Indonesia Project/Proyek Indonesia
Field Volunteer
Training Manual
2
PEACE BRIGADES INTERNATIONAL BRIGADE PERDAMAIAN INTERNASIONAL
Volunteer Training Manual
 Peace Brigades International Indonesia Project
Box 70, 33 Boundary Trail
R0K 0M0 Clearwater, Manitoba, Canada
Phone 1 204 825-2477
Fax 1 775 242-5240
3
Table of Contents
Welcome… ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
What Do We Look For In Volunteers? .......................................................................................................................................... 8
A. PBI – Our Organisation ............................................................................................................................................................ 11
Founding Statement ...................................................................................................................................................................... 11
PBI – The Beginning .................................................................................................................................................................... 12
B. PBI Principles and Mandate ..................................................................................................................................................... 15
Our Mandate ................................................................................................................................................................................. 15
Principle of Nonviolence .............................................................................................................................................................. 15
Principle of Non-partisanship ....................................................................................................................................................... 16
Principle of International Character ............................................................................................................................................. 18
C. The Indonesia Project ................................................................................................................................................................ 19
History of the Indonesia Project ................................................................................................................................................... 19
Indonesia Project Timeline ........................................................................................................................................................... 23
Mandate of the Indonesia Project ................................................................................................................................................. 25
Indonesia Project Objectives and Activities ................................................................................................................................. 26
Our Structure ................................................................................................................................................................................ 27
How Do We Communicate? ......................................................................................................................................................... 29
Project Decision Making .............................................................................................................................................................. 30
D. Indonesia History and Current Events .................................................................................................................................... 33
Brief History of 'Indonesia'- and some facts… ............................................................................................................................. 33
UN Treaties Ratified by Indonesia ............................................................................................................................................... 41
E. Protective Accompaniment Theory .......................................................................................................................................... 43
What is Protective Accompaniment and How Does it Work?...................................................................................................... 43
Political Space .............................................................................................................................................................................. 45
Horizontal vs Vertical Conflict .................................................................................................................................................... 46
F. Field Work: Protective Accompaniment .................................................................................................................................. 49
Work of the Project ...................................................................................................................................................................... 49
How we Select Groups/Individuals To Accompany .................................................................................................................... 52
Flow Chart for Selecting Requests ............................................................................................................................................... 53
Considerations For Accepting a Request...................................................................................................................................... 54
Agreement Template - Accepting a Group to Accompany .......................................................................................................... 55
G. Protective Accompaniment – In Detail .................................................................................................................................... 57
Organzations Accompanied by PBI in Aceh ................................................................................................................................ 57
Protective Accompaniment Request ............................................................................................................................................. 61
Field Trip PA Survey ................................................................................................................................................................... 62
Field Trip Packing List ................................................................................................................................................................. 64
Phone Communications Codes ..................................................................................................................................................... 64
Field PA Communications Log Template .................................................................................................................................... 65
Protective Accompaniment Report............................................................................................................................................... 66
Protective Accompaniment – In Summary ................................................................................................................................... 67
H. Field Work: Public Relations and Networking Meetings ....................................................................................................... 68
Dialogue with Authorities and PBI network in Indonesia ............................................................................................................ 68
Public Relations and Networking Meetings ................................................................................................................................. 72
A Case Study on Political Networking ......................................................................................................................................... 75
I. Field Work: Reports and Publications ...................................................................................................................................... 77
4
Indonesia Project Reports and Publications ................................................................................................................................. 77
Regular Writing Tasks of the Teams ............................................................................................................................................ 80
Writing Effectively and Accurately For PBI ................................................................................................................................ 82
Guidelines for Writing Bulletin Articles ...................................................................................................................................... 83
Tips for Taking Better Pictures .................................................................................................................................................... 87
J. Network Activation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 89
When Do We Activate our Emergency Network? ....................................................................................................................... 89
Network Activation Flowchart ..................................................................................................................................................... 91
Writing an Emergency Activation ................................................................................................................................................ 92
K. Tools for Analysis and Decision Making ................................................................................................................................. 95
Drill Down ................................................................................................................................................................................... 96
Breaking Problems Down Into Manageable Parts ........................................................................................................................ 96
SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................................................................... 97
Understanding Your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats .................................................................................... 97
Risk Analysis ............................................................................................................................................................................. 100
Evaluating Threats to Determine Risk ....................................................................................................................................... 100
Force Field Analysis .................................................................................................................................................................. 101
Understanding the Pressures For and Against Change ............................................................................................................... 101
Force Field Analysis Diagram.................................................................................................................................................... 102
Six Thinking Hats ...................................................................................................................................................................... 103
L. Nonviolent Communication ..................................................................................................................................................... 105
Active Listening ......................................................................................................................................................................... 105
Communicating Assertively ....................................................................................................................................................... 109
Giving Feedback ........................................................................................................................................................................ 110
M. Consensus Decision-Making & Group Process .................................................................................................................... 113
What Is Consensus? ................................................................................................................................................................... 113
Why does PBI use Consensus? .................................................................................................................................................. 113
Principles of Consensus ............................................................................................................................................................. 114
From Discussion to Decision: A Diagram ................................................................................................................................. 115
Positions In Consensus Decision Making .................................................................................................................................. 116
Roles Within a Consensus Group ............................................................................................................................................... 117
Some Final Comments on Consensus… .................................................................................................................................... 118
N. Being Prepared to Join ............................................................................................................................................................ 119
Why Are You Interested In Doing This Work? ......................................................................................................................... 119
Emotional Preparedness Questions ............................................................................................................................................ 121
Bulding A Support Strategy: Action Steps ................................................................................................................................. 122
Support From Your Country Group ........................................................................................................................................... 124
O. Mental Health on the Team .................................................................................................................................................... 125
Volunteer Support and Stress Management ............................................................................................................................... 125
Volunteer Support / Stress Management & Prevention Strategy ............................................................................................... 127
Stress and Burnout ..................................................................................................................................................................... 128
Strategies for Managing Stress ................................................................................................................................................... 131
Decreasing Stress in Organisations ............................................................................................................................................ 132
Grief and Motivation .................................................................................................................................................................. 133
Supporting Each Other ............................................................................................................................................................... 134
Maintaining Group Morale and Motivation ............................................................................................................................... 135
Dealing With Fear ...................................................................................................................................................................... 136
Debriefing .................................................................................................................................................................................. 137
Summary of Debriefing Process ................................................................................................................................................ 139
P. Preparing to Go To Indonesia ................................................................................................................................................. 141
5
Checklist: What to Prepare and Bring ........................................................................................................................................ 141
Fundraising Strategies ................................................................................................................................................................ 144
A Sample Fundraising Letter ..................................................................................................................................................... 147
Developing A Political Support Network ................................................................................................................................... 148
Polictical Support Network Sample Letter ................................................................................................................................. 149
Sample Pre-Deployment Contact Meeting ................................................................................................................................. 150
Media Relations.......................................................................................................................................................................... 151
Q. Re-entry After Field Team Service ......................................................................................................................................... 153
Training Volunteers for Re-entry ............................................................................................................................................... 153
Life after the Project ................................................................................................................................................................... 157
R. Peace Education ....................................................................................................................................................................... 159
Peace Education in the Indonesia Project ................................................................................................................................... 159
Timeline of Peace Education Workshops ................................................................................................................................... 161
S. Preparing for the Training Evaluation ................................................................................................................................... 167
Questions for Personal Reflection .............................................................................................................................................. 167
Appendices ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 169
Apendix 1: Map of Aceh ............................................................................................................................................................ 169
Appendix 2: Indonesia Project Address List .............................................................................................................................. 170
Appendix 3: IP List Serves ......................................................................................................................................................... 171
Appendix 4: Acronyms – PBI .................................................................................................................................................... 173
Appendix 5: Acronyms – Indonesian Security Forces ............................................................................................................... 177
Appendix 6: Acronyms – NGOs and other Terms ..................................................................................................................... 179
Apendix 7: Bi-Weekly Update June 17, 2004 ............................................................................................................................ 181
Appendix 8: Bi-Weekly Update Policy ...................................................................................................................................... 183
Appendix 9: Language Proficiency Policy ................................................................................................................................. 187
Appendix 10: Language School Scholarship Policy .................................................................................................................. 189
Appendix 11: Insurance Coverage for Field Volunteers ............................................................................................................ 191
Appendix 12: Internet Sites ........................................................................................................................................................ 193
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I N D O N E S I A
P R O J E C T
V O L U N T E E R
T R A I N I N G
M A N U A L
W
elcome…
Welcome to the volunteer training session for the Indonesia Project of
Peace Brigades International!
Our goal in this training is to guide you through a process of learning and exploring the work of
PBI and of this particular project, and your own thoughts and responses to this work. This is both a
training experience, and an important stage of the assessment process to join the Indonesia Project.
You have already completed the written application, and the telephone interview. At the close of this
training, two-way interviews will be held to consider whether being part of the PBI team feels right
for you and for the trainers at this time. If not, don’t be too concerned. It’s not unusual for a
prospective volunteer to be asked to do some additional study or personal work before re-applying
to join the Team. Or perhaps it may be felt, by yourself, the trainers, or both, that you may benefit
from more life experience before you are ready for the Project. Try to see the process as one of selfreflection and self-assessment, as well as one of developing skills and knowledge.
PBI work has an important personal dimension. For this reason there is a strong focus on personal
process. Despite intensive preparation, a team member may confront very difficult situations, which
can be demanding in a very personal way. Emotional preparation is therefore very important. The
process of self-reflection and peer evaluation begun at the training continues throughout the work on
the team. There are significant opportunities for learning from others during the training and on the
team, such as learning the skills and practice for providing ongoing feedback to each other. All team
members undertake an evaluation process after two months on the team, and every six months
thereafter.
Working as a team requires team-building, clear communication, and good facilitation skills.
Developing cross-cultural awareness makes a substantial contribution to team-building. This
awareness is very important in order for a team to be a comfortable place for volunteers from
different backgrounds. Our training aims to build on the skills volunteers already have, as well as
developing greater diversity-awareness and teamwork skills. We also provide opportunities to
practice consensus decision-making and to learn about methods for resolving conflicts.
Finally, it is very important that as a new volunteer you develop a clear picture of the work. You
need to understand the key principles that guide the work of the project. It is important for you to be
familiar with some of the working style, methods, security procedures, and policies of the project.
You need reference materials, and we have gathered many of these together in these supporting
documents. This training will provide an opportunity for you to deepen your understanding of the
conflicts in Indonesia, and will challenge you to develop your analytical capacities.
The work of this project depends upon the contribution you, as an international volunteer, are
willing to make. It is our goal as trainers to provide you with information and opportunities to
experiment with these concepts in a supportive environment. We hope this will enable you to join
the team confident in your knowledge and comfortable with your skills.
Thank you for joining us in this exciting project to promote nonviolence and protect human
rights in Indonesia.
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What Do We Look For In Volunteers?
Language
It is essential that volunteers can communicate fluently in Bahasa Indonesia. Team members
live and work constantly in this language. Nearly all contacts, official and social, are made in
Indonesian. It is therefore necessary on a professional, personal and emotional level to speak
the language well. The Indonesia Project accepts volunteers who make the commitment to
study Indonesian until they reach the required level, before they can go on to join the teams.
The willingness of candidates to learn other languages used in Indonesia is also an asset.
Age
Applicants must be at least 25 years of age when they join the Indonesia Project. Exceptions
are occasionally made for experienced volunteers.
Political Analysis
The ability to analyse political situations allows all team members to have greater insight into
the workings of Indonesia’s political system and encourages better foresight and planning in
the team's decisions.
Knowledge of the Country
It is also essential to have a good knowledge of the history, political situation and culture of
Indonesia.
Nonviolence, Non-partisanship and Non-intervention
An understanding of the theory and practice of nonviolence is an important skill for anyone
considering volunteering. It gives insight into the reality of conflict and PBI's role within that
conflict. Potential volunteers must also have a thorough understanding of all the principles
of PBI's work in order to become clear about nonviolence, non-partisanship and nonintervention.
Public Relations and Diplomacy
PBI volunteers need to be able to deal confidently with public relations since teams maintain
cordial relations with many groups, including popular movement organisations, NGOs and
governmental bodies. Team members have access to a lot of information that needs to be
carefully analysed and utilised. In a conflict situation the emphasis on accurate information is
paramount, as is a flow of up to date information within the team. Volunteers must be
particularly aware of the consequences and harm that can be caused when information is
misused or when confidentiality is breached.
Report Writing and Administration
Given that a large part of PBI's work involves the handling of information, both written and
oral, experience in the writing of reports, articles, etc. would be very useful. Experience of
working with computers, office systems and office management skills are also desirable.
Managing Stress
The team often has to work through periods of extreme stress and tension, due to a
particular political situation, levels of work or interpersonal tensions. It is therefore
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important for each member to be able to manage their stress and work efficiently to meet
deadlines under pressure.
Living and Working in A Group
In a PBI team you will be living and working very closely with a group of people. The size of the
team varies but the ability to cope with and appreciate this situation is essential to PBI
volunteers. In addition, team members live and work together in relatively small spaces;
members must be able to function with the different rhythms and styles of the other members.
Problems within the team can quickly begin to affect the quality of external work: to deal with
such situations all volunteers must be tolerant of one another, their opinions and idiosyncrasies
and be prepared to work to resolve interpersonal tensions.
Emotional Preparation
At the core of PBI's work is the potential and real threat of violence. Before starting work with a
team, and with the help of the country group each volunteer need to seriously consider a series
of personal and emotional questions. This process of raising self-awareness, of openly
acknowledging one's strengths and weaknesses, is crucial preparation for the effective
management of testing, stressful situations volunteers will almost certainly encounter. Without
this awareness, it can be difficult to address issues that may arise during a period on the team and
this can be harmful both to the individual volunteer and the team as a whole. The following
areas should be considered:





Personal limitations, fears and prejudices
Motives for and expectations of volunteering with PBI
The role which PBI and the individual volunteer plays in the conflict
Your own political convictions
Your views on being non-partisan, especially given that many PBI volunteers come from
very politically active backgrounds in their own country
 The possibility of friends or acquaintances you make during your time on the team being
‘disappeared’, detained, tortured, or killed
 The possibility of your own death
 The possibility of torture
 Working with PBI can be very difficult emotionally. This is especially true when a volunteer
returns: the reverse culture shock can be intense for even the most experienced traveler.
Flexibility
The level and type of work being requested of the team often changes rapidly and with very little
notice, thus an ability to learn quickly, take on board new ideas and concepts, read into situations
and rapidly assess their significance are vital characteristics of a PBI volunteer.
Cultural Sensitivity
Sensitivity and respect towards other cultures (enhanced by the experience of working in another
culture, especially one that is substantially different from your own) is an important requisite to
facilitate integration into the team and an understanding of how the country works.
Other
It is necessary to take part in housekeeping duties (cooking, cleaning etc). Knowledge of
photography, information technology or administration for example would also be useful.
Adapted from the PBI UK Orientation Manual
9
A .
P B I
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O U R
O R G A N I Z A T I O N
Section
A
A. PBI – Our Organisation
Founding Statement
W
e have decided to establish an organization which will form and support international
peace brigades. We find this historically and morally imperative. Peace brigades,
fashioned to respond to specific needs and appeals, will undertake nonpartisan missions
which may include peacemaking initiatives, peacekeeping under a discipline of nonviolence, and
humanitarian service. We also intend to offer and provide services to similar efforts planned and
carried out by other groups.
We appeal in particular to:

peoples of diverse cultures, languages, religions and social systems ready to
contribute in new ways to the nonviolent solution of conflicts;

all those who seek to fulfill the high principles and purposes expressed in the
Charter of the United Nations; and

all who work to preserve human life with dignity; to promote human rights,
social justice and self-determination; and to create the conditions of peace.
We call upon individuals and groups to enlist their services in the work of local, regional and
international peace brigades. We are forming an organization with the capability to mobilize and
provide trained units of volunteers. These units may be assigned to areas of high tension to avert
violent outbreaks. If hostile clashes occur, a brigade may establish and monitor a cease-fire, offer
mediatory services, or carry on works of reconstruction and reconciliation.
Those who undertake these tasks will face risks and hardships. Others can provide support and
show solidarity in a multitude of ways.
We are building on a rich and extensive heritage of nonviolent action, which no longer can be
ignored. This heritage tells us that peace is more than the absence of war.
We are convinced that this commitment of mind, heart and dedicated will can make a significant
difference in human affairs. Let us all join in the march from falsehood to truth, from darkness
to light, from death to life. Issued at Grindstone Island, Ontario, Canada, September 4, 1981.
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S E C T I O N
A
-
P E A C E
B R I G A D E S
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
–
O U R
O R G A N I Z A T I O N
PBI – The Beginning
P
are:
eace Brigades International (PBI), founded in 1981, is a low-overhead, non-profit, nonpartisan, non-sectarian, non-governmental, international network of unpaid volunteers and a
few paid staff. Inspired by Gandhi, PBI uses direct nonviolent action to help deter violence
and expand space for human rights activism in areas of civil strife. PBI's major program areas

Protective international accompaniment

Peace education

Spreading information about human rights and nonviolent struggle for peace and
social justice
The Founding of PBI
The idea to start Peace Brigades International came from people with practical experience of
nonviolence. Especially relevant was the earlier work of the Shanti Sena peace army in India and the
World Peace Brigades, both of which have been excellently described in a book by Mark Shephard,
which is now available online.
The first steps towards PBI were taken by Narayan Desai, Piet Dijkstra, Raymond Magee, Radakrishna
and Charles Walker. After a meeting in India, they proposed to convene a consultation on the matter
to be held in Canada, where PBI was founded on September 4, 1981. A founding statement was
adopted, and several ideas for potential projects were discussed.
First Projects: Nicaragua and Guatemala
The first work PBI did was in Nicaragua. In September of 1983, ten PBI volunteers maintained a
presence in Jalapa, close to the Honduras border, interposing themselves between Contras and
Sandinista forces in order to deter hostilities. This had the desired effect in Jalapa, but in other border
areas the conflict did escalate. The work was taken over and continued by Witness for Peace.
PBI's first major project began in 1983 in Guatemala and closed in 1999. It was in Guatemala under
an extremely repressive regime that PBI developed its signature technique: unarmed international
protective accompaniment. Also known as escorting, this singular approach emerged in response to
the needs of the Mutual Support Group of relatives of the disappeared (GAM). After two GAM
leaders had been assassinated, PBI began escorting other members 24 hours around the clock.
El Salvador
In 1987, upon invitation from Lutheran Bishop Medardo Gomez, PBI fielded a project in El Salvador
similar to the one in Guatemala. Most of the work consisted of providing international protective
accompaniment to threatened organizations in the popular movement, and regular visits to various
villages of returned refugees. Groups with whom we worked included COMADRES (Committee of
mothers and relatives of the disappeared), UNTS and FENASTRAS (unions), CRIPDES (Christian
committee for internal refugees), and AMS (Women's organization).
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I N T E R N A T I O N A L
–
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O R G A N I Z A T I O N
The El Salvador project was closed in 1992, as there were no more requests for PBI's type of work
after the signing of the peace accord between government and guerrillas. We continue to monitor the
situation in the country, with occasional visits to the organizations that we used to provide
accompaniment for, but we hope that there will never be a reason to go back there to resume our
work.
Later Projects
In 1989 PBI began a project in Sri Lanka, which was closed in 1998. In 1992 another project
opened in North America, working primarily with indigenous people until 1999. After a number
of requests starting in 1991, the Colombia Project was launched in the fall of 1994. In December
of 1995 until 2000, a long term presence began in Haiti which followed a short term presence
there in the fall of 1993 as part of the Cry for Justice coalition.
We also collaborated with other organizations in the Balkan Peace Team, which was active in Croatia
and more recently in Belgrade and Kosovo. Another joint project in which PBI participates, is the
International Service for Peace in Chiapas (SIPAZ) since 1997.
In addition to this, PBI has also conducted small scale explorations in Chad, Northern Ireland,
Israel/Palestine, South Africa, the Phillipines and in connection with the 1993 World Uranium Trials
in Salzburg, Austria. In 1988 there was also a second project in Nicaragua in collaboration with the
United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica, where workshops and discussions were held on
the topic of nonviolence and social defense. All of these projects had a very limited mandate and time
frame.
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B
–
P R I N C I P L E S
A N D
M A N D A T E
Section
B
B. PBI Principles and Mandate
Our Mandate
The mandate of PBI is to create space for peace and to protect human rights.
The central focus of PBI's work is that of international presence defined as one or more of the
following:physical presence, physical accompaniment, public relations, networking, observing,
reporting, and building international support networks.
Other methods that play a role in peace building such as, but not limited to, peace education
and mental health recovery can be undertaken by a project provided that protective presence is
considered.
PBI recognises that situations may arise that require a methodology that we have not used
previously. This mandate is intended to allow the implementation of such a methodology after
consultation with all constituencies.
Approved by the General Assembly in Ontario, Canada, June 1992, amended by the General Assembly,
Manenbach, Switzerland, November 2001
Principle of Nonviolence
“PBI is committed to giving the highest consideration to human life and its defence. It respects
everyone's basic human rights, democratic values and freedoms.
PBI is convinced that enduring peace and lasting solutions to conflicts between and within
nations cannot be achieved by violent means and therefore it rejects violence of any kind and
from any source. PBI aims to support the processes of building a peaceful society by
encouraging co-operation between groups working in democratic ways and striving to find
political solutions to conflicts by nonviolent means.
PBI with its experience and international presence, endeavours to overcome unjust and violent
structures in order to build a more humane society”.
-from PBI’s Principles and Mandate, approved by the
General Assembly in Ontario, Canada, June 1992
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P R I N C I P L E S
A N D
M A N D A T E
The Gandhian theory of principled nonviolence involves a commitment to
Why
reconciliation, a fundamental respect for life, and a refusal to accept the
nonviolence? legitimacy of violence as a tool for struggle. A pragmatic application of
nonviolence means that PBI will only provide accompaniment to individuals
and organisations who do not use violent methods, and do not collaborate
with armed groups.
Many organisations accompanied by PBI share PBI’s moral and philosophical commitment to
nonviolence, but some espouse nonviolence for partly, or purely, strategic reasons. Some
recognise that “violence perpetuates violence”, and wish to break the cycle of attack and
retaliation in which their community or society may be trapped. Some feel that for their
members to bear arms would make them more of a target for armed groups. Many communities
in regions of intense conflict are deeply sick of violence and, as in the case of the Peace
Community of San Jose de Apartado, with whom PBI works in Colombia, wish to create a
space in which its members are safe to live, work, and raise their families.
Aside from those given in the Mandate, there are a number of reasons why PBI uses
nonviolence. And each PBI volunteer will have their own personal reasons for choosing to
work non-violently, with PBI and in other areas of their lives. Some reasons which have been
given by participants in PBI trainings are:

respect for others

a way of life- it’s “morally right”

it’s an effective strategic tool

creativity- violence is often the most obvious response in a conflict situation

the means of change must be consistent with its ends

it’s a personal as well as a social process

it works on transforming your opponent’s will to use violence, and so creates real
long-term change

it deals with underlying causes of problems, doesn’t just respond to symptoms

it is working with power
Principle of Non-partisanship
“As an international third force PBI acts in an independent and non-partisan manner.
According to its Vedchhi Declaration non-partisanship implies:

