In each session we regained an awareness of the power of active listening and felt how important it was for each of us to be heard. Listening is key to understanding ourselves, others, as well as the situation. Without listening there is no understanding. Without understanding there is no peace. Speaking up, active listening, and being heard are simple, subtle, yet often neglected skills that are necessary to build the culture of peace and justice.
Since I began practicing these skills, the most fundamental change I experienced was mindfulness in my everyday life. The Power of Goodness and Alternatives to Violence Project workshops helped me use silence to become still and contemplative, and not rush into the whirl of social media that constantly erodes attention to our core selves. Positive affirmation builds confidence, not only for myself but also for the people around me. This strengthens our convictions and thus moves us toward a more rigorous life. Learning to stop in my body and mind and let go of tension has become a substantial capital for me. To put it simply, at least I am able to stop my own violence and self-harm and become more resilient in facing the violence around me.
Power of Goodness is a safe space to listen and be heard. Once this need is fulfilled, I see parents become closer with their children, such as Sukini did with her family in Prambanan, Central Java. In an Islamic primary school in Yogyakarta, I was amazed to see primary students so serene during the period of stopping. I could see they had a natural instinct to become quiet and present in this time and place. Power of Goodness events provide a safe space for participants to release emotion, recover from past wounds, and connect with themselves and others. Such places are rare in our lives. Power of Goodness is a subtle yet profound way of learning how to behave peacefully, which is most likely to bring about lasting change.
In my life, violence came across as rooted in my own culture. But I am learning that patterns of violence are universal, not cultural. They perpetuate centuries of colonization, abuse, and trauma. We need skills and tools to heal and become resilient and creative in breaking these trans-generational cycles of pain and suffering.
Culture is a community’s creative response to human needs that have no universal response – unique ways of cooking, making clothes, building homes, celebrating life, expressing ourselves through music and literature, and so forth. The creative acts of culture are inherently dependent on peace and nonviolence. Working for peace, nonviolence, and justice opens the way for a post-colonial cultural resurgence.