UNDP Indonesia
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Indonesia began its PVE programme (CONVEY) in 2017, which focuses on prevention efforts to harness the potential of Indonesia’s religious education in schools that promotes peace and tolerance and counter violent extremism among students. A large component of UNDP’s work in PVE includes evidence-based research and surveys that contribute to addressing the knowledge gap on violent extremism and the nexus with religious education in Indonesia. This knowledge building has been translated into implementable policy recommendations and a series of advocacy activities to relevant government stakeholders and partners. With the participation of more than 200 experts and practitioners on violent extremism from Asian countries, UNDP also enabled the adoption of the “Jakarta Declaration on Violent Extremism and Religious Education” in December 2017, which lays out the action needed to effectively counter and prevent violent extremism. Further to this Declaration, UNDP also facilitates knowledge and information sharing among other countries in the region, including Bangladesh, the Philippines and the Maldives.
At Glance
UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results. In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women, minorities and the poorest and most vulnerable.
YOUTH ONLINE CAMPAIGN on Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE)
UNDP partners with the Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN) Indonesia in implementing Peace Goes to School (PGS) campaign and Peace Comedy competition, targeting youth in secondary schools across four cities of East Java (Malang, Lamongan, Jember, Surabaya). PGS campaign is an innovative and unique PVE initiative to empower youth, women and People with Disability (PWD) against violent extremism, while also contributing to cultural preservation in East Java, benefiting over 1,000 students through capacity building on digital storytelling and cultural mediation. In addition to empowering youth in PVE measures, the PGS campaign aims to revitalize popular forms of art in East Java through ethnic humor to promote peaceful dialogue and positive narratives in online spaces. The online campaign is expected to attract over 6,000 online viewers in tackling the rising prevalence of extremist narratives in online spaces.
YOUTH OFFLINE CAMPAIGN on Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE)
UNDP partners with Peace Generation in conducting offline PVE campaign, the “Ayo Main!” program, targeting nine (9) elementary schools and three (3) junior high schools in the Sumenep Regency and Malang Regency – East Java, benefiting over 168 teachers and 180 students. The Ayo Main! program is an innovative PVE education using the Positive Discipline framework for conflict prevention and for promoting peaceful dialogue in the classroom through various innovative tools, including Board Games for Peace. Online dissemination of Positive Discipline podcasts in Spotify and YouTube attracted more than 46.000 online viewers between June and October 2020 alone. The program has resulted in a decrease in the levels of extremism among teachers from 13.59% to 9.71% as reported by independent research by the Faculty of Psychology of the Bandung Islamic University (Universitas Islam Bandung/ Unisba).
PEACEFUL NARRATIVES by Religious Leaders
UNDP recognizes the importance of empowering local actors, including religious leaders and community leaders as they play a key role in conflict prevention and management in local communities. In partnership with Pusat Studi Agama dan Demokrasi (PUSAD) Paramadina, local governments and media of East Java, UNDP interventions are expected to benefit over 180 religious counsellors through capacity building initiatives and advocacy on PVE to harness the skills of religious leaders play in promoting peaceful narratives and conflict prevention in Malang and Pasuruan, East Java. As part of UNDP’s commitment in achieving Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE), female religious leaders and female community members will be actively involved in all stages of project activities, from the design to evaluation to ensure increased participation of women in decision-making, thereby escalating structural
transformations in societies.
CAPACITY BUILDING AND ADVOCACY on Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) for school communities
UNDP aims to empower school communities in East Java to prevent and counter violent extremism (P/CVE) through capacity building initiatives for at least 190 teachers from secondary/ primary schools, applying best practices on PVE training from UNDP’s past PVE education initiatives. In doing so, UNDP engages Pusat Studi Hak Asasi Manusia (PUSHAM) Surabaya, in partnership with local governments and civil society to strengthen coordination between communities, civil society, local authorities and governments for P/CVE , thereby strengthening the social compact between government, community and individuals. Gender equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) is integral across all UNDP PVE interventions, ensuring that all activities are gender responsive and promote structural transformations that encourage
women’s empowerment.
ENHANCE SYNERGY through knowledge sharing
UNDP aims to better understand the push and pull factors behind violent extremism in East Java, drawing knowledge to be applied in the region and beyond through a National Research Conference in which academics, think-tanks, policy-makers, gender’s stakeholders, women’s organizations and others conducting research on violent extremism in Indonesia are invited to present their current and ongoing research work, to avoid duplication of efforts, enhancing synergy for knowledge building and sharing on Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) efforts that promote GEWE.