dealing with all parties, when possible, with an open mind

reporting as objectively as possible

refraining from judgmental responses

voicing concerns to those responsible without being accusative
Non-partisanship does not mean indifference, neutrality or passivity towards injustice or
towards violation of human rights, personal dignity and individual freedom. On the contrary,
PBI is fully committed to these values and struggles against violence- physical or structural - as
means of establishing an enduring peace.
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S E C T I O N
B
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P R I N C I P L E S
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M A N D A T E
The work of PBI as a non-partisan third party, therefore requires that PBI teams and their
members do not become involved in the work of the groups or individuals who they assist or
escort; that they try their utmost to remain non-judgmental, despite their possible emotional
identification with the oppressed or with the victim; that they do not become involved in the
official policies of the country involved, that they share the tools of conflict resolution they
have at their disposal with those who ask for them, whether as information or in the form of
workshops and training programmes without intervening or imposing their own opinions.
The non-violent intervention work of PBI teams in conflict situations also has the effect of
stimulating and promoting peace initiatives by the people themselves in the conflict areas.
Therefore, PBI encourages the formation of international Peace Brigades with the hope of
supporting the work of local peace activists. PBI respects the autonomy and self- determination
of all people, and sees its services as a small complementary contribution to their own effort for
peacemaking. Hence, it avoids imposing or interfering with their own ways of thinking and
acting. As a corollary of this approach PBI goes into a situation only if requested by the people
concerned in the area.”
-from PBI’s Principles and Mandate
Non-partisanship can be a difficult concept to define. Non-partisanship is
Why nonnot neutrality, and it is not impartiality. PBI speaks of being ‘partial to
partisanship? peace’, to human rights and democracy, and anti-violence. Its volunteers
are not neutral in a conflict: their role is to assist in the protection of one
party from the actions of others, and if they witness human rights abuses
being committed, will report them internationally with the aim of
bringing the perpetrators to justice and preventing further abuses.
Non-partisanship is about not being party-political, or anti-government, or pro-independence. It
enables volunteers to better relate to all parties in a conflict, and thus to build the relationshipsand the trust- essential for successful accompaniment.
Most humanitarian organisations, such as the Red Cross
and Medicines Sans Frontieres, are non-partisan. This
enables them to prioritise humanitarian, rather than
political, considerations, and gives them (on most
occasions), a sort of “diplomatic immunity”. They are
allowed access to regions from which they would be
prohibited were they perceived as “working for” one side
in a conflict. It means that PBI volunteers in Indonesia, a
- Liam Mahoney,
country notorious for its suspicion of the allegiances of
"Unarmed
foreigners, can work openly with the permission of the
Bodyguards"
Indonesian Government, in the form of sponsorship by
Komnas HAM (the Indonesian human rights commission) and sosial budaya (social/cultural) visas.
“Non-partisan service responds to
demonstrable objectives and external
criteria rather than to alignments in the
conflict. Categories such as the poor, the
suffering, and those in need are criteria
that cross boundaries of specific political
conflicts. To be partial but nonpartisan,
then, is to say, “We will be at your side in
the face of injustice and suffering, but we
will not take sides against those you define
as enemies.”
Maintaining non-partisanship is often not easy, and those professing non-partisanship are
sometimes not believed. Humanitarian NGO’s have been accused of espionage or assisting
‘rebel forces’ by the Governments of countries in which they are stationed. Australian NGOs
working in Indonesia are frequently “accused” by conservative factions in Australia of
“misappropriating” Australian government funding to support separatist forces in Indonesia.
Requests from those with whom PBI has an accompaniment relationship are always considered
17
S E C T I O N
B
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P R I N C I P L E S
A N D
M A N D A T E
in light of whether they will compromise PBI’s non-partisan mandate and so jeopardise PBI’s
ability to continue its work in that area. This can be extremely difficult, especially when a group
or individual feels they may be in danger if PBI does not agree to the request. You will explore
some such scenarios in this Training.
Those working in the field of human rights do so from a multitude of motivations, including
solidarity with a cause or a people. This personal partisanship is often what motivates human
rights activists to want to work in a particular conflict area, gives them a deep feeling for its
people and the impetus to learn more about the broader political situation. There is nothing
whatsoever wrong with this. But you should think carefully, if you want to work in Indonesia out
of a desire to “help” the people of a region to achieve political goals such as independence or
autonomy, about whether you will be able to work with PBI without feeling frustrated or
compromised.
A commitment to non-partisanship is a commitment to supporting the independence and right
to self-determination of local organisations. PBI does not give strategic advice- or provide
material aid- even if these are requested, to organisations with which it has an accompaniment
relationship. As well as maintaining PBI’s independence, this minimises the risk of fostering
clients’ dependence on PBI and helps PBI avoid the label of “paternalist” which is often given to
international NGOs involved in development work. Many volunteers are drawn to PBI because
it “doesn’t tell the locals what to do”. PBI volunteers intervene in conflict situations but do not
interfere.
Non-partisanship, finally, is also a commitment to preserving PBI’s independence to choose
what work Teams prioritise and what organisations the Project chooses to work with. This
involves an awareness of cultural and religious factors, societal hierarchies, and interorganisational politicking which can lead local organisations to try to influence PBI’s choice of
clients. It is also being mindful of what “strings” may be attached to international government
and NGO donations made to the Indonesia Project that could possibly compromise our
independence and non-partisanship.
Principle of International Character
PBI is a global organisation. It represents the concerns of the international community in
relation to conflicts and crises which affect all, and to peace which benefits everyone.
PBI welcomes the services of people from all the cultures, languages, religions, beliefs and
geographical regions to cooperate with and serve in the local, national, regional and transnational
Peace Brigades. It offers possibilities for volunteers to act as links and/or representatives of the
international community to help in generating mutual dialogue between conflicting parties and
provide them with opportunities for contact with the outside world.
The nonviolent intervention work of PBI teams in conflict situations also has the effect of
stimulating and promoting peace initiatives by the people themselves in the conflict areas.
Therefore PBI encourages the formation of domestic Peace Brigades with the hope of
strengthening its own work as well as building local peace activities.
PBI respects the autonomy and the right of self-determination of all people, and sees its services
as a small complementary contribution to their own efforts for peace-making. Hence it avoids
imposing or interfering with their own ways of thinking and acting. As a corollary of this
approach PBI goes into a situation only if requested by the concerned people of the area.
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Section
C
C. The Indonesia Project
History of the Indonesia Project
T
he PBI USA Country Group was initially approached in October 1998 by a delegation of East
Timorese and their supporters. In January 1999, two human rights organizations, Yayasan Hak
(Hukum hak Asasi dan Keadilan, Organization for Law, Human Rights and Justice) and
FOKUPERS (Forum Komunikasi Perempuan Timor Lorosa’e, East Timor Women’s Communication
Forum), sent letters inviting PBI to establish a project in East Timor, then militarily occupied by
Indonesia. In April 1999, a Project Exploratory Team of five people went to Dili to assess the viability
of a PBI Project in East Timor, with an advance team of three people undergoing training and
preparation in Darwin, Australia. However, due to the outbreak of large-scale violence immediately
following the East Timor referendum vote in September 1999, which paved the way for independence
from Indonesia, all foreigners were evacuated from East Timor and the PBI advance team thus
travelled to Bali and then Jakarta.
West Timor
During the weeks and months following this historic vote, hundreds of thousands of refugees were
forced to flee to West Timor to avoid the brutal burning, pillaging and large-scale destruction of East
Timor by pro-Indonesia militia forces. This led the PBI advance team to travel to Kupang, West
Timor, in November 1999 to become the West Timor Team, the first PBI team in Southeast Asia.
In West Timor, PBI worked primarily with three NGOs, Lak Mas (Organization for Advocacy
Against Civil and Societal Violence), Lap Timoris (Timorese Organization for Advocacy and
Research) and TRuK-F (Volunteer Team for Humanity - Flores).
However, in September 2000, three foreign UN workers were attacked and killed by an angry mob in
Atambua (close to the East Timor border) after a local militia leader was arrested. Following this
incident the United Nations and all foreign organisations, including PBI, withdrew from West Timor
altogether. PBI relocated to Jakarta but maintained weekly and sometimes daily phone contact with
our previous client NGOs to continue to monitor the situation in East and West Timor.
Following the evacuation from Kupang, PBI solidified its presence in Indonesia through a central
office in Jakarta and began focussing its work on establishing a new field team in Banda Aceh, Aceh
Province, while the situation in East and West Timor was reassessed.
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Aceh
In the last few weeks of December 2000, PBI sent an initial team of three people to Aceh, comprised
of one new volunteer and two veterans from other PBI projects (Sri Lanka and Haiti). They rented a
house and began making contacts and establishing our presence with the local authorities and NGOs.
During this time, other international NGOs were finding the situation in Aceh very difficult and many
subsequently pulled out.
The introduction of a PBI team clearly demonstrated that PBI was actively responding to the many
requests for a long-term presence in Aceh that offered some protection to people working in a
“deliberate campaign of terror…in Aceh directed against human rights and humanitarian workers”.
(TAPOL, Indonesian Human Rights Campaign).
Though PBI initially received requests for protective accompaniment from several Acehnese NGOs,
the first organisation accepted as a PBI “client” was RATA (Rehabilitation Action for Torture Victims
in Aceh), in late January 2001, several weeks after three of their workers were killed.
Over the next 6 months, PBI built on its initial meetings and began establishing a solid network of
contacts and support with government agencies, security forces, and local community leaders
throughout the region. We formed agreements to offer protection to three more local nongovernmental organizations; Flower Aceh (a women’s support NGO also monitoring human rights
and refugee camps), SPKP (Solidaritas Persaudaran Korban Pelanggaran Hak Asasi Manusia Aceh,
Association of Human Rights Abuse Victims) and Koalisi NGO HAM (Coalition of NonGovernmental Organizations for Human Rights, Aceh).
PBI reached a peak of 12 volunteers in Indonesia, and six NGOs as clients at the beginning of
October 2001, having added RPuK (Tim Relawan untuk Kemanusian, Women’s Volunteer Team for
Humanity) and LBH (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum, Legal Aid Foundation) as client NGOs. The situation
in Aceh was tumultuous and the stress and workload of the volunteers was quite heavy. Several other
NGOs requested protective accompaniment but PBI was unable to take on new clients. At the end of
the year, volunteer numbers declined slightly, further limiting the workload potential of the teams.
The first few months of 2002 saw an increase in military activity throughout the province, and a
general increase in the number of people being killed in the conflict on a weekly and monthly basis.
This was perhaps due to the recent re-establishment of a military command post in Banda Aceh,
which brought an increase in the number of troops and inevitably raised tensions throughout the
province. In a deal made between the provincial government of Aceh and the central government in
Jakarta, and to appease separatist sentiments among the Acehnese, special autonomy status was
granted to the province. This included, amongst other things, supposed greater economic control of
resources, implementing Syariah Law (Islamic Religious Law) and changing the name of the province
to Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD). Many Acehnese complained they were not a part of the
process for implementing these changes.
The workload of the current volunteers has thus been heavy and at times very stressful, as they
undertake field trips (exploratory missions into the field to visit individuals or meet with local
authorities in other areas of the province), provide frequent protective accompaniment and maintain
our support and contact network on all levels.
We established a new sub-team and office in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh district, in January, 2002.
This enabled PBI to meet the increasing demands of local NGOs for protective accompaniment
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throughout the entire province of Aceh. In May, 2003, PBI-IP included LBH-Apik Aceh as a client,
an organization working from Lhoksuemawe.
Leaving Aceh
In May, 2003, Aceh was placed under martial law for six months. Subsequent presidential decrees were
issued which placed severe restrictions on the work of foreign and local NGOs as well as the media
and tourists travelling to Aceh. We met with local and national contacts in the government and the
military to ensure our two field teams would be issued with the proper permits to work in Aceh.
However in early July, we were forced to withdraw our team from Lhokseumawe, since the team
member’s visas were expiring, and the local authorities would not extend them without permission
from their superiors. Finally, in late July, we withdrew from Banda Aceh as well. Our departure
occurred at the same time other International NGOs were also forced to leave. To date, the presence
of internationals in Aceh is very limited, and their work is very restricted. The government extended
the martial law decree for a further six months until May 2004. Subsequently it was downgraded to a
civil emergency, which continued restrictions for International NGOs and logal organizations.
Teams members, staff and committee members met in late July 2003 to discuss our strategy and
workplan under these circumstances. This meeting resulted in basing an Aceh sub-team in Medan, the
nearest city to Aceh, where we continue to monitor the situation in the Aceh, as well as offer a level of
protection to our clients. The Jakarta sub-team is also focused on both following the situation in Aceh,
supporting clients travelling in or based in Jakarta and undertaking the necessary lobbying and meeting
to re-establish our presence in Aceh.
The Medan sub—team currently offers some protective accompaniment and maintains contact with
our clients in Aceh. As well, they maintain and develop relationships with local organizations and
authorities in the region. In September, 2004, the Medan team helped facilitated peace education
workshops for Aceh-based NGOs.
With the presidential election bringing a change in the presidency in October, the sub-team in Medan
will withdraw by mid-November in order to consolidate our efforts to return to Aceh.
West Papua
Several local NGOs from West Papua, on Indonesia’s eastern edge, have invited PBI to establish a
team. PBI sent an assessment team to Papua, and the team’s conclusions led to PBI sending an
advance team to Jayapura in March 2003. Following extensive network building internationally and in
Indonesia, PBI sent an advance team to establish a permanent base in March 2004. The permanment
team in place is working diligently to establish appropriate relationships with the local authorities and
to introduce our presence to local organizations and civil society.
Jakarta
Our Jakarta sub-team provides key strategic and operational support to the project. From here, key
meetings with the political and military networks occur. And with the presence of some clients from
Aceh in Jakarata, protective services are also offered. Additionally, the Jakarte sub-team is a hub for
team members transiting to language school or to the other team sites.
West Timor revisited
In early 2002, foreign organisations remain largely absent from West Timor, and the UN still classifies
this area of Indonesia as too high a security risk. In March 2002, PBI completed its second assessment
trip to West Timor since evacuating from Kupang in 2000. It was found that, although the situation
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for the thousands of remaining East Timorese refugees is still somewhat volatile and unsolved, the
need for PBI’s specific type of work of protective accompaniment to local humanitarian and human
rights NGOs has not returned. There is currently no plan for PBI to re-establish our West Timor
team.
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Indonesia Project Timeline
1998
First concrete requests for protective accompaniment received from
Indonesian NGOs
April/May 1999
5-person Project Exploration Team to Dili, East Timor
Aug. 1999
Official founding of the PBI ‘East Timor Project [ETP]’
Sept. 1999
East Timor Team evacuated to Jakarta, Bali, Flores, and West Timor
due to widespread violence following East Timor referendum for
independence
Jan. 2000
Establishment of the West Timor Team and the ‘Indonesia and East
Timor Project [IETP],’ including providing protective accompaniment
to NGOs working with East Timorese refugees in West Timor
April 2000
Exploratory Team to Aceh Province in Sumatra
Aug. 2000
Office/house in Jakarta [capital of Indonesia] established
Sept. 2000
Evacuation of the West Timor Team following the killing of three
UNHCR personnel
Oct.-Nov. 2000
The Project monitored and re-assessed the situation in West Timor
Dec. 00-March 01
Process of establishing the Aceh Team
Jan. 2001
First client in Aceh accepted: humanitarian organization RATA
March 2001
Office/house in Banda Aceh [capital of Aceh province] established
March 2002
A second [and consequently, final] re-assessment in West Timor
completed
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Dec. 2002
Office/house in Lhokseumawe [North Aceh district] established to
support the second PBI Team in Aceh
May 2003
Military Operation launched in Aceh, beginning of PBI negotiations
with the military
July 2004
Withdrawal of Lhokseumawe team, two weeks later, close Banda Aceh
team and withdraw from Aceh
August4
Relocate Aceh team to Medan
Oct 2004
Papua Assessment
March 2004
Team deployment to Papua
Currently
Sub-teams in Medan, Papua (Jayapura) and Jakarta. Medan team to
relocated to Jakarta in November.
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Mandate of the Indonesia Project
P
eace Brigades International (PBI), an independent, non-governmental organization founded in 1981,
actively works to promote human rights and nonviolent conflict resolution. Upon the written
request of Indonesian human rights groups, PBI has established a long-term presence of
nonpartisan, international volunteers in the region.
PBI trains volunteers to establish relationships of respect and trust. Team members engage in dialogue
and listen to all parties in conflict situations. Since 1999, the Indonesia Project (IP), has offered its
services to local groups committed to nonviolent strategies.
The objectives of the Indonesia Project are:
1.
To help maintain a peaceful space for civil society to operate and grow;
2.
To model nonviolence and promote nonviolent resolution to conflicts.
3.
To foster social and political dialogue and reconciliation;
4.
To promote understanding abroad of the situation of Indonesians;
5.
To empower civil society in all of the above, so as to reduce and eventually end
the need for a PBI presence.
PBI works entirely by consensus decision-making. PBI teams do not take sides in conflicts or
propose solutions, rather act as third-party observers. PBI recognizes that for just and lasting
resolution, the parties involved must determine the solutions. PBI work may include
accompaniment, observation, interviews, documentation and reporting, peace and
nonviolence education. PBI respects host countries’ cultures and laws.
PBI maintains a global Emergency Response Network (ERN). The ERN communicates with
appropriate authorities to express international concern in cases of crisis.
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Indonesia Project Objectives and Activities
T
he Indonesia Project has five major objectives.
To help maintain a peaceful space in which civil society
can operate and grow.
PBI seeks to secure and expand the space in which civil society operates through such activities
as international protective accompaniment, dialogue with authorities and through the use of
international networks, such as diplomatic contacts and the Emergency Response Network.
To model nonviolence and promote non-violent resolution to
conflict.
Local NGOs participate in conflict transformation trainings from PBI, which has 20 years of
experience in cross-cultural conflict transformation. These trainings draw on the experience of
the local community to develop appropriate tools with which they can begin to explore nonviolent solutions for local conflicts.
To foster social and political dialogue and reconciliation.
PBI meets frequently and regularly with government officials, military personnel and other actors
of the armed conflict. PBI also facilitates networking between local NGOs, as well as between
local NGOs and INGOs.
To promote international understanding of the situation in
Indonesia and the work of Indonesian organizations.
Through the production and distribution of information updates and field reports, PBI
contributes to increasing international consciousness of conflicts and the work of non-violent
grassroots movements in the Indonesian archipelago.
To empower civil society through the above-mentioned activities,
so as to reduce, and eventually end, the need for a PBI presence.
Through political and protective accompaniment, local NGOs and individual human rights
defenders have space in which they can continue their work for a peaceful resolution to the
conflict and increase social justice. PBI offers its presence to these parties until their working
space in civil society is secured and their requests for such a presence ends.
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Our Structure
Indonesia Project Project Committee
As a non-heirarchical organization, the most important decision are made by the project committee. The
following bodies comprise the project committee.
Committee Members
Up to 8 people to serve on the committee. They also serve on at
least one sub-committee.
Field Teams
Represented by one or two members from each field team
Staff
Indonesia Project Staff
Project Coordinator
Celia Guiford serves as the project coordinator. The coordinator
manages all aspects of the project, from working on the year’s
fundraising target to 24-hour availability to respond to emergency
situations. The project office coordinates information flow,
fundraising, the support network, public relations, publications,
administration, and financial accounting matters, and ensures direct
follow up to the Indonesian teams to assess and monitor the
implementation of decisions made by the Project.
Finance and
Adminstration
Coordinator
Training Coordinator
Grace Chitate manages the budgets and finances for the project
and the team. She also prepares financial reports for funders and
supports the work of the project coordinator.
European
Representative
Paola Carmanginia, a former team member undertakes lobbying
and network development in Europe and maintains contact with
returned volunteers worldwide and oversees speaking tours.
Human Resources
Coordinator
Sarah Markwick support teams members through regular contact,
and developing and interpreting policy and procedures to support
the teams and the projects.
Peace Education
Coordinator
Yulia Sugandi develops the peace education program of the
Indonesia Project. This includes exploring and implementing
requests for workshops and developing team-based peace building
activities.
Peter Leblanc, a former team member, guides potential new
volunteers through the application and training process, and
manages the logistics of the trainings. In addition, he serves as a
trainer.
Strategy Coordinator Minna Fredricksson, a former team member, facilitates the strategy
committee and offers direct support to the strategic focus on the
sub-teams.
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Project Sub Committees
facilitates the agenda of the project’s monthly calls and meetings.
As well, the committee is available to make decisions that are
urgent but do not require the entire project to contribute. The
committee is also responsible for facilitating project evaluations.
Human Resources
provides support to volunteers in the field and staff, coordinates
selection, training and evaluation of Project Committee members
and staff hiring and dismissal.
Training
responsible for the recruitment, selection and training of field
volunteers.
Strategy
provides advice and feedback to the teams, Project Committee and
staff on issues pertaining to security and politics, long term Project
planning and direction; the implementation of PBI principles,
mandate and accepted practice; and other areas where the
committee can offer particular expertise or institutional memory.
Publicity and Public
Relations
maintains the website and general media policy, advises the team,
Project Committee, and PBI country groups on media outreach for
the IP, and coordinates internal feedback on regular project
publications (Bi-Weekly Update and ‘Pa Khabar).
Peace Education
provides support for the peace education focus of the project,
assists in planning, organising, implementation and evaluation of
Conflict Transformation workshop requests.
Fundraising and
Finance
assists the project coordinator and accountant in fundraising and
financial matters, prepares the budget and advises the Project
Committee on budgetary matters.
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How Do We Communicate?
Check-in Calls:
At least weekly, the Project Coordinator and other staff and committee members
telephone the teams to “check in”, say hello, and get an update of how the week was and
to see if there is anything the teams need.
Weekly Newsletters:
To facilitate ongoing communication of non-urgent issues. Each of the sub-teams, as
well as the different committees (through the coordination of the Project Coordinator),
develops a weekly newsletter containing important information to be shared. Questions
from a previous team weekly newsletter will be answered by the relevant body in the
following PC newsletter, and vice-versa.
Conference Calls:
Representatives of the teams and the Project Committee (PC) come together once per
month on conference calls to discuss issues or make decisions that require a higher level
of human interaction than written reports.
List Serves:
The project operates several list-serves devoted to specific committtes and topics. This
helps to share information and make decisions on an ongoing basis and in between
conference calls.
Face to Face Meetings:
Approximately twice per year, the whole project comes together, usually in Indonesia. The
meeting objectives are to:




Evaluate the work of the teams and the PC members during the past six months.
Define a project strategy for the coming six months
Coordinate the work and division of tasks.
To celebrate our successes, and deepen our personal and working relationships.
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Project Decision Making
Entity
Scope of work
Decisions in jurisdiction
Decisions to consult
Executive
Make interim decisions; keep big
picture of how project is running,
prepare F2F meetings; plan evaluation
of the project
Any decision that the Exec members
feel does not need consultation of the
entire project (and don’t fill any of the
criteria quoted before).
Policy implications
Monthly report to the PC
Strategy
Work with teams on planning, advising
short, medium and long-term strategy
of field work; work on ERN policies,
systems and alerts
Monthly report to the PC
Finance and
Fundraising
Publicity and
Public Relations
Peace
Education
Human
Resources
Any decision that one or more exec
members feels needs wider project
consultation
Short and medium term decisions
Any departure from this strategic
within the scope of the Project strategic framework; change to the current work
framework as consensed by the PC
of the team
Consult other projects on PBI
precedents
Coordinate and plan for project; keep
Advise CGs, staff and PC on FFR
big financial picture in mind and advise priorities and methods
PC on financial matters
Write grants and submit them within
PBI approved guidelines
Monthly report to the PC
Liaise with funders in coordination
with staff (write reports, arrange and
attend meetings, etc)
Periodic financial report and review to
the PC
Make minor budget
revisions/reallocations
Coordinate publicity efforts of project;
pursue publicity options; work with
teams on publicity issues; update and
maintain the IP web site
Design and create PPR
material/merchandise within budget
Monthly report to the PC
Design media strategy with IDC
Plan, coordinate and carry out the
peace education work in Indonesia
Fundraise for Peace Ed programmes
Monthly report to the PC
Staff changes
Carry out PR for project
Plan Peace Ed programmes within the
consensed strategic framework
Coordinate support of staff and
Write HR policies (in consultation with
volunteers in the project; work with the those involved)
teams on all HR issues
Screen and invite new PC and SC
Monthly report to the PC
members
Coordinate staff hiring, evaluation and
support
Provide support for field volunteers
before, during and after field service
Manage scholarship budget, including
screening and selecting candidates and
terms of agreement
Send external debriefers to the teams
after critical incidents
30
Approve budgets; change in staff
salaries or team stipends
Advise PC on budget revisions
Plan audits, hire auditors within budget
Media efforts with teams
Any publications or web site
information that may be viewed by the
GOI should be consulted with the
teams
Any Peace Ed outside the consensed
strategic framework
Coordinate deployment in conjunction
with the teams and staff
Hire and fire staff and volunteers
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Entity
Scope of work
Decisions in jurisdiction
Decisions to consult
Training
Liaise, screen, select and train field
volunteers; coordinate with CGs on
project volunteers
Set trainer team and dates, venue, etc.
for volunteer trainings within the
budget
Monthly report to the PC
Design and conduct pre-training
correspondence courses for applicants
Consult with CGs on volunteer
communication, support, preparation,
and training logistics when they host a
training
Coordinate interviews (pre and post
training)
Make policy on nationals
Set cost for trainings with FFR
Screen, select and train volunteers
Teams
Protective accompaniment
Building of in country support network
Everyday team work (normal PA,
internal organization, etc.).
Developing political contacts
Purchases over Rp 250,000
Taking on new clients
Volunteer deployments and vacations
(to be discussed with HRSC).
Activation of the LoC/ERN
Peace education work with Sub
Committees
Special PA/field trips. The rest of the
field trips should be informed
previously to JKT, Coordinator and
Strategy SC (SSC) (?)
Pilot project: inform to JKT,
Coordinator and SSC.
High-level PR: inform Aceh,
Coordinator and SSC.
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E V E N T S
Section
D
D. Indonesia History and Current Events
Brief History of 'Indonesia'1- and some
facts…
Early On…
Beginning of the
Christian Era
Commercial relations with China; Hindu and Buddhist cultural influence
from India were developing.
7th century
Rise of the Sumatran Hindu-Buddhist kingdom of Sriwijaya; collapses by the
12th century
8th century
Islam first enters the archipelago through Aceh; Gujaratis, Arabs and
Persians trade and settle at various trading ports; the first Islamic kingdom in
the archipelago - Perlak is later established in 804 in Aceh;
Between 8th and
10th century
The Buddhist Shailendra and Hindu Mataram Dynasites rule throughout Java
and beyond. The Buddhist monument Borobudur and the Hindu Prambanan
are built
13th century
The last great Hindu Kingdom of Majapahit is founded; collapses early 16th
century
13th century
Indian Muslim traders brought Islam to the people through Aceh
Inverted commas are used around Indonesia because the term 'Indonesia' is a relatively recent concept in the long history
of the archipelago.
1
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14th century, the Joyoboyo Prophecy
King Joyoboyo forecasts that the 'white buffalo' would rule Java until expelled by the 'yellow
chicken' who would govern for the life of a maize plant (three years) before a ratu adil (just
prince) will take power to usher in a golden age.
15th century
Kingdom of Malacca (on the Malay Peninsular) becomes the centre of power
of the archipelago; controls trade through the Malacca Strait
Early 16th
century
The seafaring kingdoms of Makassar and Gowa (of southwest Sulawesi)
come to prominence. Their trade extends to West Papua and Northern
Australia.
1511
Portuguese capture Malacca however are defeated in the east by the
Makassarese
Late 16th
century
Other European traders arrive including Dutch, English and Spanish
Some facts…

Indonesia is made up of about 13,667 islands.

There are around three hundred different ethnic groups, each with its distinct cultural
identity.

There are presently more than 250 languages spoken across the nation, however according
to Hildred Geertz, most of the languages belong to a single linguistic family - MalayoPolynesian.

The lingua franca is Indonesian, or Bahasa Indonesia. (Bahasa simply means language). A
simplified history of the development of Bahasa Indonesia is that it is based on Bahasa
Melayu, which was once the dominant language of trade throughout the archipelago as well
as what is now Malaysia. The language was later adopted by the Dutch as the language of
administration for the Dutch East Indies and was used by early Indonesian nationalists, most
prominently Sukarno, as a unifying factor of the peoples of the archipelago, finally to be
declared the official language in 1945.

The Republic of Indonesia emerged from Dutch imperialism on 17 August 1945 Indonesian Independence Day. However, this was not recognised by the rest of the world
until December 1949, following a four-year revolutionary war against the Dutch.

The Darul Islam (Abode of Islam) movement declared itself Indonesia’s legitimate
government in August of 1949. Under its leader, an Islamic mystic named Kartosuwirjo, it
managed to gain control over much of western Java. Aceh joined Darul Islam in 1953.
Kartosuwirjo was captured and executed in 1962 and the government granted Aceh "special
status" in return for acceptance of Indonesian authority, thus leading to the downfall of the
Darul Islam movement
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From the Colonial Period to Independent nation-state
Early 17th century
The VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, United East India Company) merchants, a
government monopoly, attack and defeat the Portuguese bases in Java and eastern Indonesia and
set up headquarters in Jayakarta, present day Jakarta, and rename the city Batavia. "Indonesia" at
this time was known as the "Netherlands Indies".
1799
The Dutch government takes control of the VOC
1873 - 1908
The Aceh War – 35 year war between the Dutch and the Acehnese
1927
Partai Nasional Indonesia (PNI, Indonesian Nationalist Party) formed with
Sukarno at its head. Sukarno and other PNI leaders were arrested in 1929
and sent into exile.
1942 - 45
The Japanese armed forces occupy the territory of the Netherlands Indies. They free PNI
leaders to help spread propaganda in support of the Japanese occupation. They create and train a
national army that would defend itself against further colonial advancement and later become
the Indonesian National Army.
August 9, 1945
South Vietnam
Sukarno, Hatta and Radjiman fly to Dalat, South Vietnam to be told
formally by Marshall Terauchi, Commander of the Japanese Southern Army,
that independence is theirs.
From: Reid, J.S. 1974 Indonesian National Revolution, 1945-50, Longman, Aus,
p31.
August 17, 1945
Sukarno and Hatta declare independence in Jakarta
1945 - 49
Independence War against the Dutch
December, 1949
Indonesia’s independence
sovereignty
1945 - 57
Indonesia enjoys a democratic form of government
1953 - 59
Darul Islam (House of Islam) movement - fighting for an Islamic State
1959
Aceh is granted "special territory" status, conferring greater autonomy in
religious, educational and cultural matters
35
recognised,
Dutch
formally
hand
over
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From the Colonial Period to Independent nation-state
1957 - 66
Sukarno's authoritarian "Guided Democracy" introduced and Martial Law
declared. This was a response to the loss of control of the outer islands and
incipient rebellions resulting from dissatisfaction of the central control of
Jakarta. Martial Law enabled the army to expand its role into the fields of
politics, administration and economy.
May 1, 1963
Jakarta assumes sovereignty over West Papua, Martial Law lifted
September 30 1965 - G30S
Sukarno is ousted through a Suharto-led, CIA backed military coup, blamed on the (PKI, Partai
Komunis Indonesia, Indonesian Communist Party). The massacres that followed led to the physical
annihilation of the once powerful PKI between September 1965 and early 1966. Estimates range
between 78,000 to 2 million people killed. Known as the "G30S" - Gerakan 30 September,
September 30 movement.
1966 - 68
General Suharto effectively takes control in March 1966, becomes 'acting
president' in March 1967 and finally 'elected' president in March 1968; thus
begins the 'New Order' period of Indonesian politics
1969
West Papua became the twenty-sixth province of Indonesia after the socalled "Act of Free Choice", sponsored by the UN, which saw the transfer
of official administration from The Netherlands, the colonial power, to
Indonesia
1973
Irian Jaya, "Victorious Irian" by Suharto. The name "Irian" is considered
offensive to the West Papuans
1975
Invasion of East Timor
September 7,
1984
Tanjung Priok Tragedy - A demonstration by Muslims in Jakarta Witnesses
report 700 people shot dead, the government reports 9 dead and 53 injured.
November 12,
'91
Santa Cruz Massacre, Dili, East Timor
July 1997, Krismon
The Asian Economic Crisis or Krismon (Krisis moneter, Monetary Crisis) hits
Indonesia
1997 - 98
Rising prices lead to riots; mainly Chinese communities targeted; around
1200 people killed and hundreds raped and thousands injured in Jakarta
alone
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From the Colonial Period to Independent nation-state
1998

February, Suharto reelected

May 12, "Trisakti Tragedy" - 4 students calling for Suharto to step down are killed by army
snipers during demonstrations at Trisakti University in Jakarta,

May 21, Suharto resigns, Vice-president BJ Habibie sworn in as president

November 13, "Semanggi I" - Five students killed during demonstrations.

