Online Power of Goodness, Indonesia. From left above: Rizkhiah, Petrus, Ratih, Jati, Rakha, Arif, Wiwit, Agnes, Utami, Ida, Nanik, Eko, Dec 18, 2021.
Prejudice is a negative, hostile, unfair opinion of (belief, perception, rigid position against) another person or group of people based on ignorance, ill-intent, or appearance, without regard for the authentic person or people. Prejudice is used to rationalize and maintain exploitation and causes harm and suffering.
Friends Peace Teams-Working Group.
“Unraveling Prejudice, Listening to Conscience” is the theme chosen for the Indonesian online Power of Goodness event on December 18, 2021. Twelve participants took part in considering a story about neighbors that took place during the war between Russia and Chechnya. In the midst of prejudice, a Russian female teacher protects a Chechen family from being hunted by Russian soldiers and vice versa, and, in turn, the Chechen family protects the teacher from being persecuted by a group of young Chechen thugs.
https://friendspeaceteams.org/neighbors-2/
We began with relaxation in stopping activities. Participants then introduced themselves, sharing their name, where they came from, and one incident “when I was afraid of someone who turned out to be kind to me.” This was followed by reflecting on the agreements for training:
1. Affirm self and others; no put downs or put ups.
2. Stop, listen.don’t interrupt.
3. Speak simply and honestly, without fear of mistakes.
4. Speak one’s own experience, not others without permission.
5. Ask for and offer hospitality, feedback, and assistance.
6. Care for each person, the group, the community, and the natural world.
After a Light and Lively using The Big Wind Blows activity, we read the story about neighbors. We started a discussion sharing experiences with these prompts:
When have you settled a dispute that could have gone on for a long time, or seen someone do it in a way you really respected?
When did you overcome your prejudice/Zuudon ( “prejudice” in Arabic often used in Indonesia) to help someone?
Then we read the definition of prejudice and each participant made a drawing of Core self.
Below are participant responses after participating in the online Power of Goodness event:
Jati said that he got new insights from a friend’s very strong story, namely to ask the person directly instead of being prejudiced. It reminded him of the agreement to practice telling stories about yourself and not someone else’s without permission.”
Agnes, who is concerned about the issue of peace, said that she was very happy to be able to make new friends who seemed like they could immediately become a support system. She feels accepted, safe to share many things that might not be comfortable, reinforced to always bring out good things and to believe that there are still many good things in this world.
Arif said he was very happy to be connected with this activity. For him, Power of Goodness really re-examines aspects of conscience that have not been explored for a long time through simple communication that is full of deep meaning. People who were once strangers suddenly feel like family. This helps him rediscover his identity. Arif is a lecturer in International Relations at the Islamic University of Indonesia and concerned with peace and security. He really appreciated and was amazed by this training.
Eko Winarno, a pastor from GITJ Gunungwungkal Pati, feels grateful to be able to join the Power of Goodness Online event and get to know new friends with diverse backgrounds. Power of Goodness is new for him and he enjoyed it.
As a facilitator, after the training Rakha had an idea how to use multimedia to tell stories.
Reaching out to people through Power of Goodness online is one of the ways currently being carried out by Peace Place Pati, which is supported by Friends Peace Teams Asia west Pacific, in proclaiming a culture of peace in the community.