Peacebuilding

Day 14 of the 16 Days Blogging Series:

In our journey to peace, we have met different groups of people and organizations. We all have our own contexts, our own lived realities and our narratives to share. We may not meet eye to eye, and disagree on certain aspects of discussion, but we all shared one common goal. That goal is to stop violence and work towards peace. A daunting task one might say but every hardship, roller coaster ride one must take will lead us to better lives. Not just this generation but also the next to follow.

Day 2 of the 16 Days Blogging Series:

Aceh is Special Territory of Indonesia situated on the island of Sumatra. Between 1976 and 2005, an insurgency was waged in Aceh by the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, or GAM), who wanted independence from the rule of the capital Jakarta, and from Indonesia. After the devastating tsunami in December 2004, GAM declared a unilateral cease-fire, and in 2005 a peace agreement was reached, granting Aceh special autonomy within Indonesia in return for GAM’s disarmament. Here Donna Swita Hardiani, from Solidaritas Perempuan (Women’s Solidarity) recalls her experiences in Aceh during the immediate years after the peace agreement.