November ,1999 "Semanggi II"
NGOs report much of the violence that erupted in 1998-99 was instigated by provocateurs with
military backing.
1998-99
Ethnic and religious violence breaks out on the islands of Madura,
Kalimantan, Sulawesi and in Maluku;
The Indonesian Armed Forces
Until 1998, the three military services (land, navy and air) which made up the TNI (Tentara
Nasional Indonesia, Indonesian National Army) and the police - PolRI, (Polisi Republik Indonesia,
Police of the Republic of Indonesia) were together known as ABRI (Angkatan Bersenjata Republik
Indonesia, Indonesian Armed Forces). On 1 April 1999 the police force was separated from
military command with the aim of reducing its military image and refocussing on police
functions. Consequently, the term ABRI has been dropped and the armed forces are now
known as the TNI.
Dwi fungsi
Since the 1950s the TNI has had a 'Dwi fungsi' (dual function) within Indonesia. As well as its
role as a military service, the TNI has carried responsibility for the economic, social and political
development of Indonesia. It is this role which has come under criticism most heavily since 1997
and it is here that the TNI is under most pressure to change.
In part from, Indonesian Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia), Research Paper 23,
1998-99, by Bob Lowry, Consultant, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade group, 29 June 1999
www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rp/1998-99/99rp23.htm
Habibie
Under Habibie, the government released political prisoners, ratified the international convention
against torture, formally removed the police from military control, agreed to a UN-supervised
referendum on the political future of East Timor, and, in June 1999, lifted restrictions on
political parties and presided over the most democratic elections in Indonesia since 1955.
However, as the Timor carnage vividly demonstrated, he was unwilling or unable to move
against military leaders responsible for forced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings,
or
to
put
an
end
to
abuses
in
trouble
spots.
(http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/07/wahidlegacy0726.htm)
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E V E N T S
From the Colonial Period to Independent nation-state
Early 1999
Calls for referendum's on independence resound in both Aceh and West
Papua
June 7, 1999
Indonesia holds its first free elections since 1955 to choose a new national
parliament (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, DPR) as well as provincial and local
legislatures. Megawati Sukarnoputri's PDI-P (Partai Demokratik Indonesia Perjuangan, Indonesia Democracy Party - Struggle) gets the majority of seats.
August 30, 1999
East Timor votes 78.5% in favour of independence, followed by militarybacked pro-integration militia violence
September, 1999
Three UNHCR workers killed at the border town of Atambua, West Timor.
October 20, 1999
The People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat, MPR)
elect Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) as president and Megawati
Sukarnoputri as vice president to govern for the next five years
Gus Dur
Gus Dur, a man who came to power through astute parliamentary politics, proved to be an utter
failure at the daily politics necessary to run the country effectively.
Gus Dur's record was particular disappointing on trouble spots such as Aceh and Papua. Gus
Dur recognized that violently suppressing separatist sentiment in the long-term was likely to
backfire and to further fuel armed opposition to Jakarta. He supported a cease-fire in Aceh and
welcomed the mediation efforts of the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. In
Papua, he apologized for four decades of mistreatment of the population under de facto martial
law, and encouraged Papuan leaders to hold province-wide congresses in which they openly
expressed their grievances with Jakarta and their political aspirations. But these initial steps were
not carried through in any consistent fashion as Gus Dur's attention repeatedly returned to real
and perceived political enemies in Jakarta.
Perhaps Gus Dur's most glaring failure was his failure to take decisive action to confront
Indonesia's violent past and thereby provide greater protection against future violence. He never
clearly articulated the extent to which Indonesia's current crises reflected the legacy of statebacked violence bequeathed by Soeharto, let alone how, practically, the nation should go about
facing that legacy in building a new society.
Despite the horrific record of the armed forces since 1965, not a single high-ranking military
officer was prosecuted during his tenure.
From Indonesia: Abdurrahman Wahid's Human Rights Legacy, July 27, 2001 New York
(http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/07/wahidlegacy0726.htm)
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From the Colonial Period to Independent nation-state
November 8,
1999
A gathering organised by SIRA (Sentral Informasi Referendum Aceh) in
Banda Aceh in support for a referendum on independence reports 1.5
million people in attendance at the peaceful demonstration. The population
of Aceh is approximately 4 million.
November 8,
2000
A second attempt to rally for a referendum on independence for Aceh is
made, however Indonesian armed forces reportedly block all movement to
Banda Aceh. A local NGO reports 65 people killed between November 8
and 14 and hundreds tortured.
July 23, 2001
President Abdurrahman Wahid forced out of his presidency through
impeachment; replaced by Megawati Sukarnoputri, Indonesia's 5th president
September, 2001
Aceh's status changes in a deal between the local government and Jakarta,
and the province is formally renamed to Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
(NAD)
Megawati
After one year in office, President Megawati's administration has restored a degree of political
stability in Indonesia. But her efforts to secure support and stability have led to a retrenchment
of many of the old interests of the Soeharto regime that ruled for three decades, most notably
the military. The last year has seen a resurgent military, while half-hearted judicial measures
against corruption and human rights abuses have only demonstrated the level of impunity.
Megawati's administration has yet to deal effectively with problems of military reform, the
ongoing violence in conflict areas such as Aceh and Papua, and attacks on human rights
defenders.
From The Indonesian Military and Ongoing Abuses New York, July, 2002
http://hrw.org//backgrounder/asia/indo-bck0702.htm
October 12, 2002
Nearly 200 people, mostly westerners, killed in a bombing of a night club in
Bali
December
2002
9, Peace Accord signed between GAM and GoI – facilitated by the Genevabased Henry Dunant Center for Humanitarian Dialogue. The Accord calls
for establishing monitoring teams comprised of GAM, Indonesian, and
International to ensure the cease-fire holds.
December,
2002
10 12 International monitors arrive in Banda Aceh to assist in overseeing the
peace accords
Sources include:
-
Editors notes
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C U R R E N T
E V E N T S
-
Hildred Geertz, Ch. 2, Indonesian Cultures and Communities, in Ruth T. McVey (ed.) Indonesia
Newhaven: Human Relations Area Files, 1963, pp24-41
-
Clifford Geertz, The Religion of Java The University of Chicago Press, 1976
-
Hamish McDonald, Suharto's Indonesia, Fontana/Collins, 1980
-
Benedict O'Gorman Anderson, "Old State, New Society: Indonesia's New Order in
Comparative Historical Perspective", in his Language and Power: Exploring Political
Cultures in Indonesia Cornell University Press, 1990, pp. 94-120
-
M.C. Ricklefs in his study A History of Modern Indonesia
-
Reid, J.S. 1974 Indonesian National Revolution, 1945-50, Longman, Aus.
-
Footnotes to History, http://www.buckyogi.addr.com/footnotes/index.htm
-
http://www.elsam.minihub.org
-
http://www.asiasociety.org/publications/indonesia/
-
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/07/wahidlegacy0726.htm
-
http://www.ploughshares.ca/content/ACR/ACR00/ACR00-IndonesiaIrianJaya.html
-
Bob Lowry, Indonesian Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia), Research Paper
23, 1998-99, by, Consultant, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade group, 29 June 1999
www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rp/1998-99/99rp23.htm
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E V E N T S
UN Treaties Ratified by Indonesia
Date of admission to UN: 28 September 1950; readmitted: 28 September 1966.
Land and People
Indonesia has not submitted a core document for use by the treaty bodies.
Racial Discrimination
Acceded: 25 June 1999
Indonesia's initial and second periodic reports were due 25 July 2000 and 2002
respectively.
Reservations noted for Article 22.
Discrimination against Women
Signed: 29 July 1980; ratified: 13 September 1984.
Indonesia's fourth and fifth periodic reports were due 13 October 1997 and 2001
respectively.
Reservations noted for Article 29 paragraph 1.
Optional Protocol: Signed: 28 February 2000
Torture
Signed: 23 October 1985; ratified: 28 October 1998.
Indonesia's initial report ( CAT/C/47/Add.3) was considered by the Committee at its
November 2001 session; the second periodic report is due 27 November 2003.
Reservations noted for: Articles 20, paragraph 1, 2 and 3 and 30, paragraph 1.
Rights of the Child
Signed: 26 January 1990; ratified: 5 September 1990.
Indonesia's second periodic report has been submitted (CRC/C/65/Add.23) but is not
yet scheduled for consideration by the Committee; the third periodic report was due 4
October 2002.
Reservations noted for Articles 1, 14, 16, 17, 21, 22 and 29; seven states filed
objections to the reservations.
Optional Protocol (Sale of Children): Signed: 24 September 2001.
Optional Protocol (Armed Conflict): Signed: 24 September 2001.
Source: Human Rights Internet (HRI)
For the Record 2002: The United Nations Human Right Record
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A C C O M P A N I M E N T
T H E O R Y
Section
E
E. Protective Accompaniment Theory
What is Protective Accompaniment and
How Does it Work?
The term “unarmed bodyguards” is dramatic but somewhat misleading. Volunteers providing
protective accompaniment to human rights activists do not offer physical protection from
violence, but rather represent the potential political consequences of violence used against those
activists. Their presence is a deterrent to violence.
Accompaniment theory talks about two kinds of deterrence: general and immediate.
The accompaniment volunteer both represents general deterrence, and is an immediate
deterrent.
General deterrence is the combination of international and local efforts towards protecting
human rights in a conflict area. Factors which can act as a general deterrent to parties using
violence include:

historical examples of punishment of human rights violators by the State;

diplomatic action against a State for failing to punish human rights violators;

potential international sanctions against a State or lobbying against aid;

the attention of international media;

local and international protests and condemnation.
-Adapted from "Unarmed Bodyguards"
Prior to the establishment of a Project, and continually during the life of a Project, Project
representatives and Team members work on developing a broad and strategic Political Support
Network to fortify the work of the Team on the ground. This network includes other INGOs
and embassies in and around the conflict area, as well as politicians, legal, academic and church
representatives, politicians and NGOs internationally. All parties involved the conflict, from
local “actors” to individuals at each level of police, government and military hierarchies, are
made aware of these networks and PBI’s ability to general an immediate, high-level international
response if themselves or their clients are subjected to intimidation or violence.
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While PBI’s work of protective
accompaniment may seem, and is, radical,
an unarmed international protective
presence is not an entirely new concept.
To quote again from “Unarmed
Bodyguards”,
“The modern notion of a
nongovernmental, international
protective presence can be traced at least
to the formation of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in
1863, the first NGO to convince warring
nations to honour the moral and
symbolic force of an outside neutral
party. The bulk of subsequent
international human rights and
humanitarian law presupposes a deterring
effect of international moral pressure.
The formation and growth of NGOs
such as Amnesty International in the
1960s and 1970s broadened this concept
by involving everyday citizens in direct
pressure campaigns. By building a
network of letter-writers, Amnesty
proved that even unknown prisoners in
obscure parts of the world could be
protected by the power of international
opinion. Whereas Amnesty protects the
rights of political prisoners by exerting
pressure with an onslaught of letters,
accompaniment manifests similar
pressure much more immediately, with
volunteers risking their lives to stand
beside human rights activists- to prevent
arrest or attack.”
Liam Mahoney, "Unarmed
Bodyguards"
A C C O M P A N I M E N T
T H E O R Y
Immediate deterrence is provided:

by the presence of an international volunteer

accompanying a specific “target”

within a given timeframe

with prior notice given to particular potential aggressors

who have previously been made aware of PBI’s ability to
draw on their local and international networks, if violence
occurs towards that “target” while they have an
accompaniment relationship with PBI.
Immediate deterrence is also the power of bearing witness.
It is the fact that potential aggressors run a higher risk of
experiencing negative consequences if they use violence when
a third party is watching. In terms of a cost-benefit analysis,
the idea is that protective accompaniment raises the political
costs of using violence so that they outweigh the perceived
benefits of using violence.
- Adapted from "Unarmed Bodyguards"
Historically and currently, there is a broad and rich history of
groups and individuals employing methods of TPNI (Third
Party Nonviolent Intervention) to reduce the level of violence
in a conflict. Other organisations such as the Christian
Peacemakers and Witness for Peace also utilise protective
accompaniment, but with differing aims and mandates to PBI.
However, PBI’s particular “brand” of nonviolent, non-partisan
protective accompaniment specifically works to increase the
political space available to nonviolent actors in a violent conflict.
-
Adapted from George Lakey, "Training in Nonviolent Intervention"
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A C C O M P A N I M E N T
T H E O R Y
Political Space
The US State Department definition
of terrorism is:
“the use or threatened use of violence
for political purposes to create a state
of fear that will aid in extorting,
coercing, intimidating or otherwise
causing individuals or groups to alter
their behaviour".
from "Unarmed
Bodyguards"
The individuals and organisations who request accompaniment
by PBI have been dissuaded from carrying out their work by
threats of, or actual use of, violence against themselves, their
organisations, and their families, by a number of violent “actors”.
The threat of these consequences restricts their activities and
their behaviour, or shrinks the political space available to them
for action. PBI attempts, by diminishing the threat of violence
through dissuasion of potentially violent actors, to expand the
political space in which threatened activists work. Likewise, when
aggressors in a conflict are able to operate with impunity- that is,
they have little fear of consequences of their actions- they have a
vast amount of political space in which to act. The threat of
consequences represented by the accompaniment volunteer
ideally works to shrink their political space.
-Adapted from "Unarmed Bodyguards"
“The concept of political space is crucial to understanding how the incremental protection
and encouragement provided by accompaniment interact with each other. Each actor in
a complex conflict situation, whether a soldier or a human rights activist, perceives a
broad array of possible political actions and associates a certain cost or set of
consequences with each action. The actor perceives some costs as acceptable, thereby
defining the limits of a distinct political space (see figure 1)
Figure 1 Each Actor's Political Space
Actions with Unacceptable Costs
Actions with Acceptable Costs
Accompaniment alters this mapping of political space for a threatened human rights
activist (see figure 2). It shifts the borderline upward, expanding the space of political
action available to the activist. The middle ground is made up of actions that will no
longer be attacked in an unbearable fashion. There are still actions that will provoke
unacceptable consequences, even with accompaniment.
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P R O T E C T I V E
A C C O M P A N I M E N T
Figure 2
T H E O R Y
Figure 3
Accompanied Actor's
Political Space
Aggressor's Space for
Repressive Action
Unacceptable Costs
Unacceptable Costs
Effect of Accompaniment
Effect of Accompaniment
Acceptable
Costs
Acceptable
Costs consequences can be fluid over
The notion
of “acceptable”
time and
varies greatly
among individuals and organisations. For some, torture or death
of a family member
(Impunity)
might be the most unbearable consequence. For others, a threshold might be crossed at
the first threat. An organisation might be willing to risk the death of a member, but not
the annihilation of the whole group.
The political space of an aggressor is also affected by the accompaniment, which tends
to limit, or shrink, the available space for violent or repressive action- which we call
“impunity space” (see figure 3). Again, there are still actions whose consequences are
acceptable. As it is with the activist, so it is with the aggressor: the concept of
“acceptable” is fluid and variable. One government official might be extremely savvy and
sensitive to international criticism, whereas an independent death-squad leader might be
relatively impervious.
Accompaniment is effective, in both figures 2 and 3, in the grey zone. If the aggressor’s
ability to attack has been significantly limited, the presence is a real protection. If the
activists can carry out significant activities that they otherwise would have avoided, then
that accompaniment has contributed to the strength and growth of a nonviolent civil
society."
- Liam Mahoney, "Unarmed Bodyguards"
Horizontal vs Vertical Conflict
Protective accompaniment will not be effective in all conflicts or contexts. PBI’s kind of protective
accompaniment is usually limited to work in situations where the aggressors are susceptible to some
sort of internal or international pressure - where they have “something to lose” by using violence. In
considering a request to establish a Project in a conflict area, the International and Indonesia Project
Committees will take many factors into account, and an intensive analysis of the conflict will be
conducted.
One analysis involves visualising conflicts as being conducted on one of two planes:
46
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horizontal or vertical.

A horizontal conflict is one in which the actors have relatively equal power.
So-called “ethnic” or religious conflicts can fall into this category. An example of horizontal
conflict is the conflict between some of the states in Africa. PBI’s protective accompaniment
usually will not work in a horizontal conflict as neither of the actors is subject to
international pressure and so has nothing to lose by attracting international condemnation.

A vertical conflict is between a party in power and a party which lacks formal power, ie. a conflict
between a Government and a section of the population, or a conflict in which a
Government has the ability to exert some control over the armed actors (ie. the army).
Protective accompaniment can be effective in this situation for the reasons considered in the
above discussion on deterrence.
You will go into conflict analysis in more depth in this Training. You will look at PBI’s criteria
for evaluating requests from actors in a conflict situation, and you will also do an exercise in
Conflict Mapping, in which you will analyse all the “actors” in a conflict, where their interests lie,
what motivates them, and what they fear, in order to assess where they are vulnerable to
international pressure.
47
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A C C O M P A N I M E N T
Section
F
F. Field Work: Protective Accompaniment
Work of the Project
From the Indonesia Project 6 Month Narrative and Financial Report, January – June, 2004.
The Aceh Sub-team, Based in Medan
For almost one year, due to ongoing restrictions to access the province, PBI has been working
from Medan to support and to provide protective services to six client organisations based in
Aceh. During December 2003 face-to-face meetings, client suggestions for PBI included
organising more face-to-face meetings, as clients viewed this as the safest and most effective
way of reporting sensitive information to PBI; organising a peace education workshop; continuing
and expanding the Clients’ Newsletter; and organising open discussions in Medan for clients to
meet and share information in a way that is not possible under martial law.
Over the last six months, the sub-team has welcomed several opportunities to meet face to face
with clients when they came to Medan for workshops, meetings, and other activities. In addition,
PBI volunteers met with a representative of each PBI client organisation during PBI’s triennial
evaluation that took place in May 2004. The sub-team has begun inviting approximately four
members from different client organisations every month to Medan for face-to-face check-in
meetings, on a rotating basis.
The sub-team kept pursuing the general goals of PBI-IP such as maintaining its complementary
contribution to create space for peace and to protect human rights. During the last six months, the
sub-team has conducted meetings with security and political support networks, including with
consulates and both international and local NGOs. As well, the sub-team met with local
government and military authorities through normal face-to-face meetings and at inter-agency &
government meetings. The sub-team also socialized PBI with local academics at USU (University
of Sumatra Utara), and at Darma Agung University. Moreover, the sub-team gave a PBI
presentation on three different occasions: at Darma Agung University, at an inter-agency &
government meeting on IDPs (Internally Displaced People) at FFI (Flora and Fauna International)
and at the Humanitarian/Conservation/Government/IDPs’ representative meeting. PBI goals and
principles were presented, along with the current projects and the work carried out by the subteams in Indonesia. The presentation given at the university included an open discussion on
nonviolence and nonviolent intervention as a way to stimulate and promote peace initiatives by
the people themselves in conflict areas.
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PBI volunteers have also written articles both for the PBI editorial about the Indonesian Project,
Pa Khabar, and for their national Country Groups, thus raising international awareness on the
condition of both local activists and civil society in Aceh. The sub-team regularly authored the BiWeekly Update as a way of raising awareness of the situation in the province and building its
support networks. In addition, the sub-team has produced five editions of the PBI client
newsletter, keeping the clients up to date with the work and the organisational news of the
Indonesia Project, as well as other issues that may be interesting for them. PBI volunteers also
completed an assessment for a peace education workshop to be carried out in September 2004
with PBI client organisations from Aceh, and developed an ongoing strategy for returning to Aceh.
The Jakarta sub-team
The international community has still not been successful in returning to Aceh. Over the past six
months, the Jakarta sub-team has faced these challenges, as it works on various strategies,
through both possible government departments, trainings, networking on all levels as well
strategic lobbying to gain access where others had failed, but can report no success.
Nonetheless, we still support our clients in the only way possible: long-distance. PBI has refined
this skill in the past half year, making it an instrument that is becoming more and more useful,
aiding in keeping the limited space civil society actors have open, even if it does not provide
means of increasing this space. The Jakarta sub-team supports the Medan sub-team in this task,
as well as supporting the clients residing outside of the troubled province. This support consists of
checking in with our clients face to face, but also over the telephone. Specific lobby attempts lead
to clients being assured ways in which other members of the international community could
ensure a measure of safety and room for their activities in the field of human rights.
Furthermore, the Jakarta sub-team is supporting the Jayapura based Papua sub-team. The ability
to establish a presence in the province was to a greater extent due to lobby efforts in Jakarta with
the Indonesian Government, the security forces, the NGO community and the diplomatic
community.
The Jakarta sub-team has also played a vital role in organizing and facilitating peace education
and conflict resolution workshops together with the Peace Education subcommittee and the
Directorate General of Human Rights and has thus increased its capacity in that field of the PBI
mandate.
The Jakarta sub-team has explored ways to stabilize its presence and securing its status in
Indonesia. The Project is still in the process of registering as an official organization in the
country, which will give PBI a much stronger standing. The Jakarta team has also focussed on
building a stronger national security network at the level of the central government. Building
strong relations with the Department of Justice and Human Rights and deepening the relationship
with our current sponsor Komnas HAM, the National Commission for Human Rights. We have
gained good contacts in various departments.
The Papua Team
Prior to deploying to Jayapura in March, the Papua Sub-Team met with diplomatic contacts,
Government of Indonesia officials and officers at Security Forces Headquarters in Jakarta. The
desired outcome of these meetings was to inform these groups of PBI’s work in general and of
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our intentions in Papua specifically—towards the goal of strengthening support for the Papua
Sub-Team at the national level.
The outcome of the Papua sub-team’s meetings with international diplomatic contacts and
embassies was assurance of (general) support for PBI’s efforts in Papua. Many of PBI’s contacts
were of the opinion that Papua is the most politically sensitive area in Indonesia currently and that
the conflict there is still primarily latent. They expressed having experienced Papuan authorities
harbouring suspicion towards foreigners, especially those working with NGO’s focussing on
Human Rights. It was thought that many members of authorities would be extremely hesitant to
meet with members of the Papua sub-team and this may inhibit our ability to be effective in the
province.
PBI’s contacts were also very forthcoming with useful practical advice and provided the sub-team
with critical contacts. This information proved invaluable when the sub-team was working to build
national support with the Government of Indonesia and national level Security Forces.
The Papua sub-team has met with members of NGO’s based in the Jayapura area:
-
ElsHAM (Institute for the Study and Advocacy of Human Rights)
-
Kontras (Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence)
-
ALDP (Democratic Alliance for Papua)
-
P3W (Pusat Perbangunan Perempuan)
-
LBH (Legal Aid Foundation)
The sub-team is still early in the process building trust and relationships with these organisations
but in initial meetings, all groups seemed receptive to, and encouraging of, PBI’s presence in
Papua.
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How we Select Groups/Individuals To
Accompany
Should PBI work with this NGO?

Legal/legitimacy issues (the illegality of an activity eliminates the possibility for PBI presence –
compromises our work.)

It fits within our work plan and complies with our criteria for work

Previous PBI commitment with the organization

Team/project/organizational ability at the moment: human and economic resources

Level of communication/dedication of the NGO
Background Information

Actors/interest/existence of lines of authority/relationship between actors

Objectives of the organization in this panorama

Previous PBI or international organization presence in the situation

Stereotypes of international accompaniment
Target of international presence

Identify repressive actors

Needs/opportunities of the repressive actor

Does international presence affect them? How to mediate this?

Communicate to repressive actors our objectives, commitment to dissuasion

Objective of accompaniment/strategy to follow/resources to do it.
Influence of PBI accompaniment

What is the level of dissuasion against threats?

Is PBI’s level of support/public relations sufficient

Implication of working in this zone for other NGOs

Level of threat? Level of confrontation?

