Power of Goodness event: from left (Red patterned t-shirt) Bagas, Satria (White T-shirt), Divo, Jack, and Wiwit. Group discussion in the story ‘Brick’. 24 June 2025, at SMP N 3 Tambakromo. Photo by Dedy
The Kendeng Mountains in South Pati are in a limestone karst landscape where resident communities still resist mining and others have plans for a cement factory. This has been a source of conflict in the communities.
Alumni of the Creating Cultures of Justice and Peace training (CCJP) from Peace Place Pati started introducing the Power of Goodness stories to adolescents in this area as a way to support them in protecting their environment.
Solikah, an CCJP training alumnus, has been teaching at SMP Negeri 3 Tambakromo in the Kendeng Mountains for almost two years. Solikah proposed to her fellow teachers and the principal to start teaching a nonviolent approach for students at her school. She realized that the students at her school grew up in an environment where teenagers and young men frequently fought while the community was experiencing tensions regarding mining.
Realizing the positive impact that the nonviolent approach of CCJP had had on her, Solikah felt more confident in her potential and abilities and was motivated to share this knowledge with her new school. She hoped to encourage children to speak up at school, be open with teachers, focus on their studies, foster friendships, and care for themselves and their environment. Together with the young teachers, Solikah developed the idea of creating a child-friendly and enjoyable school environment.
The Power of Goodness event at SMP N 3 Tambakromo is one way to introduce a non-violent approach to teenagers around the Kendeng Mountains, which is a karst area in Pati Regency, which until now has been a pro and con in the community between those who support and those who reject mining. Photo by Dedy
Forty children, eight teachers and four facilitators participated in the June 23-24, 2025 Power of Goodness event, hearing the stories of New Girl in School and Brick, addressing the theme of friendship. On July 25, 2025, the story of First Bitter, Then Sweet was attended by 34 students and 4 teachers with 2 facilitator teams and 4 intern facilitators.
After the Power of Goodness workshop 3 teachers and 90 children agreed to reduce the purchase of sugary drinks in plastic cups or bottles. The teachers supported the purchase of tumblers (water mugs with lids that can be used at any time, not made of glass). Students organized their schedules to meet their class’s daily water needs by making a plan to take turns refilling the classroom water supply when it runs low. Consequently, they reduced the purchase of single-use plastic drinks, appeared more comfortable at school, demonstrated increased self-confidence, and developed a closer relationship with their teachers. The school even agreed to and implemented a separation of plastic and organic waste. The students were enthusiastic about learning. When they met Emma and Caroline, the interns from Haverford, they confidently used a mix of Indonesian and English to share stories and laughed without worrying about mistakes, occasionally showing their smartphones to translate difficult words.
Dedy, a participant and a physical education teacher at the school, found the Power of Goodness activities an important tool for character education of children. Dedy says, “The stories conveyed messages of empathy, courage, and peace, which immediately affected the participants; students became more actively involved in discussions and began to openly express their feelings and opinions. This is a significant step in developing positive personalities. After the activities, I saw a very clear change, especially in the classroom atmosphere and interactions between students. The students became more enthusiastic and reflective. Some who were usually passive now spoke up and shared their stories. The presence of Caroline and Emma, in particular, provided a remarkable experience for both children and teachers. There were no barriers, and communication was very friendly and caring. The children felt valued and listened to in spite of language and cultural differences. Our meetings created a pleasant and inspiring atmosphere. The teachers learned a lot from the way they interacted with the children, patiently, without being patronizing, yet deeply engaging. I sincerely hope that activities like this can continue, and if possible, be held regularly. It would be even better if more teachers could receive similar training, so this approach would be consistently embedded in the teaching and learning at school. We are very grateful to Peace Place Pati for sharing this approach at our school. We hope this collaboration continues, and these values of goodness can grow in the hearts of children and teachers.”