Security measures (resources) are appropriate

Analysis of the level of confrontation of the NGO.
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Flow Chart for Selecting Requests
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Accept
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Considerations For Accepting a Request
In order to increase the safety and security of Peace Brigades International (PBI) field volunteers and
our clients, the Indonesia Project has established the following guidelines when undertaking a
Protective Accompaniment (PA) request.
Receiving Requests
PBI must first establish a local NGO or individual as a client before being able to accept PA
requests.
In order to ensure PBI has the proper human resources in place, PBI asks the client to
provide us with advance notice of any requests. However, due to the quickly changing
security situation, and the nature of threats, PBI will consider all requests promptly and
attempt to undertake them even with short notice.
Requirements of Safety
PBI policy requires that two (2) team members go on accompaniments. Exceptions may be
made if the accompaniment is occurring in town, if human resources are limited or space
does not permit more than one PBI volunteer.
In advance of each accompaniment, PBI must contact the proper military and governmental
authorities to inform them of the travel plans and ensure the field situation permits, in PBI’s
judgment, safe travel.
Requirements of Neutrality
In order to remain neutral and separate from the client, PBI volunteers must cover their own
expenses incurred during the accompaniment including the cost of meals, transportation and
lodging.
During the course of the accompaniment, PBI volunteers are not able to assist the client in
undertaking their work.
Ongoing Evaluation of Agreement with Client
On an ongoing basis, PBI and the client will evaluate our agreement to provide PA services to
ensure the relationship is effective and relevant.
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Agreement Template - Accepting a Group
to Accompany
This document is an agreement between Client, from hereon referred to as the Client, and Peace
Brigades International, from hereon PBI.
The agreement is private between the Client and PBI, and will not be made public, unless by agreement
of both parties.
Article 1. PBI will offer accompaniment to the workers of Client include details of the regular PA
schedule here
Paragraph 1. The accompaniment must be within the framework of the PBI mandate.
Article 2. PBI accompanies with its physical presence the members of the Client as above mentioned.
Article 3. PBI, via its Support Network, publications, and relations with national and international
authorities and institutions, will mention and explicitly include this accompaniment.
Article 4. PBI will publicize via its publications and public relations opportunities the information
regarding accompaniment that it carries out with the Client with prior authorization from Client.
Article 5. PBI will inform the civil, police and military authorities of the dates and itinerary of
accompaniments with the Client.
Article 6. PBI and the Client will jointly develop a security plan for each accompaniment.
Article 7. PBI will pay for the cost of travel, lodging, and food of its members.
Article 8. PBI will not carry out “low profile” accompaniments because of the risks this encompasses
and because “low profile” accompaniment runs counter to PBI’s strategy of transparency in its work.
Article 9. PBI will not accompany armed persons or members of the Client who are escorted by armed
personnel.
Article 10. PBI will communicate any inability to carry out an accompaniment, explain the reasons it
was not able to undertake the request and propose alternatives to the Client.
Article 11. PBI will not be present in public relations meetings of the Client. PBI, in accordance with its
mandate and criteria, may under extraordinary circumstances participate in meetings between the Client
and the authorities.
Article 12. PBI will not facilitate or set up appointments with the accredited diplomatic corps in
Jakarta or agencies by request of its counterparts.
Article 13. Requests for accompaniment are required for those cases that fall outside the normal daily
and weekly plan agreed to between PBI and the Client.
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Paragraph 1. The Client will define in advance the request for accompaniment. Insofar as
circumstances permit, these will be in writing.
Paragraph 2. The Client agrees to inform PBI of the objectives, length and approximate
itineraries for each accompaniment request.
Paragraph 3. The Client will request accompaniments outside the normal places of permanent
presence with 48 hours notice.
Paragraph 4. The Client agrees to request accompaniment of PBI with 15 days advance notice
for those activities which require a measured preparation in terms of communication and
public relations.
Article 14. The Client will delegate two people from Client, as communication contacts and those
responsible for writing up the accompaniment requests. Only from the two contacts will PBI-Aceh
receive requests.
Paragraph 1. The designated contacts from Client are XXXX and XXXX.
Paragraph 2. The Client will inform PBI in writing of any change of contacts.
Article 15. PBI and the Client will meet once a month and whenever necessary to evaluate the work
and accompaniment plan, the relationship, and produce a joint report.
Paragraph 1. The evaluations will take into account the effectiveness of accompaniment with
the goal of proposing how to improve PBI’s presence, as well as the possibility of exploring
the suspension of accompaniment if its capacity has diminished below reasonable limits.
Article 16. This agreement will be reviewed at the request of either party.
Article 17. In the event that these norms are not respected, PBI will stop accompanying the Client. In this case, there will
be an agreement of how to proceed that will not affect the image of PBI or the Client.
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Section
G
G. Protective Accompaniment – In Detail
This chapter builds on the previous one by outlining the organizations we accompany, and demonstrates the administrative
processes used by the teams in conducting Protective Accompaniment (PA), as well as providing some example letters and
documents that are used to support PA's.
Organzations Accompanied by
PBI in Aceh
Peace is not the product of
a victory or a command. It
has no finishing line, no
final deadline, no fixed
definition of achievement.
Peace is a never-ending
process, the work of many
decisions.
Oscar Arias
Flower Aceh
Flower Aceh provides economic support and empowerment for women, as
well as prenatal care and legal aid, and is based in Banda Aceh. Director
Suraiya Kamaruzzaman set up Flower Aceh in 1989 to focus on women’s
issues, reproductive rights and helping women set up small businesses as a
way of ensuring their individual independence. One of their most difficult
campaigns has been to speak out on behalf of women who have been
raped. Currently, Flower Aceh focuses on monitoring the conditions in the
refugee camps and human rights abuses by armed actors. In early
December 2001 Suraiya received the Yap Thiam Hien Award 2001 for her
commitment to human rights issues. PBI accepted Flower Aceh as a client
in March 2001, and has been providing accompaniment since then.
Koalisi NGO HAM Aceh (Coalition of NonGovernmental Organisations for Human Rights,
Aceh)
Koalisi NGO HAM is a network of human rights NGOs that carry out
advocacy through data collection, campaigning and legal assistance. The
organisation has branch offices in six districts of Aceh. PBI accepted
Koalisi NGO HAM Aceh as a client for protective accompaniment in late
April 2001. The request came following the killing of a Koalisi lawyer in
South Aceh. Since then, PBI has provided regular accompaniment at their
office in the capital, Banda Aceh, and for PB HAM branch offices in North
Aceh.
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LBH Banda Aceh (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum,
Legal Aid Foundation, Banda Aceh)
LBH provides civil rights and legal advocacy. The organization has as one of
it’s aims to eliminate social, political and cultural inequality as key obstacles to
political transition, and further strives to empower civil society, especially
labour, farmers, fishers and poor urban groups, in struggling for their rights.
PBI accepted LBH as a client in October 2001 and has been providing
protective accompaniment since that time.
RATA (Rehabilitation Action for Torture Victims in
Aceh)
RATA was founded in October 1999 as a partner organization of the Danish
IRCT (International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims). It is a
humanitarian aid organization whose main objective is to provide
rehabilitation for torture survivors of the DOM (Daerah Operasi Militer,
Military Operations Area) period in Aceh, which lasted from 1989 to 1998,
through the establishment of a program that includes: 1) a centre capable of
providing special medical and psychological treatment to torture victims, and
2) a functioning community-based network comprising volunteers, health
professionals, government agencies, and NGOs. Their work includes
treatment, training, transporting patients, documentation, prevention and
networking. PBI accepted RATA as a client in early January 2001, shortly
after three of its volunteers were killed, and has been providing protective
accompaniment in the capital, Banda Aceh, and elsewhere in the province
since May 2001.
RPuK (Tim Relawan Perempuan untuk
Kemanusiaan, Women’s Volunteer Team for
Humanity)
RPuK was founded by women from various NGOs and works on the
principles of honesty, nonviolence, independence, solidarity and neutrality.
RPuK provides direct and logistical assistance to women and children in IDP
(Internally Displaced Persons) camps, alternative education for children in
IDP camps, as well as rehabilitation for former IDP women and children.
They work with partner NGOs and over fifty volunteers throughout the
province, and carry out field work to assess conditions for IDPs. RPuK has
been a client of PBI since June 2001, and PBI has been providing protective
accompaniment into the field since August 2001.
SPKP-HAM (Solidaritas Persaudaran Korban
Pelanggaran Hak Asasi Manusia Aceh,
Association of Human Rights Abuse Victims)
SPKP-HAM is a province-wide network of torture survivors, founded in
November 2000. Directed by a secretariat located in Banda Aceh, with
branches in seven districts, their work consists of aiding survivors of human
rights violations through assistance with medical costs, transportation to the
hospital or health centre, and accompaniment to legal aid foundations. SPKP58
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HAM also lobbies the Indonesian government for survivor rights, including
compensation for loss of property and rehabilitation for physical loss. PBI
accepted SPKP-HAM as a client in April 2001, and has been providing protective
accompaniment ever since.
LBH-APIK Aceh (Lembaga Batuan Hukum - Asosiasi
Perempuan Indonesia untuk Keadilan, Legal Aid
Organisation for Women’s rights and justice in
Indonesia)
LBH APIK Aceh is a legal aid NGO based in Lhokseumawe since 1999. The
objectives of LBH APIK are to empower women and to reduce gender gaps,
through working for a judicial system that is fair from a gender perspective so that
women and children are not marginalised. LBH APIK Aceh provides legal aid
primarily for women and children. They work in four areas: legal aid, education
and information about law, publication/ information/ documentation, and
networking with other organisations working in the same field. They were
accepted as a PBI client in May 2003.
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Protective Accompaniment Request
This PA Request form is something the team creates - based on the request from the client
organisation. The purpose of the document is to share with the rest of the sub-teams and Project
Committee all of the details of the request in a clear and systemic way. This is usually the first report
written following a request and is shared immediately with other IP members.
Date of Request
28-Aug-01
LBH, Banda Aceh
Contact person(s):
Tarmiji
Contact info:
LBH office 0651-34350
Background:
The DMD (Peace Dialogue) GAM negotiators were arrested on 20 July 2001 and charged with subversion. Lawyers from
Koalisi NGO HAM and LBH have been representing the negotiators.
Sidney Jones (Human Rights Watch), Rey Coloma (HDC) and various members of Koalisi had discussed with us the issue
of how to keep the GAM negotiators safe once they were released from prison. All three parties had informally requested
protective accompaniment for the GAM negotiators.
On 28 August Rufriadi from LBH contacted PBI for a meeting, during which he informed us that a few hours earlier, the
lawyers at LBH had negotiated the release of the GAM negotiators for the next day (29 August). We clarified that Koalisi
lawyers were no longer involved with the case.
LBH sent a letter of request to become a client on 27 June, 2001. Since then, the client acceptation process has been stalled
on the part of LBH, in that LBH has not responded to PBI with specific information that we need. However, relations
between LBH and PBI are still strong regarding information sharing.
The Request:
Rufriadi and Tarmiji requested protective accompaniment for LBH lawyers on the trip from the Polda to Hotel Kuala
Tripa.
Threat Details:
The GAM negotiators will be accompanied by LBH, HDC and police escorts. The police are responsible for keeping them
alive. Tarmiji pointed out that there is nobody responsible for keeping LBH alive, though. In addition, there could be
serious consequences for LBH in the future because they were lawyers for the GAM negotiators.
Accompaniment details:
Leave LBH for Polda at 10am on Wednesday 29 August. Accompany LBH lawyers as they accompany their clients to Hotel
Kuala Tripa.
Team's decision:
The team decided that we could not carry out the accompaniment request, because LBH is not yet a client. Also, the
proposed accompaniment would not give us ample space to clarify that we are only accompanying LBH and not the GAM
negotiators. We cannot accompany or be perceived as accompanying the GAM negotiators because they support an illegal
armed movement. In addition, there will already be an international presence in the form of HDC.
We will check in with Rey from HDC and explain our decision, and with Tarmiji from LBH. We will ask each of them if
there are indirect ways that we can help, such as check-in phone calls. We will try to stop in at the LBH office for a meeting,
which also allows an international presence to be seen at the office.
Changes: none.
As this example illustrates, a PA request form must still be written whether the decision is to accept a PA
request of not.
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Field Trip PA Survey
The purpose of the this document is to detail all of the information we have about the planned field trip. It is
a tool to be used by the field team, by the back-up teams and sometimes by the PC.
Date(s)
2 - 8 July 2002
PBI Details
Name of Team members
Annette Jansen, Ruth Halstead, Stuart Bowman
Travel Route/Schedule
2: BA - Calang - Panga - Meulaboh, overnight in Meulaboh - Leave early morning accompanying
LBH to post at Panga (2hrs north Mlbo on main road) afternoon LBH meetings with authorities in Mlbo
Check in Call - In Calang and Meulaboh upon arriving
3: Meulaboh – PBI not accompanying LBH today. Three high level meetings planned with Dandim,
Kapolres, Bupati
Check in Call - Before 10 am and 9pm
4: Meulaboh – Blangpidie - Tapaktuan - Accompanying LBH to Kopassus post (Kasus
Koes)and meeting with Koes, both in Blangpidie then on to Tapaktuan (without Koes).
Possible LBH case on the road to Tapaktuan
Check in Call - Before leaving Meulaboh or before 9am, on arrival in Blangpidie or
before 1pm, on arrival in Tapaktuan or before 9pm
5: Tapaktuan – PBI not accompanying LBH, morning meeting with Bupati, afternoon check
in with PB HAM
Check in Call - Before 10am and 9pm
6: Tapaktuan – PBI accompanying PB HAM. Possible accompaniment to the field.
Check in Call - Before 10am, before 2pm and 9 pm
7: Tapaktuan – Blangpidie – Meulaboh – Banda Aceh
Leave early morning accompanying LBH to Blangpidie and pick up Koes (possible visit again
to Kopassus post) Continue to Meulaboh with Koes and if time return to Banda Aceh that
day.
Check in Call - Before leaving Tapaktuan or before 8am, before leaving Blangpidie or
before 1pm, upon arrival in Meulaboh (discuss coming back or staying overnight)
(8: Meulaboh - Banda Aceh - if we reach Meulaboh later than 2pm on Thursday 7th July we will not
continue to Banda Aceh but spend the night there with LBH and Koes, leaving Friday morning to return to
Banda Aceh)
Vehicle description, license plate
Check in Call - If still in Meulaboh call before we leave
Green Isuzu Panther
License Plate: BL 56982
Lodging
Meulaboh:
Hotel Tiara, tel. 0655-xxxx
POL/MIL/GOV/OTHER contacts made
Embassy Consular Contacts
Tapaktuan:
Hotel Dian Rana 0656-xxx
Jln. Tr. Angkasa
Tapaktuan
Faxes sent to:
Pangdam & Kapolda,
Kapolres & Dandim & Bupati Aceh Barat
Kapolres & Dandim & Bupati Aceh Selatan
Netherlands Embassy: 021 525 xxxxx (general number); 021 xxxxx (Hans Docter, Good
Governance and HR); 021 xxxxx , HP 0811 xxxxx (Mira Woldberg Second Secretary Political
Affairs), 0811 xxxxx Dutch Emb. Emergency Phone
British Embassy: 021 xxxxx Richard Grozny, Ambassador. Naomi, Third Secretary, Human
Rights, 021 xxxxx ext. xxxxx hp 0816 xxxxx
INGOs
Local INGOs to inform
ICRC, CARDI, OXFAM, ICMC, OCHA, Oxfam, SCF, HDC
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NGOs
Local NGOs
Meulaboh:
PB-HAM Aceh Selatan/Papan
Jln H M Syarif No 30
Pasar Inpres
Keluharan Hilir
Tapaktuan
Tel/fax 0655 xxxx
Email: xxxx@wasantara.net.id
Kagempar Tel.: 0655-xxxx
Yayasan An-Nisa
Jl Syiah Kuala Lr Jurong Tengah No 9
Kuta Padang
Meulaboh
Tel.: 0655 xxxxx
Tapaktuan:
PB HAM and SPKP
Kelurahan Padang
Jln. Tengku Umar 98
Tapaktuan 0656- xxxxx
Banda Aceh NGOs
Blangpidie:
SPKP: Family of Koes Sofijan
Blang Pidie
0659- xxxxx
LBH Banda Aceh (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum)
Jl. Losmen Ujung Gala No. 12
(0651) xxxxx
Government
Bupatis, Governor, Vice Governor
Bupati Aceh Selatan:
Phone: 0656 - 21 xxxxx, Fax 0656 – xxxxx
Bupati Aceh Barat :
Phone: 0655 21 xxxxx, Fax 0655 xxxxx
Police
Kapolda/Intel in BA
Kapolres Aceh Selatan
Kapolda Aceh, Brig.Gen Pol. Irjen Pol. H. Jusuf Manggabarani, Sentral Mapolda, Jl. Cut
Meutia No. 13, Banda Aceh
Telp (office): 0651 xxxxx, xxxxx, (Home) 0651 xxxxx, (Mobile) 0811 xxxxx
Fax: +62 651 xxxxx
Intel Kapolda Banda Aceh
Fax: 0651- xxxxx
Tel: 0656- xxxxx
Fax: 0656- xxxxx
Drs. Summarman AKPP
Adeudan Comandan Besar Polisi
Jl. Swadaya
Tel.: 0655- xxxxx
Fax: 0655- xxxxx
Military
Pangdam
M.Djali Yusuf, Markas Kodam Iskandar Mudah, Jl. Jendral Ahmas Yani No. 1 BA / tel 0651
xxxxx / fax 0651 xxxx
Kapendam
Lt Kol Firdaus Kepala Penerangan Kodam HP 0811xxxx; tel 0651 xxxx
Danrem in BA
Kol. Inf. Endang Suwarya
0651- xxxx Makorem
0651- xxxx (house)
Kopassus Pos SGI Blangpidie
Kepala: Kom Sunoh
Tel. 0659-xxx
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Field Trip Packing List
Each Team Member
Each Field Team

Passport

First Aid Kit

Copy of passport and visa pages

Province Map

Registration Letter from Kapolda/Intel


Registration Letter from Wapolda
Surat Jalan (Letter of Safe Passage) from
Kapolda

Invitation letter from Komnas Ham

PBI Information in English

Passport photos (3)

PBI Information in Bahasa Indonesia

Emergency cash and PBI money

Spelling Alphabet

Emergency phone list

Indonesia/English Dictionaries

Handphones

Satellite Phone


chargers
Charger
Extra Cards

Name cards

Palm pilot

Decent clothes

Spare batteries 4 AAA for Palm

Camera

Open return plane ticket

Flashlight

Spare batteries


2 AA for flashlight

4 AAA for Palm Pilot
Camera Batteries
Phone Communications Codes
In the event a team member cannot talk freely, the following codes should be used to communicate
situation to backup:
Word
Meaning
Call Dad
Situation is ok, unable to talk
Call Mom
Situation is not ok, alert ERN
To describe the level of the situation, add:
Today
Situation is serious
Tomorrow
Situation is moderate
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Field PA Communications Log Template
Check-in calls between Field team and Banda Aceh-team and from Banda Aceh to Jakarta
Fieldtrip:
Date:
Time
Picket/
Fieldteam
Location FT
Subject
Decisions/agreements
Picket:
Field team:
Picket:
Field team:
Picket:
Field team:
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Protective Accompaniment Report
Group Accompanied: Flower Aceh
Date: 31 March 2001, Time: 16.30 – 19.00
PBI Reps: Signe, Peter
Purpose of Accompaniment:
To follow up on commitment made to provide protective accompaniment to Flower Aceh.
Overview of Accompaniment:
Although we had initially agreed with Flower Aceh that the first PBI accompaniment would take
place on Monday 2 April 2001, we called up Ephie in the morning and agreed to come over in
the afternoon. The decision to do so was taken by the team following information from Patrick
who talked to Soraiya at the airport in Medan. We also wanted to make sure Flower understood
that we were available any time and to build a stronger relationship with Flower.
We arrived at 16.30 and spent approximately 45 minutes chatting with Ephie in the office.
Following this, Ephie took us around town – to a furniture store, a supermarket, to pick up
photos and to the Rek (an outdoor eating area in the centre of town). We had a drink at the Rek
and following this went home in a taxi, passing by the office of Flower, where Ephie is staying,
on the way.
Threats / Security situation:
We did not observe any security incidents during this accompaniment. According to Ephie the
situation regarding the threats to Flower Aceh is “stable”. There have been no new incidents of
threats to the organisation.
General Impression or Feeling:
Our impression was that the accompaniment went well. We had a chance to talk to Ephie and
get to know her better. We went around town with her, so people know that we know her. She
seemed happy to have us there and to be spending time with us. We did explain that in the long
run, Flower Aceh does not have to entertain us every time we come.
Follow-up:
Call Flower Aceh to check in on Sunday
Protective Accompaniment to Flower Aceh on Monday 2 April 2001 at 14.00
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Protective Accompaniment – In Summary
In summary, the steps taken before, during, and after undertaking field PAs are as follows:
Before The PA
1. Receive request for PA from client organisation
2. Team discussion on the request and further information gathered if necessary followed by
further discussion
3. May need discussion with broader project, i.e. other sub-teams, strategy committee, project
coordinator
4. Report back teams decision to the client and discuss further the manner of the PA; if yes
continue with:
5. Organise car and driver
6. Team members prepare:

PA request form

field trip PA survey

schedule of telephone check-in times from field team to base team

letter of safe passage from police

letters to inform police and military authorities

letters to inform civil authorities if relevant
 letters to inform other INGOs in Aceh
7. Email PA request form, field trip survey and any other relevant information to back-up team
and Project Coordinator
8. Team faxes letters informing of field trip to authorities and INGOs; follow up with phone
calls to confirm receipt
9. Hand deliver letters if appropriate.
During the PA:
1. Maintain communication between field team and base team as per communication schedule.
2. Ensure pickets are assigned to receive phone calls.
3. Teams maintain a higher level of awareness and readiness for emergency situations
After the PA:
1. Debrief for teams
2. Evaluation of the PA (within the team)
3. Evaluation of the PA (with the client)
4. Write PA Report.
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H
Section
H. Field Work: Public Relations and
Networking Meetings
Dialogue with Authorities and PBI network
in Indonesia
Excerpt from the Indonesia Project Six Month Report, July - December 2003.
The Jakarta sub-team
Despite a greater focus of the Jakarta sub-team towards protective services for clients, the main
role of the office remains support of sub-teams outside of Jakarta. In the past six months this has
involved providing support for the work of Medan sub-team and to enable the future deployment
of a Papua sub-team.
The Jakarta team has undertaken meetings to socialize and seek support from Indonesian
authorities and from PBI’s network within Indonesia. Members of the Jakarta team travelled to
Papua to assess the potential for such a sub-team, to formulate and propose a mandate and to
begin the process of building networks with key actors in Papua.
Due to the dramatic changes the Indonesia Project has undergone in the past six months, it has
also been necessary to meet regularly with Jakarta contacts in order to keep them abreast of the
current situation and to seek information about the process of obtaining permits to re-enter Aceh.
Government of Indonesia In the past 6 months the Jakarta sub-team has met with officials from
the following government departments:

National Coordinating Agency (Bakornas)

Ministry of Political and Security Affairs (Polkam)

Ministry of Justice and Human Rights (Kehakiman dan HAM)

Ministry of Social Welfare (Kesra)

Representatives from the Komisi I DPR

Komnas HAM
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The main focus of these meetings has been to socialise PBI’s work in Aceh and seek support for
PBI returning to the province. While most of these meetings have been positive and some figures
in the government are sympathetic to PBI’s aims, it has been difficult to obtain open statements of
support from any government departments. Although this has had the benefit of raising PBI’s
profile in Government circles, it has yet to translate into concrete support.
Another positive outcome of recent efforts to develop PBI’s relationship with the Government of
Indonesia has been the scheduling of a joint peace education workshop for the Department of
Justice and Human Rights (Departemen Kehakiman dan HAM) and the National Commission for
Human rights (Komnas HAM) led by PBI. Two 4-day workshops, focussing on conflict
transformation and protective accompaniment theory, will be held with members of these bodies
in February/March 2004.
The Jakarta sub-team has continued to work on strengthening the relationship between PBI and
our sponsor in Indonesia, the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM). This
process is carried out through regular contact with key members of the human rights body and
the development of the joint workshops mentioned above. Although PBI faced some difficulties in
obtaining continued support from the Commission, following the announcement of the military
emergency in Aceh, these efforts have led to a more stable relationship in recent months.
Komnas HAM has been very supportive of PBI’s work in this period: continuing to act as PBI’s
sponsor for volunteers’ visas; providing information and political support for PBI’s Papua
Assessment and for the proposed deployment of a PBI sub-team in Papua; and the
establishment of a PBI sub-team in Medan. Given the necessity of such on-going support for
PBI’s continued presence in Indonesia and the regions in which we work, the strengthening of
this relationship has been a significant achievement for the organisation.
The ongoing efforts to extend volunteers’ visas to work in country continue to require the Jakarta
team to dedicate a significant amount of time for visits to local Immigration offices, in order to
follow the required administrative processes. In the last month, new requirements for registration
with POA (Pengawasan Orang Asing) in Jakarta have added to this load. Aside from this, each
volunteer must also undertake a visa trip outside the country every six months in order to renew
their visas. PBI is currently applying for Yayasan (foundation) status in Indonesia. If successful,
our legal standing in Indonesia will be much more stable and this process will become much less
complex.
International community (Embassies and INGOs) Networking with embassies has continued
to be central to the building of international diplomatic support. The Jakarta sub-team was in
direct contact with approximately 15 embassies after issuing of an Emergency Update Letter in
July 2003 in which PBI requested high level contacts to take action over PBI’s imminent
departure from Aceh. PBI has received considerable support from a number of embassies to
lobby the Government of Indonesia over obtaining access to Aceh and to help PBI build a highlevel network within Indonesian government circles. This included: providing advice on
approaches towards military and other government officials and possibly influential contacts
within government circles; facilitating high-level meetings, one at a Ministerial level; as well as
providing letters and other expressions of support for PBI’s work in Aceh. The pressure from
some embassies over access to Aceh for international aid agencies has continued throughout the
second half of 2003.
The PBI team in Jakarta has also met frequently with more than 15 embassies to highlight cases
of security risk for clients based in Aceh, both over specific cases and difficulties experienced by
our clients more generally.
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During November and December 2003, these meetings have been aimed at exchanging
information concerning Papua, informing embassy contacts of the results of the PBI assessment
in Papua, and have included efforts to obtain support for PBI’s presence in the province. Most
embassies in PBI’s network are very supportive of PBI’s work and future presence in Papua.
Embassy contacts also continue to express their appreciation for PBI’s Bi-Weekly Update letter,
regarding it as a valuable and reliable source of information.
Some new Jakarta-based initiatives to raise international awareness and lobby for access to
Aceh have taken place over the last six months. These have been organized by INGOs
previously working in Aceh, none of whom have yet received permission to return to the province.
PBI also took part in these efforts. These include the joint production of a briefing paper on the
humanitarian situation in Aceh that was presented by ICVA to the UN IASC meeting in New York
in September 2003. An Aceh Working Group was formed by INGOs to coordinate efforts to obtain
permits to return to Aceh. As this group developed a narrow humanitarian focus, however, PBI
stepped back.
PBI has continued to attend the monthly UN and INGO coordination meetings. These meetings
are an important opportunity to meet other INGO colleagues, to share information concerning our
respective programs and the political and social issues in various regions of the country. PBI
volunteers also attend the security workshop run by OCHA as part of their induction program after
joining the team.
Local NGOs PBI has continued to meet regularly with local NGOs based in Jakarta working on
issues related to Aceh and Papua, and to attend public events related to this work. PBI has met
with NGOs including:

Imparsial, PBHI (Pos Bantuan Hukum Indonesia – Legal Aid Post Indonesia)

YLBHI (Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Indonesia – Legal Aid Foundation Indonesia)

Kontras (Komisi Orang Hilang dan Korban Kekerasan, Commission for Disappearances
and Victims of Violence)

Elsam (Lembaga Studi dan Advokasi Masyarakyat, Institute for Policy Research and
Advocacy).
The purpose of these meetings has been to share information about the work of each
organisation and about the conditions in various regions of Indonesia - primarily Aceh, Papua and
Medan. These meetings have also been an important means of sharing information about
relevant contacts in Jakarta, particularly in the lead up to PBI’s assessment in Papua.
Representatives from local NGOs have also participated as resource persons at PBI trainings in
Indonesia.
Since the tightening of restrictions on activists and social exchange in Aceh, Jakarta has become
a focus for Aceh related activism and campaigning. Meeting with these NGOs has assisted with
obtaining information about these efforts, as well as first-hand information about the current
situation in Aceh – due to their broad network of activists in Aceh, and about the often difficult
conditions faced by Acehnese activists in Jakarta. For instance, following the raid (20 October,
2003) by security forces of the Komnas HAM training held in Banda Aceh, at which PBI clients
were also present, PBI met with Kontras in Jakarta to obtain more detailed information about
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events that took place. While PBI was in touch with some clients present during these raids, they
were not always free, or had the means, to talk to PBI. Furthermore, information from external
sources can help to expand PBI’s perspective and understanding of such occurrences and
possible contributing factors.
The Aceh Sub-Team (Based in Medan)
In Medan, PBI has met with locally based NGO LBH Medan, representatives of Kontras Aceh,
now located in Medan, and PBHI. These meetings have been held to obtain information about
the security situation in Medan – both in general terms and in relation to the security of Acehnese
in Medan, in particular. Another focus of these meetings has been to obtain information about the
current situation in Aceh, these organisations’ work in relation to Aceh; as well as to build a
network within Medan.
PBI has also attended several meetings with local NGOs to discuss support for NGOs from Aceh
and for discussions on legal issues in Indonesia to help us understand the court process better.
The team also began planning for an internal training on International Humanitarian Law as it
relates to Indonesia with ICMC. The team attended the regular INGO meetings in Medan. PBI
attended a public discussion held by LBH Medan and Imparsial about the implications of martial
law on the general election for Aceh, this event was well attended by the local activist community
and provided a valuable networking opportunity. The team met with the head of social/political
department at University of Darma Agung to discuss giving a presentation about PBI and its work
for peace in Indonesia. The team also met with representatives of a German based church group
that are involved in community peace education initiatives to discuss mutual peace building work.
Finally, we began developing the proposal for bringing the clients to Medan for evaluations and in
person check in meetings.
PBI held two diplomatic level meetings in November; the first with the Japanese Consulate in
Medan, the second with the US Embassy and Liz Dugan from the Human Rights Bureau of the
United States State Department. The team met again with the head of Soc/Pol at Darma Agung
University, but decided to delay the invited presentation, primarily due to the end of classes at the
university before exams.
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Public Relations and Networking Meetings
What for?
Public relations (eg, high level political contact-making) are useful for our Political Support
Network and the violence dissuasion factor. They are also useful for obtaining information, to
find out what's really going on and what people are up to. In addition, they allow others to get to
know us, so that they know who we are and are not.
With whom?
With the people and institutions who are the objects of dissuasion and pressure.

The Government

Religious figures and institutions

Security Forces

Embassies

Experts, academics, media

INGOs and NGOs
How?
In carrying out public relations work, we present our work and our concerns.
We need to be careful with whom we speak in an institution (the person's level or position in the
organization), paying attention as well to the perspective they have of us.
Public relations also are carried out towards the exterior. E.g., in the embassy they should know
that PBI has met with the Foreign Ministry of their country.
In unforeseen situations (eg, during accompaniments) we may come upon a person who might
be a public relations target: it's important to take advantage of this opportunity, to give a specific
message or set up a meeting.
There are two types of public relations: institutional (for example with the Ambassador) and
those we do through key people (eg, the Secretary of the Embassy is the person who can get us
access to the Ambassador). It is important to know how to gain access to particular high-level
contacts. E.g., In order to get a meeting with the head of a given governmental department, you
may need to go through a particular Ambassador, who is closer to her/him than their secretary,
which would be the traditional channel. This key person is the one with the capability to get
things moving.
In general, it is very important to take care of our image, the crucial first impression. Chose the
appropriate clothing, watch manners/cultural nuances; even the sex and nationality of those who
attend a given meeting may be strategic.
Specific Types of Meetings
We generally have friendly relationships with NGOs, but within an institutional framework. It is
important to preserve the autonomy of each group and not invade institutional spaces. We
cannot imagine they will tell us everything that happens, or we will end up being a nuisance. We
need to develop a sense of what will be useful for our work. The collegial relationship should not
lead us to not take care of each other's role.
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On the other hand, we are not a bridge between various NGOs. We need to keep "professional
secrets": we learn many things, but we should leave them in their place, not blab them from one
place to another.
With the Embassies never forget they are the diplomatic corps, for all the courtesy and
dedication they extend us. They have their own commitments and specific objectives which may
not always coincide with our own.
As far as the Government is concerned, remember that personal meetings with functionaries are
relations with the government. We attempt to maintain good relations, but we have our
autonomy, our own policies.
To make a generalisation, Security Forces personnel are trained for confrontation. We should
not play this game, neither get into it or defend ourselves. The police/military are prepared to
maintain decent formal relations, while searching for information and making their power clearly
understood.
The frequency of meetings with them will depend on several factors, like the political moment,
or the start of work in a particular zone.
Points to keep in mind
 The objective does not need to focus exclusively on explaining our mandate, but rather that
each side understands one another. In this case it is useful to avoid fixed ideas, since this
could lead you into a ping-pong conversation (each one provides their discourse without
listening to the other).
 If the situation we planned for changes, we should be flexible, if not we lose out. In this
case, we should try to avoid feeling anxious about having to say what was planned (e.g.,
stating our mandate at any cost). Rather, try to focus on listening to the other person.
 We do not have to respond immediately to all the demands/requests made of us. We may
channel them (eg, a request for accompaniment could be channeled into sending
information to the exterior).
 It is important to pay attention to the needs and expectations of the other.
 Rely on ways of redirecting the conversation: arrive at agreements, leave space for people to
express themselves.
 It's important to prepare meetings well (e.g., know the structure of the military, agree on
codes to coordinate ourselves during the conversation; plan for arguments of the other side).
 We need to be clear on what we will say. Less is more, and speak clearly.
 Don't enter into conflicts (e.g., if the speech is laced with veiled and repeated threats).
 A key point is who takes the initiative: this is a determining factor in the development of the
interview.
 We should let the military know who we are sending information out to (be careful doing
this, to avoid it sounding like a threat or in using a confrontational tone). It's important to be
explicit about the government recognising PBI (where this is the case).
 It is worthwhile having a "connective string": (e.g., if we are traveling to conflict zones,
"could you please advise your units there?"): this is what is important (not so much that he
understands our mandate).
 It is key, therefore, to have an objective, a principle message to convey, and take care with
how we transmit the message, the moment, the situation.
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In the preparation stage, you would do well to foresee different scenarios (changes in
direction the interview could take). Know the key things that you want to say, what
specifically we want to ask. The objective of presenting ourselves is very general, it needs to
be specified.
 Remember that in the meeting, they are evaluating us. Adapted from PBI-COP
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A Case Study on Political Networking
The Banda Aceh sub-team writes to the Strategy Committee
Living and working for PBI in Indonesia gives rise to some unexpected cultural challenges. Perhaps unlike
other PBI projects, in Latin America for example, dining and singing karaoke with the Chief of Police or
the Military Commander are seen as acceptable forms of building relationships. However, it continues to
raise questions. The following case study shows the Banda Aceh sub-team asking for advice from past team
members now serving on the Strategy Committee.
The Banda Aceh sub-team wrote:
Social Networking
How do you see building up informal contacts with security
forces? Does it help, in what respect? What were your previous
experiences while on the team? Does it not conflict with our
mandate, our non-partiality, independence? So, what are pro’s
and con’s, where should we put our boundaries?
The Strategy Committee responded:
Social networking can compliment formal networking. It is a
chance to endear ourselves to the aparat keamanan (security
forces), who are a part of our protection network. It can help
build up a rapport that may be more conducive to getting help
and information. I can think of occasions where aparat
commanders have responded openly to PBI requests for help, and
where volunteers have presumed at the time that this was due
to the fact that we were perceived as a nicer bunch of people.
Social networking is culturally appropriate, and our chance to
give the impression that we are a different type of INGO by
'adjusting ourselves' (sesuaikan diri) to local, cultural
practices. In my experience, an informal conversation in a
social networking setting can also glean a lot of useful
information. I also found it fed into my own understanding of
how the military mind works, or how the soldier or commander
is experiencing the conflict. It is often easier to attend
social networking occasions and arrange formal meetings as a
result with contacts made there. I can think of a number of
occasions where this has happened.
I did feel ambivalent
are receiving lots of
with it for the sake
cordialities you are
killing scene. It is
female, and one that
about some social networking. When you
attention and invites and playing along
of PBI it can feel dodgy. Beneath the
schmoozing in a pretty dodgy, nasty,
definitely harder game to play as a
each volunteer should have a right to
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restrict their role in. Once the team received an invite to go
fishing with some police members. Some of us decided not to
go, some went but did feel odd about it, and others saw it as
damn good networking. The discussion prior to that decision
did touch on issues of principles and mandate. The conclusion
was that this made us more nonpartisan, because otherwise all
our networking/socialising happens with NGOs. There are
dilemmas around nonviolence, but as others argued we are
working in a context of violence and need to know how that
works. Interacting with those actors who use violence is one
way to do this. How do you see the networking as compromising
PBI's independence?
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I. Field Work: Reports and Publications
Indonesia Project Reports and Publications
Excerpt from Indonesia Project Six-month Report, July - December 2003
PBI volunteers in the field act as the eyes of the international community. Raising international
awareness about working conditions in a conflict environment and the risks human rights
defenders face in Aceh is key to opening safe spaces for civil society activities. This awareness
and discussion on the diplomatic level of the threats experienced by PBI clients can act to deter
an act of violence against them. With this in mind, over the last six months PBI has continued to
produce regular publications, plus timely letters of concern, in situations of significant threat.
The Bi-Weekly Update (BWU) is distributed to over 100 diplomatic and international contacts
based in Indonesia, and to political support networks internationally through 16 PBI country
groups. The Bi-Weekly Update informs our support networks of team activities and the current
situation as PBI perceives it in the regions in Indonesia where PBI works. The following
paragraphs highlight some of the security incidents brought to light in the BWU in the last six
months:

On 2 July 2003, a member of another PBI client organization, after reporting to local
authorities on his arrival in Central Java, was visited by two policemen from Polsek (Polisi
Sektor-Sub-district Police)…who questioned him about his Acehnese KTP and then
requested that he accompany them to the sub-district police headquarters. After an hour
of questioning at Polsek, he was transferred to Polres (Polisi Resor-City Police) where he
was interrogated over why he had left Aceh; pressured to provide names of GAM
(Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, Free Aceh Movement) members that police declared he ‘must’
know; and required to explain his activities and who were his contacts in Jakarta. He was
eventually released after 8 hours of questioning. (03.07.31 Bi-Weekly Update).
Another member of a PBI client organization reports being persistently followed by plain-clothed
security officials and another man known to him from Aceh, on several occasions in recent
months.
Close relatives of members of PBI client organisations under evacuation have experienced
increased attention, threats and intimidation from security forces. The absence of the family
member in question (i.e. a PBI client) appears to be regarded by security forces as suspicious
and an indication that such an individual has connections to GAM (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka):
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
Two members from one of PBI’s client organizations who have left Aceh for reasons of
personal safety have reported that their families in Banda Aceh have been repeatedly visited
by members of the military asking about these clients and their whereabouts. Their families
felt intimidated by these visits and do not feel safe to continue living in Aceh. One family has
decided to temporarily leave the province while the other is considering doing the same
(03.09.11 Bi-Weekly Update).

Another PBI client who was also evacuated at the beginning of the military operation has
reported that his family and friends are afraid of contacting him, believing that their
telephones may be tapped. Our client reported that it is very difficult to stay in contact with
people and to receive information about the day to day situation in Aceh because of what he
considers to be a high level of repression towards civil society and the generalized feeling of
fear that this has created (03.09.11 Bi-Weekly Update).
It was later reported that:

On 1 October 2003, Aceh Besar district, the house of a member of a PBI client organisation
was searched by several men. Although no one was home when they arrived, the men
entered the house through an unlocked back door. Witnesses, who understood the men to be
members of Brimob (Brigade Mobil, Police Mobile Brigade), were told that the house was
suspected of being used by GAM as a storage place for weapons. The men said that they
would return and asked the witnesses to inform the member of our client organisation to
surrender himself. The client concerned left Aceh in May 2003 and has since then resided
outside the province. Since then, the men searching the house have not returned. However,
following these serious accusations our client is very concerned about the security and safety
of his family, who are living in the house. A family member has tried unsuccessfully to contact
Koramil (Komando Rayon Militer, Sub District Military Command) and Kapolsek (Kepala
Polisi Sektor, Sub-district Head of Police) for clarification on the matter (03.10.09 Bi-Weekly
Update).
The threat experienced by clients may be due to them undertaking high risk work (that is openly
critical of the military operations in Aceh, for instance), receiving recent actual threats or having
recently being followed while in Jakarta.
PBI has been providing protective and moral support services including face-to-face and
telephone check-ins, as well as providing information to PBI networks regarding the safety of this
growing number of members of PBI client groups now located outside of Aceh. Since July 2003
PBI Jakarta sub-team has provided daily and weekly check-ins with members of PBI client
organisations based in Java and had regular meetings with these and other representatives of
PBI client organisations when in Jakarta.
Other articles produced by the team and committee, and the periodic newsletter, Pa Khabar, tell
stories unique to the project stemming from the PBI volunteers’ experience. They are distributed
via the project office and the 16 PBI country groups to support networks internationally. Pa
Khabar aims to increase awareness of the human rights situation in the regions in Indonesia
where PBI works, and support for the work of the teams in the field. PBI country groups also
produce their own newsletters, and the international office in London maintains a website with
information from the Indonesia Project. PBI members organize speaking events in their
respective countries where they or members of the team speak about the work of PBI and the
human rights situation in Indonesia.
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In the last six months the Project has sent one activation on 17 July regarding the possible
(subsequent) withdrawal of our teams from Aceh. PBI also met regularly with political support
networks in Jakarta and internationally to discuss the situation as PBI perceives it, and the
support PBI client organisations need from the international community.
On several occasions in the last six months, PBI also spoke selectively to the international media
to raise awareness of PBI’s work in Indonesia, and the situation for the organisations with whom
we work. We also held several information days on the Indonesia Project around the world.
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Regular Writing Tasks of the Teams
Team Meeting Reports
Goal:
keep the PC and other teams informed of how each team is doing, the climate
they are operating under, and inform of past activities and plans.
Periodicity:
Weekly
Distribution:
PC and Subcommittees, accepted volunteers, recently returned volunteers
Security Rating: INTERNAL and CONFIDENTIAL
Public Relations, Information and Networking Reports on
Meetings with NGO’s, INGO’s, Embassies, Officials, etc.
Goal:
Inform fellow team members, PC, possbily CGs (in the case of some Embassy
reports) of contacts; record PBI activities.
Periodicity:
After every external meeting.
Distribution:
PC, relevant Subcommittee members, CG’s if requested by the team
Security Rating: INTERNAL and CONFIDENTIAL (team will advise if report can be shared)
Bi Weekly Update
Goals:
Strengthen our emergency response networks, and thus our ability to provide
protection to the local organizations with which we work by regularly
informing support networks of our activities, observations, and concerns;
raising the profile of PBI-Indonesia Project by building an understanding of
our work.
Periodicity:
Every second Wednesday, by email on the morning of distribution from the
Jakarta office. If email is not available for particular recipients we can fax the
update. The Komnas HAM update will be hand delivered on the Wednesday
afternoon by a member of the each team to the respective Komnas HAM
offices.
Distribution:
Indonesia Project support networks, including diplomatic contacts, Komnas
HAM, international NGO colleagues, PBI country groups, selected
Indonesian diplomatic contacts, and key individual contacts as selected by the
team or PC, PC and Indonesia Project egroup, via Project Office, volunteers
studying language and returned volunteers who are interested, via the Jakarta
office. Jakarta Office will maintain the distribution list. The Project Office will
keep a copy.
Security Rating: LIMITED and SEMI-PUBLIC. While the information contained is not
confidential, it is politically sensitive and we aim to maintain some control over
where the updates are distributed. Limited distribution means that we ask
colleagues not forward-distribute the updates outside of their organizations.
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Country Groups can distribute the information internally as well as to key
ERN contacts.
Other Factors:
The content and style of the updates should always be appropriate for this
audience, namely it must be factual and non-partisan. The information should
be based on field team’s own observations and communications rather than be
an analysis of news already available to our networks.
(See Appendices for an example of a BiWeekly Update)
Pa’ Khabar/What’s News
Goals:
Provide stories and general update of PBI’s work in Indonesia and a enough
analysis of current events; for CG’s to do fundraising and outreach; to update
the web site; to keep funders and supporters informed and interested in PBI.
Periodicity:
Monthly. Focus and responsibility could rotate between teams, e.g., Jakarta
produces it one month, and Aceh the next. Or Jakarta writes one page, and
Aceh writes one page.
Distribution:
Embassies, INGO’s and NGO’s, all contacts, all PBI groups, web site, etc.
Security Rating: GENERAL AND PUBLIC
Format:
To be decided between team and Publicity Committee.
Other Factors:
Must include graphics (photos, posters, images that relate to activities of the
team or groups we accompany). May be edited, collated, and produced outside
Indonesia by the Publicity & Public Relations Committee.
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Writing Effectively and Accurately For PBI
T
here is already a lot of information in circulation about what goes on in the Archipelago.
There are ample sources of news summaries from the papers, e.g., the HR community
follows the newspapers in Aceh closely. From our analysis, the general information needed
by people outside Indonesia is what is NOT already published. People want to know the PBI
perspective of what’s not in the news. We have access to varied local sources of information and this
gives us a unique perspective.
In general, national issues in Indonesia and regional issues in Aceh are not in the news. Quote our
HR-NGO sources (from their publications and our conversations- when in doubt, ask them on the
phone if we can publish the info they give us). In reports and publications, always balance this info
with quotes from the GOI, military or other public officials and/or info from newspapers or TV
reports. It is important that we distribute the information we are receiving that can be public from WT
since the groups expect us to do that and the need exists for us to do it. Translating Saksi and other local
NGO bulletins in their entirety is not useful, but summarizing and quoting from them is.
Always write in an objective, non-partisan style (e.g., state the facts, allegation, why we think so, e.g.,
“so-and-so was shot today, it appears this was perpetrated by so-and-such group because they were
reportedly wearing uniforms and carried weapons like the kind used by…. Military sources state … (in
quotes and cite where you got the quote) while HR-NGOs say …”)
Place news items in enough of an analytical framework to make them understandable. For example,
general audiences don’t need to have background on all the political parties operating in Indonesia
today, just enough info to help them understand the latest attacks, or whatever.
Avoid jargon language and slang which is difficult to translate.
All reports should have a standard box at the end with a few sentences about PBI, Indonesia Project
and contact info including the web site.
Teams need to continually distinguish between info that goes out under PBI’s name, and info that
should go out under someone else’s name. Sometimes it may not be appropriate for PBI to distribute
someone else’s reports, rather they should send it out. Cite other sources when possible.
When in doubt, err on the side of transparency with regards to PBI activities. We are not a clandestine
organization, although we need to be discrete when protecting people in certain situations. It’s always
okay to name the Embassies, GOI and military officials we visit in official publications. If we are
accompanying an organization, naming them in our publications is usually a way of lifting their profile.
Individual names, dates, places and plans for the future may fall into the area of greater discretion. Ask
the Project Committee if you are uncertain; this is sometimes a difficult area even for seasoned PBI activists.
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Guidelines for Writing Bulletin Articles
by the Bulletin Committee: Randy Divinski, Rachel Hecksher, Jonathan Woodbridge. September 1998
A
fter editing many articles, we think that some guidance might be helpful in the difficult task of
writing articles for PBI publications that sometimes may seem distant and of doubtful
relevance.
We realize that when people volunteer for a project they don’t have the idea of writing articles in mind.
But we all want to make PBI publications more attractive to our readers. To write articles that our
audience like to read, please take to heart the following tips.
The W’s and the H’s. You must tell the reader: WHO is this story about? WHAT did they
do? WHEN did it happen? WHERE does this story take place? WHY is this article important? HOW
did it happen? You need to give the reader the answers to all these questions. Most important: why
and how is PBI involved?
Prefer articles describing what you and PBI are doing in the host
country as opposed to generalized political analysis. Other
organizations can do more timely news pieces and better political analysis. Only you as PBI volunteers
will be in touch with the activists who know the possibilities and the dangers they face. What topics
will help convey the work of the Project to sympathizers and outsiders?
Think about your readers. Not maybe when you start writing, but certainly when you’re
editing. Our readers: want to know details only as long as they are necessary to understand the article;
sympathize with activists’ struggles but want to know more about them.
Consider what can you write about what you did that will: enhance
their understanding of PBI’s activities, hold their interest, and leave them with a sense that PBI’s work
is important.
Give context. Assume that readers won’t know too much about the geography, history or
economics of your Project’s region. Make sure that you include enough background information to
enable people who don’t regularly follow the team’s articles to understand the implications of what
you’re writing.
Only include as much political analysis as is needed for context.
We don’t need to know all the details, only the details that matter. Which details matter?
Beginner’s mind. Remember the surprises you had and the way you thought at the beginning
of your stay? Write from this beginner’s mind, not from the mind of the seasoned worker of six
months. The readers don’t know what you know. Tell them what they need to know. Will the readers
know why a particular place was significant; will they know how the different groups of people you
describe relate?
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Take the reader into the event. Describe how you felt, what you saw, what you did.
Details that you noticed focus our attention, make us feel as though we’re there. Keep a balance
between the nitty-gritty details and the political background that suits your topic. Don’t let the piece
get preachy.
Check your tone. Read the article over and check how it sounds. Are you being preachy?
Detached? Cynical? Corny? Be aware of the effect you’re having. Show the article to a friend and see
what they think.
Define acronyms and other unusual words when they’re first used. Consider
adding a small glossary at the end of the article if there are many unfamiliar words.
Some ideas for how to start
Writing is a powerful skill. It can persuade and inspire people. Few of us feel we’re good at it. You can
only develop your writing skills by actually writing. Practice is the key.
Freewriting. Writing is something many of us dislike from school. Try this exercise for
loosening up. Write for five minutes without stopping. Don’t try and make sense. Don’t cross
things out. Just write. Then try writing for another five minutes around the topic you have in
mind. Just write, don’t stop to criticize your spelling or what you say. Look at what you wrote.
Find the bits which are interesting, that have energy. Use these as starting points for more
freewriting. Don’t try to edit or make sense until you have more than enough things down on
paper than you can hope to use. Show your writing to a colleague at an early stage and ask for
responses.
Other Details
Photos are great. Photos make an article come alive. Photograph things that are relevant to an
article and also things that capture the atmosphere of the place and of your work. See the sheet on
Tips for taking better photos for some helpful hints on taking photos. You can also have photos
scanned (for print around 150 dpi is good, just for the web, 100 will do) or email scans done. Lowerresolution scans don't print well.
What we edit for…
Consistency. If you call an organization UNFAS in the third paragraph, is it still UNFAS in the
last paragraph? Are “legal tribunals” you describe at the start actually the same as the “courts” that you
talk about at the end?
Context. Do you spell out what UNFAS stands for the first time you mention it? Do you explain
what it is, how it came to be (if it’s important to your story?)
Nonpartisanship. Seeing the situation not just from one side. Not asserting allegations as
facts.
The right level of detail. Thinking about the effect on the reader; what they want to
know, which details are necessary for your story and which aren’t.
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Grammar. Don’t worry about this one.
Also, we'd be happy to work with you, in terms of suggesting changes to stuff that you write or
making comments on what we like and what could be improved if you like. Contact Jonathan
Woodbridge at dianejonathan@comcast.net.
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Tips for Taking Better Pictures
In doing the bulletin layout, we've noticed a wide variation in the quality of the photos that the teams
take, and we thought that a few tips from various sources on how to take better pictures for
publications might be useful to those of us who aren't professional photographers.
Photos are important
They are a direct way of showing people in other countries what things are like in the places that PBI
teams work. They increase the impact and interest of all PBI's publications. It's tough to take good
photos in difficult conditions, but knowing a few tips can help. Always consider your safety when taking
pictures in the conflict or of armed actors.
Taking photos for publications
Taking a photo for use in a publication is different from taking a snapshot. Photos have to be reshot
by printers, so they lose detail and contrast in this process. Then when the printing is done, more detail
is lost. To start with, we need photos that have the maximum detail possible.
Make sure that there are captions on the backs of the photos that tell Who, What, Where, When,
and Why. If there are signs or slogans in the picture, translate them if necessary.
There are two main challenges with the PBI photos we see:
(1) Getting the exposure right
(2) Making a more interesting picture.
The photo has to have the right exposure (the balance of light and dark) so that the areas of
interest have detail in them. But it should also be an active, interesting picture that tells a story.
The picture is used to complement a story, so it should give the story context, and be able to tell
the story itself.
Getting the Exposure Right
A typical problem: Your pictures of people in strong sunlight show the background well, but their
faces are too dark to show detail.
What to do: Know your camera. Find out how it controls exposure (the amount of light that
reaches the film (a combination of aperture (size of hole in f-stops) and shutter speed).
Exposure is critical. Film can capture much less range of bright and dark than the human eye can.
Shooting in a sunny area, you have to choose either to show detail in the bright areas, or in the shadow
areas; you can't do both. Hence pictures of people in strong sunlight are difficult to expose correctly.
You usually want to see detail in their faces, so set up exposure on their faces or on another area of
around the same brightness.
Many cameras will set exposure automatically, but check how this is done. If it looks at the whole
image and averages it to set exposure and you have bright areas, these are what will come out with
detail in the photo - maybe this is not what you want!
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Solutions: If you can, choose an area to set as a reference point such as a face for a mid-tone,
hold a button to lock in the setting, compose your picture and shoot. This is useful in many situations.
Use a Fill-in Flash setting (if you have it) to add extra light to faces.
Take several photos at different exposures. That way, one of them will come out well.
Making your photos more interesting
Show PBI volunteers in action. We need to show people the work we do.
Simplify! Make something dominant in every photo. Think about what you
want to show and emphasize that.
Check the background. The camera is not selective about what it captures. You see what
you're interested in and blank out the rest. The photo gives equal weight to everything in the
viewfinder. So check around the viewfinder before you take the photo, and move to a different
viewpoint, ask your subjects to move, or clear up clutter if necessary!
Go for action. Try to show people doing things. Static images are less interesting.
Move in close. That way, you get rid of confusing background and focus on what matters.
Pick backgrounds and foreground as props to help the aim of the photo, to
suggest a tone or context.
Don't put the center of interest right in the middle of the photo.
That's where we expect to find it, which loses impact. Try putting it off-center to one side or the other.
This makes more difference than you would think.
Take vertical-format photos as well as horizontal. They go well in
publications, and can add interest.
Figure out fresh angles for cliched situations. Photos of an interview or of
demonstrators, need special treatment if they are to make interesting photos. What makes these people
special? Your challenge is to try and show that through your choice of viewpoint, what you show
people doing, and your choice of background.
If you find these useful, put these tips next to your camera! That way, they'll be there when you need
them.
Emailed Photos Save them in jpg or even tiff format, but with a minimum 300 dpi, better 800
dpi. If possible it can be in black and white, it doesn’t have be in color, but color gives us better quality.
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Section
J. Network Activation
When Do We Activate our Emergency
Network?

PBI team targeted

People we work with are targeted (whether actually accompanying or not)

Other nonviolent leaders targeted

Deterioration of general situation

Escalation of targeted violence

Lack of will to carry out agreements likely to result in violence or escalation of violence
(Indonesian Government / military action or inaction, or UN inaction)
Questions to consider
 Priority (high, medium, low) and frequency
 Risk to local people if use names
 Where most effective to apply pressure
 Which part of ERN to activate (high or low level)
Are there other organizations working on the case?
(if yes, what are they doing?) Is it possible to coordinate your actions with them?
Rule 1. Ask yourself if it is necessary that the IP gets active on the case or if there are
enough other organizations already doing it.
Rule 2. Coordinate activities with organizations working on the same cases.
Is the event in question a single case?
Did it happen before? Is it an exemplary case? Is it that your friends or people you are working
with are victimized?
How serious is the case?
Is there danger for life or health?
Rule 3. Cases when the life or health of people are threatened should have priority over
other human rights violations.
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Did you double-check the information?
Did you witness the event yourself? Are there at least two independent sources? How reliable are
the sources?
Rule 4. Information has to be checked. There should be more than one independent
source and the sources have to be of a high degree or reliability. One false report may
ruin our credibility for always.
Who wants the team to get active?
Does the person/s or organization concerned want us to take action? Do they want the case to be
made public?
Rule 5. Never give in to pressure that “you have to do something”.
Rule 6. Never act against the will of the people concerned. Coordinate with them which
facts may be made public and which should not.
Would taking action on the case be an additional danger to the
people concerned?
To third people? To the team?
Rule 7. Think about the consequences of triggering an alarm. Never endanger people
– even if it is only a slight possibility – without having asked them. If the safety of the
team is concerned, consult with the Project Coordinator.
How often has an alarm been triggered in the last time?
Rule 8. Alarms cannot be triggered too often – their effect and also the willingness of
people to take action wears off easily.
Procedures:
 The project coordinator is contacted. Project Coordinator contacts other relevant PC
members.
 Team prepares draft of alert (a rough draft should already be prepared at this stage, i.e. always
be prepared)
 Coordinator with help of other PC members finalizes draft
 Coordinator contacts PBI country groups plus expanded ERN
 Coordinator informs team what has been done and tracks action outside Indonesia
 Team reports back on effect of activation including situation update.
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Network Activation Flowchart
Attack or threat against NGOs accompanied by
PBI or against PBI team
Members of Support Network are alerted
GRASS ROOTS:
PBI supporters,
regional organizations,
local politicians and
policy makers.
HIGHER LEVEL:
Foreign govt’s,
political networks,
funders, peace and HR
organizations, media
INTERNAL:
Embassies,
other INGOs,
local NGOs
Members of the network send letters, faxes,
emails to the relevant government and military
authorities responsible for the situation
International concern and pressure established
Political cost of the potential aggression is
raised
Further human rights violations are prevented
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Writing an Emergency Activation
What Is Included in the Activation?
1. Clear background to scenario (*prepared in advance)
2. PBI’s relationship with victim / potential victims (*prepared in advance)
3. suggested action and who to contact
4. sample letter and/or script
5. instructions whether to send the responses as PBI or not
6. Who to contact for more information
7. Comprehensive information about PBI, the team, mandate and our activity
The team will write the first draft of the alert, including point 1-4. The Project Coordinator will write
the final draft. The team will approve the final draft prior to distribution.
How is It Distributed?
 The Activation will be activated by the Project Coordinator. The mailing list should always be
kept updated. Teams are responsible of letting the coordinator know which new contacts
should be on the Activation list. Jakarta team should also have a copy of the list in case the
Activation needs to be activated from Jakarta. If the Project Coordinator is unavailable,
another member of the Executive Committee will distribute the Activation.
 The strategy committee needs to decide policy on when a situation deserves a low or high
level alert and to designate which contacts make up the low and high level list.
 The project coordinator in consultation with available PC members will analyze how the
situation fits the policy.
Different Roles During the Activation
Field team
 initial strategy meeting, choose 2-3 people to take on responsibility for coordinating, list and
divide tasks
 the 2-3 people coordinating the Activation have primary responsibility for coordinating with
Jakarta and project office, info gathering, and writing the first draft of the Activation. Tasks
will be divided between this group as per skills and interest and needs.
 other team members can provide additional support, ie assistance with meetings, and info
gathering, running errands, carrying on usual work. They will also be involved in editing the
Activation.
Across the Project
 Field team: research, write Activation, contact authorities in field if needed
 Jakarta sub-team: part of editing Activation, contact authorities and Activation contacts in
Jakarta if needed (including pre, during, post alert as needed), info gathering in Jakarta if
necessary. In preparation Jakarta team should always maintain a list of embassy, and other
high level contacts within Indonesia, as well as a list of Indonesian security and government
authorities.
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Project Office: liaison with both teams and PC. Part of editing process. Responsible for
sending Activation and End of Activation to all contacts including Jakarta, own Activation
list, and country groups. Post alert liaison with country groups and out of Indonesia high level
contacts.
Project Committee: editing comments, and other input on content and contacts strategy…
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Section
K
K. Tools for Analysis and Decision Making
This section provides various tools that may be used for analyzing the political environment, violent conflict, threats
to clients or PBI, as well as effective tools that may assist in making difficult decisions. They include:
Tools for Mastering Complexity
Techniques for Effective Decision
Making
-
Drill Down
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SWOT Analysis
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Force Field Analysis
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Risk Analysis
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Six Thinking Hats
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Drill Down
Breaking Problems Down Into Manageable Parts
How to use tool:
Drill down is a simple technique for breaking complex problems down into
progressively smaller parts.
To use the technique, start by writing the problem down on the left-hand side of a large
sheet of paper. A little to the right of this, write down a list of points relating to the
problem. These may be factors contributing to the problem, information relating to it, or
questions raised by it. This process of breaking the problem down into its component
part is called 'drilling down'.
For each of these points, repeat the process. Keep on drilling down into points until you
fully understand the factors contributing to the problem. If you cannot break them
down using the knowledge you have, then carry out whatever research is necessary to
understand the point.
Drilling into a question helps you to get a much deeper understanding of it. The process
helps you to recognise and understand the factors that contribute to it. Drill Down
prompts you to link in information that you had not initially associated with a problem.
It also shows exactly where you need further information.
Key points:
'Drill Down' helps you to break a large and complex problem down into its component
parts, so that you can develop plans to deal with these parts. It also shows you which
points you need to research in more detail.
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SWOT Analysis
Understanding Your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and
Threats
Why use the tool?
SWOT Analysis is a very effective way of identifying your Strengths and Weaknesses,
and of examining the Opportunities and Threats you face. Carrying out an analysis using
the SWOT framework will help you to focus your activities into areas where you are
strong, and where the greatest opportunities lie.
How to use the tool:
To carry out a SWOT Analysis write down answers to the following questions. Where
appropriate, use similar questions:
Strengths:

What are your advantages?

What do you do well?

What do other people see as your strengths?
Consider this from your own point of view and from the point of view of the
people you deal with. Don't be modest - be realistic. If you are having any
difficulty with this, try writing down a list of your characteristics. Some of these
will hopefully be strengths!
Weaknesses:

What could you improve?

What do you do badly?

What should you avoid?
Again, consider this from an internal and external basis - do other people seem
to perceive weaknesses that you do not see? Are your competitors doing any
better than you? It is best to be realistic now, and face any unpleasant truths as
soon as possible.
Opportunities:

Where are the good opportunities facing you?

What are the interesting trends you are aware of?
Useful opportunities can come from such things as:

Changes in technology and markets on both a broad and narrow scale

Changes in government policy related to your field

Changes in social patterns, population profiles, lifestyle changes, etc.

Local Events
Threats:
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What obstacles do you face?

What is your competition doing?

Are the required specifications for your job, products or services changing?

Is changing technology threatening your position?
 Do you have bad debt or cash-flow problems?
Carrying out this analysis will often be illuminating - both in terms of pointing out what
needs to be done, and in putting problems into perspective.
You can also apply SWOT analysis to your competitors - this may produce some
interesting insights!
Example:
This is a SWOT of the Indoensia Project during a team summit in February 2003
Weaknesses
Strengths

Internationality

Slow processes

Grassroots (close to local clients)


Human resources (diversity of skills
and backgrounds)
Lack of continuity-frequent changes of
volunteers

Discussing everything to pieces

Information sharing


Diplomatic contacts
Slow decision making because of
consensus process

Staffed by volunteers


Professionalism
Inability to provide peace education
(which is in the mandate)

PBI reputation

Legal status

Flexibility in implementation

More internal than external process

Non-partiality

Gender imbalance

Unique focus (Protective
Accompaniment)

Most clients are not really threatened


Only international organization
focusing on human rights in Aceh
Lack of coordination at the
international level

Some country groups are inactive

Non-hierarchical PBI structure

Funding constraints

International network of country
groups

Limited in helping non-clients

Communication and continuity within
IP.

Losing networks and communication
because of turnover

No written guidelines/policies

Fatigue and exhaustion of volunteers
(physical and mental stress)

Lack of preparation prior to becoming
a volunteer (post-training)

Volunteer decision making
authority
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Threats
Opportunities

D E C I S I O N
Could take a more proactive role 
in the peace process (i.e. get more 
involved)

Moving to new areas

Improving and expanding Jakarta
network

Assess current clients; take on
new clients

Create a space to meet former
controversial figures (new actors) 

Increase the number of veteran
volunteers

Legal status; visa situation
Program expansion
Increase of foreign presence
Possible war in Iraq could have
implications for foreigners
Foreign support distracted if there is a
war on Iraq
Reduced diplomatic support
Reduced funding
Collapse of peace process
Lack of understanding of current
situation; analysis missed

Strengthen Country Groups

New forms and methods of
protective accompaniment

Reduced client activities

Lack of field experience

Review processes for
improvement during the current
space in activity

Political instability and violence after
2004 elections

Non-PA deterrence

Unclear chains of command because of
Cessation of Hostilities (CoH)

Professional development of
volunteers


Network in home countries
before deployment
Attacks on PBI volunteers; actors
wanting attention (violence, hostage
taking)

Lack of human resources in peace
education

Expand peace education
program.
Next step
A next step is to chart your data as illustrated below to maximize/minimize the situation.
This step takes the data and points out options for adjustment to your workplan.
Strengths
Weakenesses
Opportunities
Threats
Capitalize on these items
Leverage strengths
Diminish weaknesses
Area of great vulnerability
Key points:
SWOT analysis is a framework for analysing your strengths and weaknesses, and the
opportunities and threats you face.
This will help you to focus on your strengths, minimise weaknesses, and take the greatest
possible advantage of opportunities available.
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Risk Analysis
Evaluating Threats to Determine Risk
It is useful to evaluate threats along with other factors to determine the risk. This tool will give you a
clearer picture of the situation.
Risk = Threat + Vulnerability
Capacity
Threat
The possibility that someone will hurt you.
 What is the threat, and is is specific or general?
 Who is behind the threat?
 Is there historical evidence of follow through on the threat?
Vulnerability
THE DEGREE TO WHICH SOMEONE IS EXPOSED TO AN ATTACK.



Does the receiver of the threat have a high or low profile?
How do the client’s routines (always in office, never sleeping in the same bed)
contribute to the ability to carry out the threat?
Are the repercussions of following through on the threat acceptable to the aggressor?
Capacity
Your ability to deal with the threat using their own strategies.
 What type of precautions does the client take to deter the threat?
 Are they able to think pragmatically about the risk and their strategy, or are there
factors affecting that?
 Does the organization have a network or other methods of protecting themselves.
A Few Scenarios:
By applying this model, you can see a very strong threat may not require accompaniment if
the organization is not vulnerable, and has the capacity to deter the threat on their own.
A very weak threat at a time when the client is very vulnerable and has little capacity to deter
it, scores the risk as high.
Adapted from Quique Eguren
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Force Field Analysis
Understanding the Pressures For and Against Change
How to Use the Tool:
Force Field Analysis is a useful technique for looking at all the forces for and against a
decision. In effect, it is a specialized method of weighing pros and cons.
By carrying out the analysis you can plan to strengthen the forces supporting a decision,
and reduce the impact of opposition to it.
To carry out a force field analysis, follow these steps:

List all forces for change in one column, and all forces against change in another
column.

Assign a score to each force, from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong).

Draw a diagram showing the forces for and against change. Show the size of each
force as a number next to it.
Once you have carried out an analysis, you can decide whether your project is viable.
Where you have already decided to carry out a project, Force Field Analysis can help you
to work out how to improve its probability of success. Here you have two choices:

To reduce the strength of the forces opposing a project, or

To increase the forces pushing a project
Often the most elegant solution is the first: just trying to force change through may
cause its own problems. People can be uncooperative if change is forced on them.
Key points:
Force Field Analysis is a useful technique for looking at all the forces for and against a
plan. It helps you to weigh the importance of these factors and decide whether a plan is
worth implementing.
Where you have decided to carry out a plan, Force Field Analysis helps you identify
changes that you could make to improve it.
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Force Field Analysis Diagram
For…
Question
Against…
Interview
3
Networking Oppty
5
Reach wide audience
3
Get good info
from them
3
Recommended by
Flower Aceh
with a
local
reporter
We are too busy
Could be misreported
Low language skills
No info about
reporter
14 - total
13 - total
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2
5
3
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Six Thinking Hats
Looking at a Decision From All Points of View
'Six Thinking Hats' is an important and powerful technique. It is used to look at
decisions from a number of important perspectives. This forces you to move outside
your habitual thinking style, and helps you to get a more rounded view of a situation.
This tool was created by Edward de Bono.
Many successful people think from a very rational, positive viewpoint. This is part of the
reason that they are successful. Often, though, they may fail to look at a problem from
an emotional, intuitive, creative or negative viewpoint. This can mean that they
underestimate resistance to plans, fail to make creative leaps and do not make essential
contingency plans.
Similarly, pessimists may be excessively defensive. Emotional people may fail to look at
decisions calmly and rationally.
If you look at a problem with the 'Six Thinking Hats' technique, then you will solve it
using all approaches. Your decisions and plans will mix ambition, skill in execution,
public sensitivity, creativity and good contingency planning.
How to Use the Tool:
You can use Six Thinking Hats in meetings or on your own. In meetings it has the
benefit of blocking the confrontations that happen when people with different thinking
styles discuss the same problem.
Each 'Thinking Hat' is a different style of thinking. These are explained below:

White Hat:
With this thinking hat you focus on the data available. Look at the information
you have, and see what you can learn from it. Look for gaps in your knowledge,
and either try to fill them or take account of them.
This is where you analyze past trends, and try to extrapolate from historical data.

Red Hat:
'Wearing' the red hat, you look at problems using intuition, gut reaction, and
emotion. Also try to think how other people will react emotionally. Try to
understand the responses of people who do not fully know your reasoning.

Black Hat:
Using black hat thinking, look at all the bad points of the decision. Look at it
cautiously and defensively. Try to see why it might not work. This is important
because it highlights the weak points in a plan. It allows you to eliminate them,
alter them, or prepare contingency plans to counter them.
Black Hat thinking helps to make your plans 'tougher' and more resilient. It can
also help you to spot fatal flaws and risks before you embark on a course of
action. Black Hat thinking is one of the real benefits of this technique - many
successful people get so used to thinking positively that often they cannot see
problems in advance. This leaves them under-prepared for difficulties.
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
Yellow Hat:
The yellow hat helps you to think positively. It is the optimistic viewpoint that
helps you to see all the benefits of the decision and the value in it. Yellow Hat
thinking helps you to keep going when everything looks gloomy and difficult.

Green Hat:
The Green Hat stands for creativity. This is where you can develop creative
solutions to a problem. It is a freewheeling way of thinking, in which there is
little criticism of ideas. A whole range of creativity tools can help you here.

Blue Hat:
'Blue Hat Thinking' stands for process control. This is the hat worn by people
chairing meetings. When running into difficulties because ideas are running dry,
they may direct activity into Green Hat thinking. When contingency plans are
needed, they will ask for Black Hat thinking, etc.
A variant of this technique is to look at problems from the point of view of different
professionals (e.g. doctors, architects, sales directors, etc.) or different customers.
Key points:
Six Thinking Hats is a good technique for looking at the effects of a decision from a
number of different points of view.
It allows necessary emotion and skepticism to be brought into what would otherwise be
purely rational decisions. It opens up the opportunity for creativity within decision
making. The technique also helps, for example, persistently pessimistic people to be
positive and creative.
Plans developed using the '6 Thinking Hats' technique will be sounder and more resilient
than would otherwise be the case. It may also help you to avoid public relations
mistakes, and spot good reasons not to follow a course of action before you have
committed to it.
The preceding material is courtesy of and copyrighted by Mind Tools, www.mindtools.com.
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Section
L
L. Nonviolent Communication
Active Listening
Active listening reflects what has been said back to the person to whom you have been listening,
and helps them simply to feel heard. It demonstrates genuine interest, tells the person that you
have heard what they have been saying, both in content and feeling, and encourages a deeper
exploration of what is going on for that person. It also effectively reduces the need for
questioning.
At first these skills seem artificial and uncomfortable, but that is common when using a new
tool. With practice they can become valuable aids that will assist you in helping to “debrief” or
simply listen to a colleague or a client, and also when dealing with someone in a stressful
situation. They are important skills to have but these guidelines are not meant to be proscriptive.
Adapt your use of language and your responses to the situation in which you find yourself, to be
most sensitive to what is going to be helpful and encourage the other person to express
themselves.
How to listen actively

Active listening is more than hearing. It involves processing what has been heard and
skilfully selecting a response. At its most basic, active listening serves to encourage the
person to tell more and most importantly, communicates to the person that you are
interested and listening.

You need to be aware of your own beliefs, needs, biases and limitations. Basic to
the quality of your communication are the beliefs and attitudes you bring, attitudes you
hold in relation to others, and to yourself.

You want to listen and are interested in the person. People quickly sense when your
response is not genuine. 'Phoney sincerity' does not work: your tone of voice will convey
your sincerity. If you are patient and not anxious to put in your 'two cents' worth, and
show that you remember what the person is saying- "So you were driving back into town when
you came to a roadblock and four soldiers pulled you over”- your interest can be demonstrated
and conveyed.

You respect the person's individuality and right of self-determination. This means
that every person has a right to make his/her own decisions and choices even if you
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disagree or disapprove. It is inappropriate for us to try to convince others that we are
right and they are wrong.

You avoid labelling and dismissing the person or their feelings. "It's not really such a
big deal, that happens all the time", is not helpful to the person with the problem. Minimising
others feelings "It'll be alright, don't worry, don't feel so bad", is usually an expression of your
own discomfort with those feelings, rather than a helpful response for them. “I understand
how you feel”, is one of the most aggravating phrases and invites the aggressive retort “You
DON’T KNOW how I feel!”
Skills used in active listening


Paraphrasing: this consists of restating in your own words what you think someone has
just said. The benefits of paraphrasing include:
-
People really know that they are being heard.
-
False assumptions, errors, and misinterpretations are corrected
immediately.
-
Helps you remember what was said.
Reflecting feelings: Include a feeling in the paraphrase, e.g.“You’re feeling really stressed
because you feel like you get all the jobs no-one else wants to do........” Reflective listening can work
on many levels, You can reflect back feeling and content and also other messages you
are hearing in the tone of voice or the context. This allows you to check how the person
is really feeling and often tells you some of their underlying needs.
Reflecting feelings is crucial to express empathy and enable the person to move beyond
telling their story. The sharing of feelings is the beginning of the healing process. By
expressing the feelings and by having them acknowledged, the person is able to look at
her/his situation more objectively and consider what can then be done.
You can also predict feelings by putting yourself in the other person's shoes: "I would feel
really stressed in your position". If your prediction is not accurate the person will quickly
correct you. The exchange is still useful.
It is helpful in reflecting feelings to identify 'feeling words' and reflect them back. “I'm
so confused I can't think straight. I’m all uptight. "You're upset and confused."

Open Questions: “How are you feeling?”
“What happened when.....”
“Can you tell me about.....”

Encouragers: “uh huh, right , yes, mmm, oh” (keep the ball rolling). Repeating the last
word of a sentence, e.g., “So then he started yelling. “He started yelling?” “And I got really
scared.” “Scared?”

Empathy: “I can hear how scared you must have been.” (can be opening up) “It sounds
as though it’s hard for you to talk like this.” (or containing) “You were scared and now
you’re disappointed with how you reacted. That’s really hard.”
Containment skills:
- Summarising: This is an extended form of paraphrasing- it identifies themes and
issues and reflects or feeds them back to the person. This is often used after listening
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for a while and 'sums up' what has been said. “Am I right in saying this has frightened you
and you want to do something about it?”
-
Focusing: “There’s a lot going on right now. Can we go back to.....”
-
Prioritising: “You’ve said that you’re feeling lots of things and ....... is causing most
concern.”
-
Immediacy: Being able to respond to where the person is at in the moment.
“There’s a bit of a silence. How are you feeling?” “I get the impression you didn’t
like my response.”
-
Closed questions: “Have I heard you right?”. “Do you want to do something about
it?”
Other points about active listening
Listening for needs: active listening can be used to help calm an agitated, angry or upset person
down by meeting their immediate need to be heard. Importantly, active listening allows us to
discover the person’s underlying needs which may be making them angry, agitated or upset in
the first place. The person may not be fully aware of them in an articulate way. With active
listening we can listen for and reflect back what the person needs.
Active listening to respond to an aggressive person: Active listening is also used as a useful
tool in calming down and responding to an agitated or aggressive person. Get the aggressor
talking and listen to what s/he says. Encourage him/her to talk about what s/he believes,
wishes, fears. The listening is more important than what you say - keep the talk going and keep it
calm. Listen to what they say carefully and reflect back. Let the aggressor know you are listening
and try and build some common ground or agree with things that you do agree with. Ignore
words of abuse and insults and focus on what is going on. It may be appropriate at times to state
clearly what is happening and what you would like. “I’m interested in what you have to say” or
“I’d like to listen to you but you are shouting too loudly.” Express what you observe in a clear
and calm manner. Avoid sparring or returning insults at all costs.

Listening blocks: Most people use some of these listening blocks from time to time.
It's extremely helpful to identify which ones you use with certain people:
-
Comparing: You listen to work out who is smarter, who has suffered more, who
makes more money, etc. you're so busy assessing that you can't let much in.
-
Mind reading: You pay little attention to what the person is actually saying because
you are concentrating on what you think the person is really thinking and feeling.
Mind reading relies on making assumptions.
-
Rehearsing: Your attention is on preparing what you are going to say next. You
may look interested but your mind is on your own point or story.
-
Filtering: You listen to some things and not others, often due to you own
prejudices or deeply held beliefs
-
Filtering In: Looking for an indication of what you expect or fear, e.g. Are they
angry with you?
-
Filtering Out: Avoid hearing certain things which are negative, critical or
unpleasant.
-
Judging: When you prejudge someone (e.g. stupid, incompetent, lazy) you don't
place much value in what they have to say. Negative labels have enormous power. A
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basic rule of listening is that judgements are made after you have already heard and
evaluated the message.
-
Day-dreaming: Something the person says suddenly triggers a chain of personal
associations and you're somewhere else for a while. Everyone dreams sometimes,
but you are more likely to dream if you are bored or anxious. If you dream a lot with
certain people its worth while asking yourself “Why ?”
-
Over identifying: Everything a person tells you is related back to your own
experience. You launch into your story without having really heard theirs.
-
Advising: Intent on solving problems, you're so busy working out suggestions that
you may miss hearing the feelings. When the person's feelings are not acknowledged,
he or she still feels basically alone. You also may make it more difficult for the
person to learn how to deal with their own problems.
-
Sparring: You're so quick to disagree that the other person never feels heard. There
is a tendency to take strong stands in regard to your personal beliefs and references.
The way to avoid sparring is to repeat back and acknowledge what you heard. Look
for one thing that you might agree with.
-
Put-downs: Sarcastic or belittling remarks which dismiss the other person's point of
view. This pushes the communication into stereotyped patterns where each person
repeats a familiar hostile response.
-
Discounting: Running yourself down in response to a compliment. The other
person doesn't feel that his/her appreciation was heard.
-
Being right: You avoid being wrong at any cost -- you don't accept criticism, you
can't be corrected, and you can't listen to suggestions for change. Since you don't
acknowledge mistakes, you are likely to repeat them.
-
De-railing: When bored or uncomfortable with a topic you suddenly change the
subject or make a joke out of it. This saves you the discomfort or anxiety involved in
serious listening.
-
Placating: You want to be nice, pleasant, supportive. You want people to like you.
So you agree with everything. You're placating, rather than really listening and
examining what's being said.
-Adapted from " MESSAGES " by McKay, Davis & Fanning
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Communicating Assertively

Clearly "own" your messages by using personal pronouns such as "I" and "my";
personal ownership includes clearly taking responsibility for the ideas and feelings that
are expressed by you. People "disown" their messages when they use terms like "most
people", "some people", "some members", or "our group". Such terms make it difficult
to tell whether the person really thinks and feels what he is saying or whether he is
repeating the thoughts and feelings of others.

Make your messages complete and specific. Include clear statements of all necessary
information the receiver needs in order to comprehend the message. Being complete and
specific seems obvious, but often a person will not communicate the frame of reference
he is taking, the assumptions he is making, the intentions he has in communicating, or
the leaps in thinking he is making. Thus while a person may hear the words she will not
comprehend the meaning of the message.

Make your verbal and nonverbal messages congruent with each other. Every faceto-face communication involves both verbal and nonverbal messages. Usually these
messages are congruent, so if a person is saying that he has appreciated your help, he is
smiling and expressing warmth verbally. Communication problems arise when a person's
verbal and nonverbal messages are contradictory. If a person says "Here is some
information that may be of help to you" with a sneer on his face and a mocking tone of
voice, the meaning you receive is confused by the two different messages being
simultaneously sent. The nonverbal message is always more powerful than the verbal
one.

Ask for feedback concerning the way your messages are being received. In order to
communicate effectively you must be aware of how the receiver is interpreting and
processing your messages. The only way to be sure is to continually seek feedback as to
what meanings the receiver is attaching to your messages.

Make the message appropriate to the receiver's frame of reference. The same
information will be explained differently to an expert in the field than to a novice, to a
child than to an adult, to your boss than to a co-worker.

Describe your feelings by name, action, or figure of speech. When communicating
your feelings it is especially important to be descriptive. You may describe your feelings
by name ("I feel happy"), actions ("I feel like dancing") or figures of speech ("I feel like
I'm floating I’m so happy"). The description will help communicate your feelings clearly
and unambiguously.

Describe other people's behaviour without evaluating or interpreting. When
reacting to the behaviour of other people be sure to describe their behaviour ("You keep
interrupting me") rather than evaluating it ("You're a self-centred, egotist who won't
listen to anyone else's ideas").
-from Johnson, D and Johnson, F. (1987) ‘Joining Together’, Prentice-Hall
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Giving Feedback

It is important to be able to give feedback in such a way that people can hear it, take it
in, evaluate it, and change behaviour which affects their relationship with others.

A basic premise here is that people really do want to hear what other people have to say
about them, both positive and critical. We may have unpleasant feelings about how it has
happened in the past, but we do look for all kinds of signals and messages about
ourselves from others. When someone takes the time to think about us and give us
direct information about how we are perceived, it can be helpful in evaluating the way
you work and interact with other people.

A simple and very useful model for nonviolent feedback is:
Observing – “I’ve noticed that…”
Feeling – “What I’m feeling is…”
Needs – “What I need is…”
Request – “I’d like to ask that…”
-From Marshall Rosenberg

Some criteria for useful feedback are:
-
Useful feedback is descriptive rather than evaluative. It merely describes what is
seen or heard, thus the receiver is left free to use it or not. By avoiding evaluative
language, it reduces the need for the receiver to respond defensively.
-
It is specific rather than general. "You weren't listening", is not as helpful as "Just
when Sam started talking about his mother, your eyes looked elsewhere and it
looked as though you were not listening to what he was saying".
-
It takes into account the needs of both the receiver and the giver of feedback.
Feedback can be destructive when it serves only the giver's needs and fails to
consider the needs of the receiver.
-
It is directed toward behaviour that the receiver can change. Frustration is only
increased when one is reminded of a shortcoming over which there is little control.
-
It is asked for rather than imposed. Feedback is most useful when it is asked for.
-
It is well timed. In general, feedback is most useful when given as soon as possible
after the observed behaviour (depending of course, on the person's readiness to hear
it, and on the support available from others if the receiver is acutely vulnerable, etc.).
-
It is checked with the receiver. When people receive feedback they are likely to be
anxious and consequently they may hear a different message than what was
intended. It is therefore important to check that the person has correctly heard the
feedback.
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Receiving Feedback
In our work with Peace Brigades, there are a number of opportunities for giving and
receiving feedback. On the team there are peer reviews after two months, six months
and every six months thereafter. The staff and committees are evaluated during face to
face meetings, and we also have feedback opportunities following many meetings,
emergencies and projects.
Most people feel they are in the 'hot seat' when receiving feedback and many people
block out positive acknowledgment and only hear critical comments. In these
circumstances it is common for the negative criticism to be exaggerated or distorted,
rather than being counterbalanced by positive acknowledgments
To make use of feedback it is important to accurately hear it, and for it to be in a useful
form.

Stay calm, receptive and listen attentively.

Use your active listening skills.

Try to reflect back what you heard, in both the feelings and content.

Ask for clarification, and check out the person's meanings.

Ask if you have correctly heard the key points.

Assert your right to have feedback given in a useful form.

Attempt to make use of the information provided.
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Section
M
M. Consensus Decision-Making & Group
Process
What Is Consensus?
Consensus is based on the
principle that every voice is worth
hearing, every concern is justified. If a
proposal makes a few people, even one
person, deeply unhappy - then there is a
valid reason for that unhappiness, and if
we ignore it, we are likely to make a
mistake.
Consensus is a way of reaching
agreement on a decision within a group
without voting. It is also a process of
nonviolent conflict resolution, and a
revolutionary alternative to the way
decisions are usually made within
structures in our society.
From Baden Eunson,
"Communication for
Team-Building" and C.T.
Lawrence Butler, U.S.
Food Not Bombs
PBI uses consensus at all levels of the organisation where
important decisions are made. This includes: International
Committee meetings, on Project Committee phone hook-ups, at
Country Group meetings and over email groups, and within
Project Teams. It’s particularly important that Project volunteers
be skilled in the use of consensus, as Team meetings are a regular
and integral function of a Project Team, and the decisions made
by Team members may be of life-and-death significance.
The aim of consensus is not necessarily for everybody to agree.
The idea is for the group to come to a decision that all members
of the group can abide by.
Why does PBI use
Consensus?
Although it has its weaknesses (it can be time-consuming, which
is problematic in an emergency, and participants need to have a
fair level of knowledge of the discussion topic and process), PBI
operates by consensus for a number of reasons:

The process is consistent with PBI’s philosophy of
nonviolence: respecting diversity, co-operation, working
towards mutually-satisfying solutions;
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P R O C E S S

It’s non-hierarchical, and egalitarian- everybody in the group has the opportunity, and the
responsibility, to participate in the decision-making process; roles amongst participants are rotated;
and there is a commitment to ensuring that everybody’s concerns are heard;

As opposed to voting, in which the “majority rules”, consensus aims to achieve the explicit
consent to the final decision by all members of the group;

Because some decisions within PBI, especially on Project Teams, require a high degree of support
and commitment by those involved, it’s crucial that each member of the group “owns” the
outcomes and feels comfortable implementing them;

It recognises that the process of decision-making is important, not just the outcome, in terms of
building trust and understanding between group members;

Although it takes time, the results can be incredibly satisfying!
Principles of Consensus
These principles have been identified as essential to forming the basis of a consensus process:
1. Trust
2. Respect
3. Unity of goals and purpose amongst participants
4. Nonviolence
5. Co-operation
6. Conflict resolution *
7. Commitment to the group
8. Active participation by all group members
9. Equal access to power
10. Patience!
*Consensus involves a commitment to working with conflict as it arises. Use conflicting ideas as a
catalyst for developing creative resolutions, and a better understanding of each other. Each individual
takes responsibility for expressing their concerns; the group is responsible for resolving them. Finally,
there is no right decision, only the best decision for the group.
-Adapted from On Conflict and Consensus, a handbook on Formal Consensus decisionmaking by CT Butler
and Amy Rothstein
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From Discussion to Decision: A Diagram
This is a useful flow chart to actively use during meetings. The group can use it to
guide themselves through the decision making process.
An issue is brought to the meeting:
If in the form of a solution or proposal, translate back to an ‘issue’
Clarification
What is the issue? Do we need background information.
What are we trying to decide here?
What are the underlying values, needs and interests?
What is our mandate – are we making a decision or a recommendation?
Discussion
Sharing how we feel about the issue
Pooling ideas – building on each others ideas
Synthesizing
Separating areas of agreement and disagreement – then narrowing discussion to focus on
disagreements, doubts or confusions
Testing for Agreement
Forming proposal when it looks like agreement is likely
Testing it…using go-arounds, straw-polls, asking for objections
Agreement
- it’s a decision!
New
proposal
If there is not agreement
Implementation
More discussion
Record decision & who will do what by when
Who needs to be informed?
How will this be done?
Focusing on disagreements or doubts
Are there any compromises or new solutions?
The above flowchart is included courtesy of Glen Ochre
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Positions In Consensus Decision Making

Full Agreement and Approval

Agreement with Reservations
A person disagrees with the proposal in part, but consents to the overall idea. They are not
completely satisfied with the proposal, but are generally supportive. This kind of concern is
usually resolvable through discussion. Sometimes it’s enough for this person to express their
concern and have their reservation/s noted, without any actual resolution of the issue.
 No Opinion Expressed – Stand Aside
The reason for this lack of opinion must be expressed. Usually this involves someone lacking
information, but is trusting of the group.

Full Disagreement and Abstention
A person doesn’t agree with the proposal. The person attempts to persuade the group to see
the wisdom of their disagreement. If the group is not persuaded, or the disagreement cannot
be resolved, the person chooses to stand aside (not participate in the making of that
particular decision) and allows the group to go forward. The person must clearly state their
reasons for disagreement, and commits themselves to not undermine or block the decision.
The group then decides how to proceed with the decision.

Full Disagreement and Block/Veto
A person disagrees so strongly with a decision that they cannot in conscience allow the group
to proceed with it. Blocking is used rarely and carefully. A blocking concern must be
based on something stronger than a person’s individual preference- it must be considered by
that person to be essential to the group’s well-being. If a person feels strongly enough about
something to block it, they are probably aware of factors that the group should consider more
carefully.
Before a block is accepted, the group must have already accepted the validity of the concern
and a reasonable attempt must have been made to solve it. If a legitimate concern remains
unresolved and the person does not agree to stand aside, consensus is blocked. The person
must clearly give their reason for blocking and present a resolution to reopen the
discussion in order to find a solution.
Blocking gives each person the ultimate influence over decisions which affect them and their
group. However, it’s not appropriate for a person to come to a meeting planning to block a
proposal or, during discussion, to express their concerns as blocking concerns. Often, during
discussion, the person learns additional information which resolves the concern. Sometimes,
after expressing the concern, someone is able to creatively resolve it by thinking of something
new. It often happens that a concern which seems to be extremely problematic when it is first
mentioned turns out to be easily resolved. Sometimes the reverse happens and a seemingly
minor concern brings forth much larger concerns.
- From On Conflict and Consensus, a handbook on Formal Consensus decisionmaking by CT Butler and Amy
Rothstein and PBI
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Roles Within a Consensus Group
These should be rotated between meetings to develop skills amongst group members and avoid the
development of a hierarchy.
Facilitator
 The facilitator conducts group business and guides the consensus process so that it flows
smoothly. They keep the meeting focussed and moving. Commonly people will drift off the
subject under discussion and begin talking about something else. The facilitator reminds them
what the subject is, and if necessary arranges for later discussion of new issues raised.

The facilitator does not give their personal opinions nor do they attempt to direct the content of
the discussion. If they want to participate, they must clearly relinquish the role and speak as an
individual.

The facilitator is responsible for addressing the needs of the group. They need to be aware of the
group dynamics, being sure to limit those who are speaking often and offering opportunities to
those who are not speaking much or at all.

The facilitator is responsible for leading the meeting openly so that everyone present is aware of
the process and how to participate. This means it is important to constantly review what just
happened, what is about to happen, and how it will happen.

The facilitator observes the content of talk in a meeting. From time to time the facilitator may
summarise what has been said so far, and what has been decided as relevant.
Timekeeper
 The timekeeper's job, when time is limited, is to ensure that people remain aware of how much
time is passing discussing each item. They assist the facilitator in keeping within the time limits set
for each item at the start of the meeting.

The timekeeper should give ample warning towards the end of the time limit so that the group
can move towards closure of the item, or agree to extend the time available to discuss the item, or
postpone it for another time.
Peace-keeper
 In a large group, or when sensitive or controversial topics are being discussed, a peace-keeper
will sometimes be chosen. They should be someone who is prepared to remain somewhat apart
from the discussion and is not personally invested in the topic.

The peace-keeper’s role is to pay attention to the overall mood or tone of the meeting. If tensions
increase dramatically, tempers flare or relations between participants become angry, the peacekeeper may interrupt to remind people of their agreement to respect each other, and of their
purpose for being there.

The peace-keeper is the only person with prior permission to interrupt a speaker or speak without
first being recognised by the facilitator. Also, it is important to note that the peacekeeper's
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comments are always directed at the whole group, never at one individual or small group within
the larger group. Keep comments short and to the point.

The peace-keeper may always, of course, point out when the group did something well.
Note-taker
 The note-taker takes detailed notes (minutes) of the meeting and ensures that decisions made are
accurately recorded. They don’t have to write down verbatim what is said, but ensure that the
general gist of discussions is retained, both for the benefit of members who were not present at
the meeting, and in case the minutes need to be referred to at a later stage.

The note-taker will sometimes “scribe” during the meeting on butchers’ paper or a white-board,
to help clarify the discussion for participants. If this is necessary, they should pass the role of
taking minutes onto somebody else.

The note-taker will usually be the person responsible for ensuring that minutes are written up
clearly after the meeting, distributed to participants, and kept somewhere as a record.
Some Final Comments on Consensus…
A resolution to conflict is more likely to occur if we act as though there will be one. Always try
to assume good will. Assume every statement and action is sincerely intended to benefit the
group. Often, when we project our feelings and expectations onto others, we influence their
actions. If we treat others as though they are trying to get attention, disrupt meetings, or pick
fights, they will often fulfil our expectations. This is especially true if someone is intentionally
trying to cause trouble, or is emotionally unhealthy. Don’t attack the person, but rather, assume
good will and ask the person to explain to the group how their statements or actions are in the
group’s best interests. It’s also important to remember to separate the actor from the action.
While the behaviour might be unacceptable, the person is not bad. Remember that no one has
the answer.
- Adapted from On Conflict and Consensus, a handbook on Formal Consensus decisionmaking by CT Butler
and Amy Rothstein
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N. Being Prepared to Join
Why Are You Interested In Doing This
Work?
The author of the following thoughts, Vanja Nikolic, has been involved in peace and human rights
activities in Croatia, working with the Anti War Campaign in Zagreb, since spring 1992. Her questions
are relevant to anyone considering working as an international volunteer. These are not questions for
which you need to write down answers, but please read them and think about them seriously.
1.
Keep in mind that you are not going to stop the violence in a few weeks time.
2.
Describe your own motivation without using the word "help". It is self-evident that
most people thinking of volunteering to go to a high conflict region want to help. It
will be important for you to be clear about who you want to help: others, yourself,
the human race, your ego, etc.
3.
Are you running away from your own personal troubles in your own life by packing
your bags and travelling to a war region?
4.
Do you have hopes that you will be considered somewhat of a hero once you are
back home?
5.
Do you think that you are in a position to tell people in what they should do because
you are more educated, cleverer, or come from a more civilized society?
6.
Have you been studying or practicing conflict resolution and mediation? Do you
have a vision that you might come to a war region to present workshops on how to
solve conflict in 9 steps?
7.
Do you see this as a great adventurous holiday?
8.
Do you think this will make a good line on your resume or CV?
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9.
Think out how your action can be of benefit to the people in the region and how
much it can harm people.
10.
Do you have a hidden agenda, such as plans to use this effort for your research?
11.
Are you healthy and psychologically stable enough so that once you come there, you
can really be "of help" and not be a person who will suck the energy of the project or
local people?
12.
Are you ready to live for a period of time in chaotic, hard, tropical conditions, among
people who are going through horror? Are you ready for cultural shock, of not
hearing much of your own language spoken while you are there?
13.
Are you ready for the fact that you are probably not going to be able to communicate
frequently with your family, relatives, and friends back home?
14.
Are you ready for the fact that you will come out of the war region and find out that
you actually do not have any clue what is going on?
15.
Are you aware of your own prejudices of people from different cultures and different
countries? Do you have a coping mechanism to deal with it?
There are many questions to ask yourself before going to a war region. And be prepared that as much
as you prepare yourself, you are never going to be prepared!
This list of questions is not aimed at stopping from you from applying to help and work in the region.
It is more for you to think and be aware. Motivations for activism differ from person to person. That
is OK, but the worst is if you are hiding your own motivations even from yourself, or if you are not
aware of your motivations.
There is also an excellent positive side to the story of volunteering. Yes, it is a place to learn, to grow,
to feel useful and creative and constructive. It is a place to make friends, to do and
experience something great. It can change your life's attitudes and paths.
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Emotional Preparedness Questions
Your emotions can contribute to a situation’s effect on you and to your response to it, because our
responses are not only based on what we know, but on how we feel. Our experiences reinforce our
emotional habits, often causing us to react inappropriately to situations requiring a particular, unique
response. By focusing attention on our feelings, we can become more consciously aware of how our
emotions and life experiences affect our judgement and can contribute to serious errors.
Begin with thinking about how you feel about the situation you are in now, and be as honest as
possible about your concerns, fears and anxieties related to your upcoming trip. Try to find out what
triggers an emotional response. Answering the following questions may help. These are some of the
“big questions” that people face when they are going into a conflict zone, and may make you stop and
think quite deeply about the work you are about to do. Try not to be overwhelmed by these thoughts,
but factor your responses into your preparation for the Project.
1. What emotional life experiences have affected your decision to volunteer for PBI? In
what ways have these experiences affected your ideals, beliefs and responses?
2. What emotional benefit do you hope to gain from your work with PBI?
3. Are you a perfectionist, always trying to get everything right? What do you do with
your frustration if you are not permitted to "get it right"?
4. How do you react under pressure? How do you react when you are angry? Afraid?
Confused? Tired?
5. How do you respond to other people's anger or confrontational styles?
6. Have you ever had violence directed at you? Or witnessed violence being directed at
someone else? What emotions did it bring up in you?
7. List two or three things that make you feel uneasy. Why do they make you feel this
way?
8. What frightens you about the situation you will be going into in the country where
you will be volunteering with PBI? What do you NOT want to see happen? What is
the worst scenario you can imagine taking place there?
9. How do you react to the possibility of your own death? To other people's deaths?
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Bulding A Support Strategy: Action Steps
From now until you join the Project is your time to be putting in place strategies to ensure you
are well-looked after- physically, mentally and emotionally- during your time in Indonesia. Here
are some suggestions to get you started:
Get Together a Support Group
This is a core group of the people closest to you, who can commit to “being there” for you while
you are away. While others may not feel the need for this, during more than two decades of
fielding volunteers, PBI has seen that people who set up a group to support them before, during
and after field service, cope more positively with the challenges.
Think about what you might want from your family and friends while you’re on the Project. A
regular phone call? Emails? Knowing that you can call them if you want a chat? Knowing that
you don’t have to call them if you don’t feel like it? Understanding about what sort of work
you’ll be doing? Occasional “care packages” in the mail? Have a talk to these people about these
sorts of things before you leave. It is giving them a details about an Indonesia Project contact
person in your country group, or somebody on the Project Committee, in case you don’t get in
touch with them for a while and they want to check that everything’s OK.
Plan to De-stress
Life on the Team is sometimes going to be really busy and sometimes really uneventful. You will
be, for the most part, living and working with the same people 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You won’t always have the time or the facilities to do the things that normally relax you. Think
about what you’re going to do to de-stress- what are some of the things you do at home that you
can adapt to your life on the Project? Some activities that past Indonesia Project volunteers have
sworn by are:

Surfing - yes you can bring a surfboard to the Project, the Banda Aceh house is not far from
the beach and the waves are apparently fantastic

Swimming - In Aceh, at the beach (although the surf can sometimes be dangerous even if
you are a strong swimmer); alternatively there is a local pool next to the cinema; and in
Jakarta there plenty of pools

Walking or Jogging

Yoga

Aerobics (available in Jakarta and Aceh)

Sex (safely)

Dancing

Meditating or just finding “quiet space”

Reading (bring some books of your native language) and writing in a journal

Playing sports

Smoking (be prepared to get used to Indonesian clove cigarettes)

A cup of tea and a good lie-down!
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Support From Your Country Group
For volunteers who live in or have nationality in a country where a PBI section exists…
We strongly recommend you become involved with your Country Group before you go on the
Project. As well as providing you with contact with PBI “back home”, involvement with a
Country Group gives you an idea of how PBI works in practice and supports the Indonesia
Project. Your Country Group can also help you with fundraising and with building up your
Political Support Network (more about these later).
Many Country Groups have in place support policies and procedures for supporting returned
volunteers from various PBI Projects. These may include matching a volunteer with a support
person from the Country Group; providing pre-arranged support such as regular check-in phone
calls, pre- and post-deployment practical assistance; and a contact point in the home country for
the volunteer’s family and friends, if the volunteer wants this. Not all Country Groups have a
similar structure, but it’s definitely worth linking in with your Country Group to see what
support it can provide, and also to give you a way of working with PBI before and after your
involvement on the Project.
For volunteers who do not live in or have nationality in a country where a PBI section
exists…
It may be possible to be adopted by another country group, or work to build a personal and
political support network via the Indonesia Project or other PBI bodies such as the International
Office.
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O. Mental Health on the Team
Volunteer Support and Stress Management
The points on the next page were from a brainstorm / discussion about potential stressors specifically
when working in Aceh. It was held amid further discussion about other stressors including the group
environment, relationship with team members and individual stressors that may be shared with other
work environments. It was used to develop the Volunteer Strategy chart.
As many of the negative impacts of these stressors are accumulative, responses such as post-trauma
counseling will not be effective without a comprehensive plan to remove stress, prevent it, and deal
with it before it has a larger negative impact.
Much of the activities identified in the Volunteer Strategy Chart are already being done by individual
volunteers, the Field Team, Project Committee and some Country Groups. A prevention strategy such
as this requires individual volunteers, the Teams, the Project Committee and even Country Groups to
undertake coordinated activities.
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Potential stressors specific to PBI Team context:
 Injustice – abuses going unpunished, impunity of armed actors
 Never going ‘home’ – house is also office, can’t forget you’re in Aceh, on the job all the time
 Change in life companions – living with different people and in a different lifestyle pattern
than maybe would choose back home.
 Language – Never being able to be fully articulate as in native language, not being able to
express all thoughts, emotions, reduced to less intelligent conversations, not being able to be
truly yourself.
 Poverty – lots of moral, ethical tensions and choices, constantly reminded of massive
disparities
 Violence – Listening often to severe trauma stories, constantly aware of level of violence,
reading reports, observations, conversations etc.
 Grief, trauma, loss – Working with clients affected by trauma, listening to stories, witnessing
personal, societal impacts of grief, loss.
 Isolation – sense that rest of the world not concerned about situation in Aceh, shared by
Acehnese. Also sense that rest of world could not fully understand situation. Geographical
distance – northern tip of Sumatra.
 Change in personal power- power in relation to local Acehnese as a Westerner, in relation to
police, and military, each other. Feelings of powerlessness in overall conflict
 Reduction of freedom – restricted movement (after dark, or alone), change in habits and
behaviour due to changing security situation.
 Surveillance – constantly aware of surveillance, on phone, street, during social activities.
Surveillance from Intel but also everyday attention from local people.
 Working with people at risk – relationship with people under threat. Personal concern for
their safety. Level of shared risk.
 Distance from family – absence of regular support structure, just letters, email and phone
calls.
 Reduced opportunities
 Lack of particular comforts - ‘normal’ recreational activities, movies, etc. We have to make
new ones.
 The potential for having to leave Aceh – the possibility of PBI having to leave Aceh. Being
overseas citizens here. Visa only thing permitting us to be here.
 People depending on you – relationship with clients. Growing to trust/ depend upon PBI’s
presence?
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Volunteer Support / Stress Management & Prevention Strategy
This Strategy emphasizes stress-prevention, particularly primary prevention activities. Secondary & tertiary responses are equally important to have in
place, but only along with effective prevention. It recognizes that responsibility for volunteer support/stress prevention is shared throughout PBI.
Country
Group
Project
Team
Individual
Primary - prevention activities
 Sufficient rest and sleep
 Personal space
 Comfort foods
 Regular physical exercise
 Non-work, creative activities
 Pets
 Personal support to other team members
 Maintaining contact with family, friends
 Consensus decision making processes
 A team culture of support
 Rotation of roles and tasks
 Clear objectives for tasks
 Formal check-ins each meeting
 Social activities, formal and informal
 Thorough induction, briefing and support for new team members
 Acknowledging and celebrating achievements and changes
 Ensuring enough personal space/ bedrooms for volunteers
 Ensuring clean house and workspace
 Plenty of fun and laughter
 Provision of adequate training
 12 month term of service
 Provision of adequate resources / equipment for team
 Training in stress management strategies
 Professional development
 Adequate resources: fridge, car, etc
 Provision of stipends for volunteers
 Overall level of political and financial support
 Pre-training contact, information and support from Country Group
 Packages / letters / emails from home
 Maintaining contact with the volunteer’s friends and family
Secondary – prevention activities
Tertiary – response
 Journal writing about experiences
 Seeking support from team members, support person
 Taking breaks regularly
 Changing / reducing own responsibilities
 Individual stress- management methods
 Leaving project temporarily
 ‘Forced’ holidays
 3 month breaks
 2, 6 and 11 month evaluation processes
 Buddy system
 Routine debriefing after field trips, PA’s and minor incidents
 Group supportive response to a stressed team member
 Change or reduce responsibilities of person if required
 Arrange for special support calls for person
 Use of active listening / structured space for team members to tell
their stories
 Strategy for structured group debriefing after traumatic
incident
 Development and oversight of comprehensive project Volunteer
Support and Stress Prevention Strategy
 Ensuring the availability of emergency money and resources
 Regular check-in calls from Human Resources Committee
 Contact with team following difficult incidents
 Human Resources structured support for volunteer needs
 Availability of professional debriefing / counseling
within week after traumatic incident.
 Availability of ongoing professional PTSD after incident
 Support calls from CG support person/group
 Re-entry support upon return of volunteer
 Provision of increased level of support calls for project
team and volunteers,
 preparedness for evacuation and intensive re-entry
support
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Stress and Burnout
Stress is response to strain. It is an inevitable part of life - we need a certain amount of stress to
enhance performance, but too much stress debilitates performance. Many people effectively
manage continuing stressful events whilst others 'cave in' under the strain. What makes the
difference is the effectiveness of the individual's response to strain and coping mechanisms.
Excessive stress is known as 'burnout'.
Burnout is defined as physical and emotional exhaustion involving the development of negative
self-concept, negative job attitudes and a loss of feeling for others. Symptoms can include:
tension; fatigue; inability to relax; easily startled; moved to tears easily; trembling; paranoia, or
feelings of omnipotence; overconfidence; stubbornness and inflexibility.
Stress Management and Burnout Prevention
High stress levels and burnout are very common among grassroots activists and community
workers - both paid and voluntary workers. High stress levels are, obviously, bad for individuals,
for those close to them, and for the organisations in which they work. Turnover can become
high, with loss of skilled and experienced people. Stressed people are not effective and can often
create conflict and contribute to low morale. Cynicism, negativity and rigid thinking are side
effects of chronic stress. Serious anguish and long term physical, emotional and motivational
effects that are suffered privately are not unusual amongst activists who have worked hard for
several years.
Taking care of the thing which we have the most control over - that is, ourselves- is a vital part
of effective activism. Putting some attention into stress management and physical, emotional and
spiritual renewal is crucial to looking after ourselves for the long haul.
Symptoms of Stress and Burnout
Physical:
 Chronic tiredness- sleep does not refresh

Decreased immunity - susceptible to colds, flu, allergies

Aches and pains in joints, muscles, stomach or back

Sleep affected - hard to get to sleep or wake early

Weight loss / weight gain

Decreased interest in sex
Behavioural
 Withdrawal and isolating oneself from friends and colleagues

Rejecting help

Lack of effectiveness

Paranoid reaction, overly suspicious of others

Not turning up to work /keeping commitments/decreased responsibility/
professionalism
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Emotional
 Depression

Rigid thinking, lack of problem solving ability

Resentfulness

Negative mind set and irritability

Crying or getting angry easily and inappropriately

Forgetfulness

Anxiety
Spiritual
 Cynicism about previously valued things

Devoid of joy and unable to laugh

Sense of futility and loss of meaning

Inner sense of emptiness - nothing left to 'give'
Contributing factors to stress
There are many potential contributing factors to stress. They can be grouped into four:
1. The nature of our work;
2. Personal or individual factors;
3. Organisational factors - the nature of our organisation (which the whole group is
responsible for);
4. Larger sociopolitical factors over which we have little control
1. The nature of our work
Much social change and activist work involves some or all of the following:
 Prolonged attention on disturbing and negative information and future projections

Crisis work with a short term focus

Apparent lack of results - sometimes unrealistic expectations due to lack of
understanding of the long-term nature of social movements

Working against societal resistance

Lack of resources
2. Personal factors
These interact with stressors related to personal relationships, identity, state of health:
 Motives/sense of identity (who we are)/personal values are equated with what we get
done (or are seen to be doing);

Accumulation of emotions that are not dealt with for instance: grief, disappointment,
conflict, uncertainty, frustration and obsession;

Denial of basic needs, for example the needs for adequate nutrition, exercise, sleep,
time-out, recreation, creativity, intimacy, spirituality, or privacy;
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Lack of personal planning/time management skills;

Inability to set boundaries and limits - staying focussed and effective.
3. Organisational factors
 A group culture or ethos (often set by role models) of working too hard,
competitiveness, overly-task focused, with a low process orientation;

Lack of clear and achievable goal setting, prioritising or realistic expectations;

Lack of review, evaluation, feedback or celebration;

Low team morale or support for individuals;

Unresolved conflicts or unawareness of oppressive attitudes or practices;

Chaotic, noisy, cramped or non-aesthetic work environments;

Insufficient induction to jobs/roles and/or lack of training
4. Socio-political factors
 Patriarchal values such as: ‘an attitude that workers are expendable’, ‘focusing on feelings
or relationships is a waste of time’, ‘productivity is everything’ etc.

Lack of resources for activist work;

Early stages of a campaign or setbacks in a campaign;

Larger political climate.
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Strategies for Managing Stress
Alter/remove stressors
 Learn to recognise/anticipate your potential stressor;
 Remove yourself from stress-inducing situations if feasible;
 Take action to manage your environment;
 Take organisational/political/social action;
 Build up conflict resolution/communication skills;
 Life planning, eg. set priorities;
 Manage your time;
 Say “no” to requests occasionally! (Learn to delegate!)
 Have FUN!
Reduce individual vulnerability & build resistance
 Develop self exploration/self awareness to rework attitudes, beliefs and self-talk;
 Talk, investigate, check out perceptions;
 Work on increasing self confidence and assertiveness skills;
 Improve social supports;
 Balance work and leisure;
 Get enough sleep;
 Improve health status through nutrition and exercise;
 Decrease use of alcohol, drugs, caffeine and nicotine.
Reduce impact of stress reactions
 Recognise symptoms - link to causes;
 Modify negative self talk and self criticism;
 Learn and use calming techniques and stress releasers eg:
o Relaxation training
o Meditation
o Massage
o Exercise

Give priority to self renewal activities;

Be willing to seek professional help and other support;

Increase the amount of fun!
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Decreasing Stress in Organisations
Some Recommendations
 Create a group culture/ethos that supports self-care, balance and sustainable work
loads and patterns;
 Take a long-term perspective of planning and working for the long haul, to keep
experienced and skilled group members for as long as possible;
 Balance task focus with process and relationship/maintenance focus - in meetings,
in daily work, in planning, and in evaluation;
 Provide workshops/training in stress management and burnout prevention - can be
as part of conferences, gatherings or ongoing training/orientation.
 Use regular planning and evaluation as a tool to reduce stress;
 Build stress level checks into reviews and evaluations - how stressed do people feel?
What is contributing? What do we need to do about these?
 Put stress prevention strategies on the agenda for meetings;
 Allow people to express feelings of distress, grief and loss and frustration - regard
them as normal and healthy responses to unhealthy situations and state of the world.
 Provide individual or group debriefing after critical incidents. Keep an eye open for
vulnerable individuals and see intervention as valid.
 Create support structures, eg support/affinity groups, routine debriefing,
supervision, mentoring for new people, group workshops and training.

Put value on socialising, fun, humour, relaxation time as a group.
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Grief and Motivation
As activists and human rights workers we need to individually and collectively deal with feelings such
as loss, grief, frustration, anger and despair.
We are continually bombarded by signs and information telling us that the world is not safe, and that
horrific violence is random and everywhere. Feelings of pain or distress caused by this are natural and
healthy, if acknowledged, expressed and used as a motivating force for acting positively for change.
What is not healthy is the denial, the psychic numbing that prevents many people from really taking in
what is happening around us, and which also saps energy and blocks the ability to take action for
change, sending people scurrying into escapist activities.
Or, unacknowledged, unexpressed feelings of pain for the world can cause people to take action in an
unhealthy way - acting for change from a sense of desperation and/or driven-ness, so that their actions
are more frantic than effective. This is a sure recipe for eventual burn-out. Cynicism, can be seen as a
form of congealed disappointment, feelings that have not had an opportunity to be expressed and to
shift.
Actions which rely on anger as their only fuel can result in behaviour which is counter-productive,
lacking well-thought-out long term strategies and appropriate responses.
When we can express our feelings of pain for the world - whether they manifest as anger, fear,
sadness, hopelessness, frustration, numbness, etc. - in a safe way and in the company of others, it helps
to release the mind, to clear the energy, and to overcome the fear that these feelings will destroy us. It
helps us to re-connect with others, with the vast web of life, and with the resources we have for
creating change. It reassures us that we are not in this alone - we have support for the journey.
This support can be done at a very simple level by being willing to listen to and support colleagues
feelings, or to allow time in meetings and workshops to acknowledge this dimension, through to
specially designed workshops and training
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Supporting Each Other
It is never an easy road for people committed to fundamental change. For many of us this work
represents a lifelong commitment. How do we sustain ourselves through the inevitable hard times?
How can we hold on to our faith and resolution?
Where do we recharge and renew our commitment? How do we find resources?
Who can help us to stay on track? Few people who devote their lives to such work do it without some
regular source of reflection, challenge, and affirmation - necessary for sustained and effective efforts
for change. Too often we are confronted with feelings of isolation - even from those with whom we
work closely.
Support from our community and from the groups we work in are one way to give regular attention to
each person's social change work - to reflect on directions, goals, effectiveness, rough places and
growing points, to challenge each other - taking into account all dimensions of our lives.
If you are supporting a co-worker,

Have clear agreements around boundaries - what you want to do together, how
often, how long to meet, being respectful of each other etc.

Confidentiality is very necessary for building trust. Make a clear commitment that
sensitive matters raised between you will not get discussed with anybody else.

Practice good listening - this is the key element. Allow enough time for the person to
speak and have the focus of attention.

Keep to the stated purpose - keep the focus on the person - resist getting
sidetracked.

Ask pertinent, strategic questions to encourage clarity on each person's objectives
and how to reach them.

Encourage and affirm self-care - physical and emotional.

Allow silence - encourage the focus person to pause occasionally, to go within, to
reflect without interruption.

Provide challenge and feedback - gently, skilfully and honestly. And practice
receiving feedback. Encourage boldness.

Draw out deeper feelings - this takes time and skills.

Deal with conflicts as they arise.
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Maintaining Group Morale and Motivation
Developing a good task / maintenance balance
Groups can become overly focused on the task at hand - especially when the task is preventing
human rights abuses - at the expense of the maintenance of individual and group well-being.
This means paying attention to how things are done not only what gets done particularly in
terms of attending to group process that maintains interpersonal relationships and work
satisfaction. Attention to group maintenance, whether it be in meetings or daily activities, can
help to sustain your group for effective work in the long haul.
Building team relationships
Good teamwork can be one of your most effective tools for making a difference. Understanding
and valuing the individual needs, skills, talents, resources and styles of working and
communicating which each person brings to your team can help each person to do their best
work. Your team can then synergise these energies for maximum effectiveness. There are many
options for training and support for team building.
Resolving conflicts and improving communication
Nothing saps the energy like unresolved conflict, or confuses an issue like misunderstanding and
miscommunication. Good techniques for communication - both oral and written - and for
resolving inevitable conflicts, will help your group to function effectively. Groups that see
conflict as an opportunity for development rather than as something to be avoided, are more
likely to flourish. Taking time to resolve conflict, if necessary with a neutral third party mediator
or facilitator, can prevent serious damage to group morale.
Celebrating successes & achievements
Too often our successes and achievements are overlooked in the rush on to the next thing. In
the world of human rights activism, where there are many setbacks, it is vital that the group does
take time to celebrate, to validate achievements and provide impetus to carry on.
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Dealing With Fear

Fear is a natural and very important human survival response;

Fear is part of our human ‘flight, fight, connect’ response – our bodies can feel like
running, hiding, fighting, or being close with others or sometimes all at once;

Fear can be managed in the same way as we ‘manage’ stress;

There is a huge range of useful and effective fear management techniques we can
use at any time.
Some situations in which you will be involved on the Indonesia Project will be frightening (but
perhaps not as many as you might imagine). Fear is not enjoyable, but it’s not necessarily a bad
thing. It is a natural and essential survival response, part of our very human “fight or flight” urge.
When you are fearful it means that you are aware of obvious or potential danger, your senses are
alert, and you are ready to respond. Fear can obviously also be debilitating, but it can be
managed in the same way in which stress is managed.
Some fear management techniques are:
Breathing: focus on breathing, slowing down breathing, counting breaths, count slowly
to 10 with each breath.
Communication: eye contact with others, talking about feelings with partner, sharing
the fact you’re scared with others, reassuring others, self-talk, telling yourself you’ll be
okay, laughter, humour.
Touch: clasping your partner’s hands, clasping your own hands, holding an object, a
crucifix, prayer beads, a small stone or precious object in your pocket.
Grounding: touching the ground or earth, holding onto a tree, a leaf, something alive
or natural.
Body: washing your face, quick body shake, vigorous exercise, a quick run, jumping up
and down, stretching, touching toes.
Visualisation: Closing eyes and visualizing an image of a ‘safe place’,
Voice: humming or singing a song softly.
Meditation: meditation, calming and centring techniques. Many spiritual, martial arts
and meditation practices have techniques for managing fears.
- Pt’chang Nonviolent Community Safety Group
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Debriefing
Debriefing is an important and sometimes necessary process for peacekeepers, victims, helpers
or witnesses to any potentially traumatic or critical incidents. It is a normal and commonplace
practice which is designed to intervene early in the negative effects of trauma. It can be held as a
group or individually.
A critical incident is any situation which causes a person to experience unusually strong emotional
reactions which may affect the person immediately or some time later.
Critical incidents may include: serious accidents, injury or life-threatening situations, witnessing
or assisting in serious accidents or injury, attempted suicides or suicides, acts of violence, sexual
abuse or assault, personal, racial or homophobic abuse, threats or death threats.
Critical incident Stress refers to stress which causes emotional and/or physical reactions to
demands or pressures which are sudden, unexpected and due to a specific incident or set of incidents. It is
a normal reaction to an abnormal event.
Myths about Critical Incident Stress include: It’s best to ignore it, not to think about it, pretend it
hasn’t happened, men aren’t as affected by critical incidents as women, talking about it will make it happen, I’ll
never be able to cope again, I have to keep it all together because of my role.
The ripple effect: the effects of trauma are not only felt by ‘primary victims’ (people directly
affected by or involved in a critical incident). People involved in any of the phases of an incident,
for example peacekeepers, first aiders, rescue workers, police, counsellors and witnesses, friends
and family, may be indirectly affected. Each of these groups of people may have reactions of
varying intensities but the range of symptoms are common to all. Other people in the victim’s
community or identity group may also be affected at a different level again. Such is the case with
sexual violence or hate-motivated violence.
People tend to go through certain stages during and immediately after a critical incident:
-
shock: it couldn’t have happened
-
disbelief/denial: it’s not real, it’s a joke
-
realisation: it has happened, this is real.
-
Survival state: ‘automatic pilot’, allows people to survive the event without ‘thinking’.
People respond differently to incidents due to the person’s life experience, belief systems,
coping mechanisms, age, role in the incident, state of mind at the time, current health, social
support systems.
Important skills for debriefers
1. Active listening
2. Handling specific emotions:
-
Withdrawal: sitting with and ‘attending’ to the person, maintaining a supportive and
comforting presence. Unless they verbalise that they want to be alone, stay with them
-
Denial: of the reality of the effect of the incident. Check for any physical symptoms,
provide written material, state that any stress reactions are normal and healthy responses.
In group work allow person to listen to others.
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Guilt: assist person to verbalise thoughts (repeatedly if desired) and to explore them
further. Asking questions like: “What do you imagine would have happened if
you’d….?” Affirm that guilt is a very common and normal reaction.
-
Crying, sobbing, weeping: people do not necessarily want to be touched or held, may
just want you to sit with them. Acknowledging the person’s feelings by commenting how
difficult and painful the situation is, asking if the person wants to talk about the incident
or what they are feeling, active listening, allowing ample space for crying.
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Summary of Debriefing Process
1. Creating





safety/restoring control
go to a safe, comfortable place to debrief
ensure confidentiality
talking is voluntary but you are willing to listen affirming person
explain debriefing role- to assist normal recovery allows person to confront
and work through reactions to the incident
set time limit for session
2. Remembering and relating incident
 ask person to describe what happened, to tell their story, their role in the
incident, how did they first become involved, where they were- focus on facts
 were there any special sights, sounds smells that they can recall?
3. Thoughts
Possible questions…

what was it you first thought when you became involved?

what were you thinking during the incident?
4. Feelings
Possible questions…

How did you feel when that happened?

How are you feeling now?

What was the worst thing for you?

What was your reaction to different sights, sounds, smells etc?
5. Identifying symptoms
Possible questions…

What unusual things did you experience at the time of the incident?

What unusual things are you experiencing now?

What would other people say about your behaviour since the incident?

Have you been sleeping since the incident?

Has your life changed in any way since the incident?
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6. Re-entry
 Reflect and summarise overall emotional reactions
 What things do you need to do now?
 Allow and encourage choices: take time out? Have a massage? Refer to more
counselling? Go home and sleep? More debriefing later? Etc….
 Discuss any other support they may need
 Inform them of possible symptoms they could expect and further stages and
let them know they are normal responses
 Offer choices and control and reaffirm their choices and actions during a crisis
 Confidentiality re-emphasised
 Thank person or group for their involvement
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Section
Section
N
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P. Preparing to Go To Indonesia
Checklist: What to Prepare and Bring
What Type of Visa Do I Enter Indonesia With?
If you are attending language school, Wisma Bahasa, our designated language school, will provide
you with an invitation letter and sponsorship for your visa while you are in language school. The
Jakarta office will work with you to arrange the necessary documents for entering the country.
You will take these documents and your passport to the Indonesian embassy or consulate nearest you,
or in Singapore if you are transiting through there. You will be asked for passport photos and proof of
return ticket. It is useful to call the consulat section before you visit them to organize the paperwork.
You are responsible for the visa fees, trip extensions and related costs. Please allow up to a month for
this process. This visa is valid for six months, though you have to secure trip extensions after the first
two months (or one month, in some cases, and every month thereafter.) Wisma Bahasa will arrange
your trip extensions.
If you are joining the team without language study, or if you have finished language school,
you must enter (or re-enter) the country with a visa sponsored by Komnas HAM (Komisi Nasional
Hak Asasi Manusia, The National Commission of Human Rights). The Jakarta office will arrange for
the invitation letter which you will bring to the Indonesian embassy or consulate nearest you, or in
Singapore if you are transiting through there. Some Indonesian embassies may require additional
procedures that significantly delay getting the visa, so we might advise you to apply for this visa at
another Indonesian Embassy or Consulate. To determine our advice for a particular Embassy or
Consulate, please enquire with both the Jakarta team and the Human Resources Coordinator. PBI will
reimburse the cost of this visa, as well as expenses related to it (including travel to Singapore, for
example). Please allow up to a month. This visa is valid for six months, though you have to secure trip
extensions after the first two months (or in some cases one month), and every month thereafter. The
PBI team where you are located when the visa is due will assist with these trip extensions.
What should I bring to Indonesia?
Medical: Most antibiotics can be found here for very cheap without a doctors prescription. In Jakarta,
it is generally not needed to take malaria pills, and in Aceh it is optional, most Team members do not
take them. If you want Larium (mefloquine), you’d better bring it. It has been found in Bali but when
members of the Jakarta team searched for it in Jakarta it could not be obtained. If Larium is too
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expensive to purchase in your home country, quinine can be purchased here relatively cheaply. If you
want to, you can bring a 6 weeks supply of Larium in case of emergency. (If you do get infected by
malaria you need an alternative malarial medicine to counteract the infection).
Hospitals range from excellent to economy class. Most areas have several choices. Just remember to
ask which ones are the better alternatives when you arrive.
All dental care should occur prior to arrival in Indonesia. Although the dental care here is adequate
and available if necessary it would be a better alternative to have it done in your home country.
Optometry is well advanced. Just about every mall in Indonesia contains a store or two for acquiring
contacts or glasses and has the suitable facilities for checking your eyes.
A personal safety kit (first aid) is recommended, as it is much easier to find in the west. These can be
purchased in any outdoors store for a reasonable price and should include several different types of
band aids, cleansers etc. At team houses we have more complete first aid kits.
Upon arrival or before hand it is recommended that one purchase cyproflaxacin (an antibiotic
especially helpful for ‘stomach problems’ and if mixed with Immodium should clear up almost
anything within 8 hours.)
Before you leave you are likely to need some vaccines, check with your doctor or travel medicine
clinic, preferably with someone with knowledge on South East Asia. Remember to start early on your
vaccinations. Some vaccinations take months to finish.
For women: Consult your gynecologist about any special considerations and preventable care. The
gynecologists here are generally not up to western standards and therefore women should be prepared.
Birth control is hard to come across and again may not be appropriate for your personal needs.
Toiletries: If you have a personal preference for any soaps, shampoos or conditioners…bring them.
(Note: for those who have dandruff it is likely to get worse here due to the humidity. Advisable to
bring some Neutrogena T-gel or other preference just in case as in Indonesia it is hard to find strong
dandruff shampoo.) Otherwise there are plenty of varieties of soap, shampoo, toothpaste, facewash
etc. to be found including lots of license-made branded stuff quite cheap.
**** For women: Tampons are hard to find and if you can find them (most likely only in Jakarta) they
may not be right for your body’s needs. If you prefer tampons it is advised that you bring your own.
Clothing: In order to have the appropriate clothes for the variety of meetings and functions you will
have, you should plan to have two sets of business/dress clothes.
For men, we suggest you have: 2 dress shirts, 2 ties, 2 pairs of nice pants, 1 pair of decent shoes, socks.
For men above 5 ’10 (about 180 cm) clothes shopping can be problematic. Most Indonesians are well
below this height.
For women, we suggest you have: 2 dress outfits, dresses or blouse/pants combinations, 1 pair of
decent shoes. Women of a height less than 5’7 (around 170 cm) should also no problems finding
clothing in Jakarta.
It is possible to acquire your wardrobe in Indonesia, but be mindful of the general sizes available,
though getting tailored garments, regardless of size, is possible and affordable.
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Please keep in mind important cultural notes in regards to clothing. You should focus on having a very
neat appearance, clothes looking clean and pressed. Women should wear loose-fitting clothes with
covered shoulders, dress lengths below the knee.
Shoes: For most men it is impossible to find a pair of shoes that fit. Bring them before hand!!! Any
man with a shoe size larger than a U.S. size 9 beware!!!! For women shoes should not be a problem
unless you have a larger shoes size than average.
Overall Appearance: In the order to maintain an appropriate level of cultural sensitivity and
professional relationships with our variety of contacts, PBI team members present themselves
conservatively when it comes to visible piercings, tattoes and hair styles. If you are unsure about how
this affects you, ask your trainers, the HR committee or your team mates.
Undergarments: Women should bring enough undies. Especially bras fit for Western chests are a
hassle to come across. Most underwear sold in Indonesia is of the regular cotton variety. Men who
wear boxers… bring them!!! You will not find them here. You will have to free it or return to the
hated speedo variety.
Women should bring enough undies. Especially bras fit for Western chests are a hassle to come
across. Most underwear sold in Indonesia is of the regular cotton variety.
Music I: For those who play guitar (the author is unsure of other musical instruments such as the
accordion or the bassoon) and wish to continue to do so, guitars can be found for relatively cheap.
The local brands can be found for between $8-12 U.S. and many of the better guitars can be found for
under $100 U.S
Music II: Most mainstream cassettes can be found here for approximately $3 U.S. CDs are a little
more than $1 U.S. each unless you want originals… VCDs, the Indonesian option to DVDs, are the
same price, and both teams have VCD players. Meaning you can watch decent movies at home!
Dictionary: A set of dictionaries by John M. Echols and Hassan Shadily is recommended. You can
purchase them in Indonesia from between $2-10, versus $45 overseas.
What not to bring: Finally, most articles of clothing and goods can be purchased in Indonesia for a
very cheap price. So don’t overload yourself. People have tended to bring lots of stuff that is then left
in Jakarta, which is a burden on the team. The house is not that big and suitcases are starting to take
up too much space. Leave behind provocative political t-shirts. But remember to bring some things
that remind you of family, loved ones or just personal things to remind you of home. FYI, chocolate
can be used to bribe your team mates.
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Fundraising Strategies
Why You Might Want to Fundraise
 Fundraising is a great opportunity to promote the amazing work you are about to go over to
Indonesia to do. Try and design your activities so that you can ‘get the message out’ about
PBI and the human rights situation in Aceh, because people always want the chance to find
out more about the work and why there is a need for it.

You are not “asking people for money”. You are giving them a chance to support the
important work of an international human rights organisation. There is a big
difference. People often regard volunteers and activists as having the guts and the
commitment to make the effort to do the work they wish they could do. We hear this all the
time. Many people see you as their “representative” over in that part of the world- they
want to help, but for a number of reasons, can’t make the commitment. Giving them an
opportunity to assist you to get there is their way of being personally involved.

The public donates an enormous amount of money every year to international humanitarian
organisations, much of which goes to work that they will never see. You, however, are a
tangible example of where their money is going- they can meet you, talk to you and, by
putting themselves on a PBI database, can receive regular updates while you are away of
what you and the rest of the Team are doing.
"I Can’t Ask People For Money”
PBI's work is inspiring to many people when it is explained to them and they want to help. So,
why don't they? Primarily because we don't ask for it. Most of us, for a wide range of reasons are
very unwilling to ask for money. It's hard to ask for money. Many of us feel embarrassed or
"bad" doing so. But, consider the following questions:
1) Are you ashamed of what PBI does?
2) Do you think it deserves people's support?
3) If you were approached and asked to support a project you really believed in, would you
feel bad about the person who asked you?
4) Would you give PBI money if you had it?
5) People who are willing to support a given project, are generally ten times more willing
to support it when someone they know, even slightly, is involved. In fact, they often
appreciate being asked to support the good work of a friend or acquaintance.
None of these considerations will eliminate the anxiety we feel about asking for money, but they
may help us overcome it, at least temporarily. If we do not overcome it, we may not have PBI to
volunteer for in the future.
One way to overcome “Fundraising Anxiety” is to have a group that helps you do it. It’s a lot
easier to organize events and fundraise with someone else who shares the same goals, for
obvious practical reasons, and for emotional support.
There are any number of ways to raise money, but they all have one thing in common: YOU
HAVE TO ASK FOR IT. We describe several methods, but there is no substitute for saying:
I am proud of this work and I want to share it. Can you help?
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Some Ways to Raise Money for PBI

Fundraising letter
Many volunteers have written successful fundraising letters to their friends, family,
acquaintances, co-workers, fellow members of a local group, etc. Most people are surprised by
the response, and almost always receive support from people they did not expect to receive it
from. Some suggestions for the letter:


It should be concise, about one page.

It should be direct and specific: Explain what you are doing, why you think
it is important, and ask for help. Don't beat around the bush, and mention the
need for financial help as early as possible in the letter (first third).

Directly connect your work here and that of the teams. Invite people to
be/feel a part of what you are doing.

Be explicit, i.e. ask for a specific dollar amount.

And thank them.

The more people you can write it to, the better. Don't second guess people.
You'll be surprised.

If it seems appropriate, you might send along some PBI literature or a flyer.

If you are contacting a family member or a close friend, make it clear that it
is okay to say no.
Movie night
Many cinemas have ‘packages’ that allow a group to hire the venue for free to a special event
and sell discounted tickets, with a percentage of the ticket price going to the cinema. Pick a
topical film and invite people along, put out some finger food and some information around
in the foyer, and give a spiel about the Project at the start.

Fundraising dinner
This can be low-key (pot luck at someone’s house where guests make a donation), banquetstyle (where you arrange the venue and do the catering at a set price per head), or at a
restaurant where you can book ahead and charge a price per head slightly above the set meal
price per person. Either way, make it an event: choose, or create, an Indonesian theme, make
sure you talk about the Project at some stage in the evening, and maybe even invite along a
guest speaker on the human rights or political situation in Indonesia, for example.

Topic night
This is a good idea if you live in a community in which there is a culture of interest in
Indonesia or South-East Asian politics- or even if there isn’t (educate them!) Host a topic
night on, for example, Aceh, which is not very widely known about, human rights in
Indonesia in the current political climate, Islam and Indonesia, or PBI’s work in general.
Have some slides, maybe a video, and a couple of topical and interesting speakers. Charge a
set door cost or pass a donation bucket around. This sort of thing is good, particularly in the
context of the current situation, in which there are is a lot of negative and pessimistic
information being propagated but not a lot about work which is positive and pro-active. PBI
is an organisation which is doing work to promote the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and
which is having an effect. People need to hear about this- it gives them hope!
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Fun stuff (not that all of the above aren’t fun!)
There are lots of things you can do that will attract people who are not initially interested in
PBI, but who, by coming to the event, will have a great time and also learn about you and
why you’re doing what you’re doing. Some ideas are: a benefit gig, outdoor picnic, garage
sale, a games night, community marathon or bike ride, cake stall….let your imagination run
wild (PBI UK does parachute jumps!) The important thing here is to advertise as widely and
as prolifically as you can, and to make sure you have PBI information available to
participants.
Another option is targeted fundraising- a method of obtaining donations from people who
already know you and want to support the work you are doing. There are several options for
this- a sponsorship scheme, regular or one-off donations, or in-kind support.
Pitch and Speaking Tips
People in the audience or on the phone want to support PBI and the nonviolent struggle for
social justice. When you ask for contributions, you are not asking people to do something they
don't want to do. Those who prefer not to contribute can simply pass the hat or not write a check.
You are offering your audience or the major donor your are contacting an opportunity to give of
themselves to a cause they support.
Do not wait until the end of the event to make your appeal since many people will have already
left. One good timing technique is to make your pitch part-way through the question and answer
period. That gives you a chance to answer burning questions and for the audience to get a sense
of who you are at the same time. (Concentrate on anecdotes in order to personalize the work).
When you sense that the time is right (usually after 10-15 minutes), stop in order to make your
pitch and then continue with more questions while the hat/bag goes around the room. In some
cases, the pitch might be more effective if it comes from the local organizer or another
prominent member of the group. Check with them about who should make the pitch and its
content before the event. Note: have an attractive bag or hat on hand.
Don’t be afraid to ask for large sums of money. This signals that we are looking for significant
donations. Although people probably won’t shower you with $600 checks (they may even
chuckle), that’s okay. Just by mentioning that amount you have encouraged people to give more
than they might have otherwise.
Mention specific dollar amounts and in connections with specific goals or costs. People will
want to give more if they know where the money is headed, and feel that their gift is
accomplishing something concrete. We are an important, highly respected organization with
serious work to do. For example, mention that $600 supports one volunteer in the field (in
Guatemala) for a month. Or that $X will buy the film used by the team for X amount of time.
Let them envision their money at work.
Be enthusiastic. It's contagious. The more convinced you are that your fundraising is important
to PBI, the more successful you will be. In no way should you apologize for asking for money.
When fundraising, it is important not to let any doubt or hesitation creep in. Do not Um and Ah.
Come from a position of strength and commitment and people will follow that lead. Omit
needless words and continue telling them how important they are to the ongoing work of PBI.
Timing and rhythm are everything. Practice, practice, practice with someone who will give you
honest feedback. Be sure to practice speaking slowly, clearly, and loudly do that you can be
easily understood. Use your own words and style. Do it again and again until you feel
comfortable with it.
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A Sample Fundraising Letter
This is a letter written by an Indonesia Project Volunteer.
Dear Friends and Family,
I'm writing to ask for your support. I have recently been selected by an
international grassroots organization named Peace Brigades International, for the
purpose of working within certain conflicted regions of the Indonesian Archipelago
(Jakarta, Aceh, and possibly West Papua).
Peace Brigades International (PBI) is a grassroots organization that explores and
promotes nonviolent peacekeeping and support for human rights. When invited, they
send teams of volunteers into areas of political repression and conflict. The
volunteers accompany human rights defenders, their organizations, and others
threatened by political violence. Those responsible for human rights abuses usually
do not want the world to witness their actions. The presence of volunteers backed
by an emergency response network helps deter violence and creates a space for local
activists to work for social justice and human rights.
In 1999 when East Timor finally regained its Independence from Indonesia after
almost 25 years of military repression, violence erupted. Many people lost their
lives and one third of the population was displaced. Human rights atrocities were
rampant. PBI is currently working with local grassroots organizations in other
regions of Indonesia that wish to peacefully promote human rights and stop such
violence, which is still occurring today.
[Replace the paragraph below with your personal motivation]
The two years that I have spent in Indonesia are some of the best years of my life.
Upon arrival I fell in love with not only the beautiful islands themselves but with
the wonderful people who live there. I attended the University of Gadja Mada in
Yogyakarta, made friends with students, traveled and met people of all different
cultures and backgrounds. I also witnessed the student demonstrations and political
repression which gave rise to the downfall of the ex-president Suharto. It is
because of my experiences within Indonesia and fluency in the language that I have
been selected as a member of the PBI team. Through these skills I can help make a
difference.
Although PBI is an international organization, it is non-governmental and therefore
derives all of its subsidies from the private sector. As volunteers we receive food
and housing while working within the areas of conflict; but costs of preparation,
training, and materials (such as books on the region etc.) are carried by the
individual volunteer. Therefore it is necessary for us as volunteers to raise some
of the money needed for the year that we will spend in the area.
I have set a goal of raising $2,000 dollars. Some people are helping by donating 10
dollars to PBI for every month that I spend in Indonesia, and others are sending
singular donations. Any amount of money that you can send is gratefully accepted
and helpful. Please, it is through your generous donations that organizations such
as PBI are able to make a difference and directly as well as indirectly affect a
whole nation. It is your chance to help support the fight for human rights.
PBI's work does not come without danger. However, PBI has gone to great lengths to
create and maintain contacts with all representatives involved in Indonesian
politics to help insure the safety of their people. If any harm should come to me,
any other volunteer, or anyone we accompany, the PBI Emergency Response Network
will be activated immediately. If you choose to be a part of this network, you will
be contacted in the event of an emergency and asked to fax or telex the appropriate
authority to demand an immediate investigation into the situation.
Anyone who wishes to learn more about PBI may do so at www.peacebrigades.org or
email me. Also, for those wishing to be a part of the list of recipients who
receive newsletters from the Project may also email me and I will place them on a
list to receive these items when they are sent out.
Thank you so much for your support.
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Developing A Political Support Network
As you already know, the Political Support Network is the network of high-level international contacts
who have signalled their readiness to respond to an Emergency Activation when one is issued by the
Project. The development of a broad and strategic PSN is crucial to maintain the safety of IP
volunteers and its clients in the field- so, your work towards enhancing the PSN would directly benefit
you in the event that something occurs on the Project meriting an international response. It's also great
practice for you in networking and in presenting PBI's work to a political contact.
The PSN is not just politicians, but individuals whose expressions of concern would carry particular
weight with the Indonesian authorities, such as:
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Indonesian-specialist academics
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Representatives from other NGOs, aid agencies and their co-ordinating bodies

Religious leaders, particularly from the Islamic community

Legal representatives, particularly those with a focus on international and humanitarian law
such as the International Commission of Jurists.
PSN meetings should be organised in conjunction with the Indonesia Project contact and/or the PSN
contact in your Country Group. Work out with them who would be the most relevant, accessible,
useful and likely candidates for inclusion on the PSN. Then follow these easy steps:

Make an initial phone call OR write an introductory letter (a sample letter is below). Explain
WHO you are, WHERE you're from, WHY you're calling and WHAT you want from them
as succinctly as possible (it's good to have a phone spiel prepared).

Arrange a suitable meeting time, ideally in the month leading up to your departure for the
Project. Take a folder to the meeting with some attractive information about PBI, though not
too much information- it's good to include some background on the Project and on the PSN,
some general information about PBI, and an Annual Report. Dress nicely!

You should have what you want to say clearly in your head before you arrive at the meeting.
Bear in mind you will probably only have between 10 and 20 minutes with them. Apart from
the who, what, where, when and why, give a bit of background about yourself and what's led
you to the Project, and why you are seeking support from THEM. What is it about what
work they do, and where their interests lie, that would make PBI appeal to them? Be sure to
ask if they agree to be on the PSN and what this involves; let them know it is a closed email
list and they will receive fortnightly Bi-Weekly Updates from the Project.

It's nice to send a follow-up thank you letter not much more than a week after the meeting.
A sample PSN introductory letter follows (you should always put PBI letters on a PBI letterhead!)
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Polictical Support Network Sample Letter
7 August 2002
Dear Mr/s…….,
I am writing on behalf of my organisation, Peace Brigades International Australia, to
congratulate you on your recent election as our representative in Parliament and to
arrange a meeting to introduce you to our work.
PBI Australia is a country group of Peace Brigades International, an independent human
rights NGO, which works to create a space for peace in conflict areas around the world.
We act on request of local groups working nonviolently for human rights, social change
and the development of civil society. PBI’s teams of volunteers provide accompaniment
for individuals and organisations under threat, monitor and report on the human rights
situations in the areas in which we work, and facilitate training and education in conflict
transformation.
PBI Australia was established in 1998 and is one of 16 country groups world-wide. All of
our work is done by volunteers. Our priority is supporting the Indonesia Project, which
has teams in Jakarta and Aceh. The Aceh Team is currently accompanying five
Acehnese organisations working predominantly with women and survivors of torture and
trauma, and the Legal Aid Foundation of Banda Aceh.
PBI Australia supports the work of the current Projects in Indonesia, Colombia and
Mexico by conducting speaking tours of returned Australian team members,
disseminating information, and co-ordinating the Political Support Network, which
responds immediately to incidents of human rights abuses reported by PBI Teams.
Five Australians have recently been accepted onto the Indonesia Project and will be
joining the Teams within the next few months, two of whom, David Shields and Veronica
Witteveen, are from the City of Yarra. David or Veronica would be eager to meet with
you prior to their departure to discuss their plans for their year on a PBI Team and the
role of the Political Support Network. We will be contacting you within the next week to
arrange a meeting at a convenient time.
PBI Australia has always enjoyed a very supportive relationship with the Australian
Greens. Two Greens representatives, Senator …… and Senator …….., are members of
our Political Support Network. We anticipate creating a similar relationship with our
Victorian representatives and we look forward to meeting with you.
Yours sincerely,
Rivkah Nissim
Indonesia Project Contact, PBI Australia
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Sample Pre-Deployment Contact Meeting
Amnesty International Asia World Region Conference
organised by Paul Hainsworth (Asia and Indonesia Coordinator)
Date:
2 Feb 2002
Who Was Present (include contact information): Paul Hainsworth (Amnesty
International Asia and Indonesia Coordinator), Aguswandi (Kontras), Mary Lawlor (Frontline – new
Irish organisation offering grants and support to human rights defenders), about 60 delegates from
local Amnesty branches; Jane Figworth (soon-to-deploy volunteer)
Purpose of the Meeting: Conference to discuss human rights in Indonesia and Burma.
The purpose of my presence was to give a twenty minute presentation on the role of PBI in Indonesia;
and to build closer links with Amnesty UK on Indonesia.
Overview of the Meeting: A day-long conference with a morning session on Indonesia
with presentations by Aguswandi, me and Mary Lawlor.
Additional Information: Signe Poulsen works at Amnesty on Indonesia but was in Papua
at the time of the conference. Presentation slides are available from PBI UK.
General Impression or Feeling: It went well. About half the audience had heard of
PBI previously and I got only positive feedback.
Made a good contact with Paul Hainsworth who is Asia and Indonesia & East Timor Coordinator for
Amnesty. Paul requested a further meeting with PBI UK in order to discuss how to develop the
relationship.
Evaluation: A very successful event in terms of raising the profile of PBI with local activists and
making contact with key Amnesty people. PBI should try to get on the platform at events like this on a
more regular basis.
Follow-up: Susi to contact Paul to arrange a meeting. Stuart to contact Paul to invite him to join
the ERN.
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Media Relations
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It's great for Project volunteers to have contact with the media in their home country before they
join the Project, if they are home mid-term, and when they return. Obviously the angle which you
take is going to be different each time. Before you go, the "hook" (the line you will take to get the
media/audience's attention) is probably going to be something like: young (or old!), citizen or local
resident of….., volunteering for a year, in a conflict zone, working to create peaceful solutions to
conflict.

It may be useful, if meeting journalists or having an in-studio radio presentation, to go with
another PBI person – preferably someone with a longer PBI experience.
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It's a good idea, before approaching the media, to practice being interviewed with another person.
What questions do you think the interviewer will ask? Brainstorm some answers and practice how
you will respond. Always be careful when dealing with the media- it is easy to be misquoted or
taken out of context.

It's good to have a set of points that you want to get across, and certain phrases that you will use
to describe the work. Especially with some of the more controversial questions you may get, such
as what you think about the independence struggle in Aceh, it is best to repeat the PBI "line": "We
are a non-partisan organisation, we are working for human rights and peace, we don't take sides in
the conflict". If you are uncertain of the "right" thing to say, have a read of some of the Project
materials, or feel free to email somebody on the Project Committee. Remember, , instead of “No
comment” you can always say in an interview, "I appreciate your interest in that area. PBI,
however has strict guidelines for confidentiality since we work in conflict zones and don’t want to
increase anyone’s risk inadvertently. So, please understand why I can’t answer that now.” This
leaves a professional and responsible image, rather than sounding like we are evasive or hiding
something.
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It's not compulsory for you to have media contact. It is, however, good practice for you in
presenting the work of PBI and the IP, it helps to spread the word about the Project to people
who might be interested in becoming involved, and above all, educates the public in your home
country about the work that PBI's clients are doing in Aceh, which after all is one of the reasons
for the Project's existence! Get copies of some of the written interviews that have been done with
IP volunteers from the PR contact- they are good examples of how to present PBI and the IP in
the media.

You need to work on media with the IP contact in your Country Group, and refer to the IP's
Media Policy for guidance on how to go about it. You shouldn't be sending out information to the
media without the agreement of your Country Group.
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Good media to look for is:
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local media- community radio and newspapers- they are more likely to pick up on the story as
a topic of 'local' interest;
Indonesia-specific media- radio programmes focussing on the Asia-Pacific, national
multicultural radio, magazines and papers with a current affairs/left-wing/Asian slant;
National media- approach the International, Foreign Affairs, or Features editors of your
national newspapers, or national, critical current affairs programmes.
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There is good educational material around on standard protocols for doing media. A quick stepby-step guide is:
- Ring each media source that you want to approach and find out who the appropriate contact
person is;
- Write a CONCISE media release (not more than one page), focussing on the
who/what/where/when and why of your story; with a heading in bold, and contact details
for yourself and/or another contact on the bottom (and make sure you will be available at the
number for at least a couple of weeks afterwards!) Although your release should be short, if a
media source expresses interest and asks for more information, it's good to have 2 to 3 extra
pages of Background Briefing that you can send them. This should include a brief history of
PBI and the IP, a profile of you, and profiles of the client organisations whom PBI
accompanies in Aceh. This information is available from the PR contact on the IP. If in any
doubt about anything you want to send out to the media about the Project, run it by the IP
PR contact first!
- Fax your media release out, marked "attention" to each specific contact
- It's good to follow this up with a follow-up phone call to each contact, checking that they
received it and asking if they would like to do a story. Don't feel like you are harassing themthis is standard procedure, as media people are usually incredibly busy and, no matter how
interesting the story, often need some "gentle" prompting to follow it up!
Keep a record (recording or clipping) of any media you do for the IP and Country Group
archives, and also record the name of the contact who did the interview, as they would be good
to approach for a follow-up interview when you return.
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Section
Q
Q. Re-entry After Field Team Service
Training Volunteers for Re-entry
by Pablo Stanfield
When the Peace Corps was formed, there were doubts about the necessity of training the new college
graduates that made up the first Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs). A combination of history, political
situation, and geography were provided, in addition to language training—along with requiring the
PCVs to learn the national anthem. With this skimpy background, the Corps expected volunteers to
survive, thrive and provide models of modernization for the people they lived among.
As we can now expect, many stressed PCVs were victims of culture shock (first identified and defined
in 1964). Some fled home; some went native or hippie; some served as shock troopers for materialist
market capitalism, rock’n’roll and individualist ‘democracy’ à la USA, and were untouched by the real
life and thought of those around them.
These diversely different responses have been dealt with by almost universal requirements of predeparture training and counseling for those embarking on a period of living overseas. Scientific sociopsychological research has demonstrated a 60% greater chance of staying full term and equivalently
higher success at achieving goals for those who have preparation that includes intercultural
communication, conflict resolution and self-awareness components.
The one thing we still have not figured out is how to bring the experience home. Worse yet, we do not
know how to bring our volunteers home, to get them “in out of the cold.” “Bringing understanding of
the world home” to the USA is one of the primary objectives of the Peace Corps, and ex-PCVs have
been concerned with this for some time. In some ways it has been a success, as a large cadre of
idealists—who have seen the real world abroad and formed friendships with people in all sorts
of Third World countries—talk, share, and become involved in politics here.
Those of us forming the peace army need to be diligent in bringing our volunteers home and making
sure that their experience is understood in the First World, that their information and their living
knowledge are not forgotten, and that the stress of return does not alienate the returned volunteers.
It was Pierre Casse, in the early days of intercultural communication research of the 1970s, who
described the well-known V and W curves of experience that most transplants experience abroad.
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Once we understand that it is normal, and very similar to the adjustment process described by Dr.
Kühbler-Ross in grieving, we begin to be more accepting and able to deal with the changes that
provoke cultural shock. What we learned was that a similar effect presents itself when people go back
home. Suddenly, their original culture seems alien to them, if they have been away long enough to
adapt to their foreign circumstance.
Even if the time of their assignment has been relatively short, say two to ten weeks, it is likely to have
been very stressful, and the volunteer may show some signs of post-traumatic stress or return culture
shock. People may deny or minimize the symptoms, which often appear like a minor but chronic
depression (and may respond to similar therapies of counseling and seratonin drugs), telling the
volunteer s/he’s all right now, s/he’s home and get over it. Often this comes on just as the returned
volunteer is trying to convince people of the importance of the experience and the situation s/he lived
in. Denial may be even more disappointing as people fail to engage with the returnee and ask
about what s/he has learned or felt—even actively avoiding the volunteer in order not to have their
conscience pricked.
Wolfe’s novel, You Can’t Go Home Again, gives us an important lesson: no matter how much you
love your home, and your compatriots love you, you return changed from any intense overseas living
experience. You can’t go home again, not because it is like the river that changes so you never step in
the same river twice, but because you will have changed. It is not the same you who returns. The
challenge of holding onto one’s identity when going into an unfamiliar culture, where symbols and
roles are changed, becomes as great an unexpected challenge when returning. Who am I now that I
have lived with satyagraha in the midst of a violent situation? Who am I with this obligation to convince
these people of their connection and responsibility to those people who have affected me so much?
This challenge holds even if one is spiritually centered and mentally rock-solid, because others’
perception of you will be different and they will treat you in a different way. If you have any public
exposure, strangers may recognize you and treat you familiarly, leaving you to wonder, “Who was that?
Where do I know him from?” Friends may be in awe of you or find your new convictions
uncomfortable for them. They may ask bumptious questions about your supposed heroics or make
ambulance-chasing requests for more gory details about things you wish you had never experienced
and want to forget. Their expectations and your reality do not mesh.
The second time I returned from Peace Brigades International service in Central America, where two
dear friends had been tortured to death by death squads, I did quite a lot of organizing and public
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speaking about the reality of the Central America wars and the United States’ role in them. I remember
how my balloon was popped by a woman who had stayed after one discussion with activists who were
ready to get their town moving. She inquired about my involvement with people in poverty and whose
lives were in jeopardy for telling the truth, as my friends’ had been. Then she asked me for advice: “I
have a terrible dilemma: I don’t know whether to buy a new VCR with my VISA or MasterCharge…”
I still do not know how to respond to her, but she was only one of many who confronted me with the
unreality of living in affluence after spending time in the opposite conditions.
So how can we best prepare volunteers to have a realistic understanding of what may be ahead for
them when they return? Perhaps the most elementary place to begin is with the recruitment and
selection process. We need to ask a few queries about the person’s psychological resilience and reality
testing in their community: How accurately does this person see the social support system in which
s/he lives? Do others perceive her or him to be adaptable and tolerant as well as centered? Do others
see themselves similarly? Do they have expectations of what the volunteer will do upon return?
We need to begin sharing the kind of information I have included above before volunteers are
committed to leaving for an assignment. They need to be counseled to consider not only the shortterm changes and challenges of the work they wish to do; they also need to reflect on what they will
do upon re-entry, and whether they have the inner and social resources to cope with it all.
Each peace team organization should develop a comprehensive training plan that includes not only
orientation for going abroad and doing work for ahimsa—nonviolence—but also for coming home
and bringing the conflict’s concerns to the richest nation in the world.
Different kinds of people have different needs. This seems obvious. Good trainers take into account
different learning styles, different personal needs while in training, different social support
requirements and perceptual channels. Perhaps we also need to consider even more aspects of
character and social roles when evaluating the needs the volunteer will have when coming home. Will
this volunteer need support in returning to work? How about training for speaking, writing the story?
Psychological counseling can be useful in a myriad of situations: should they learn re-evaluation cocounseling or should their support system raise funds for a psychologist? At very least, there should be
designated persons to sit and listen as the returned volunteer just talks to debrief. As Victor Frankl
points out, one of our most human needs is for someone to hear our story.
How can we evaluate the resources a support group, church or other organization can provide when
their volunteer returns. Often this is the point when the group’s fund-raising and other activities are
expected to end. They may be surprised that there is more the volunteer needs from his/her
community at this point. More than their prayers, now their intimate, loving attention is needed, and it
needs to be provided as the volunteer requests, not according to what the support team thinks
would be adequate. Since volunteers know themselves best and what their experiences have been,
their support teams must listen carefully to what they think they need and make it easy to ask for
things that seem unimportant or don’t occur to those who stayed at home. In my own case, despite
assurances and offers “to be there for you,” my needs were greater than people had estimated. I was
discouraged to discover that even coming to a speech was too much for some individuals on the
support team.
Besides this, differing home situations will lead to different learning goals for a return training. Various
situations in the country of service may suggest a variety of objectives also. How can we assess what to
work on after we begin to debrief the volunteer at the end of service? What do we know that s/he
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may have forgotten in the intensity of involvement with the peace team? What does others’ past
experience of return tell this person to watch out for?
These sorts of queries, as well as trainers’ abilities and resources, will inherently determine what kind of
re-orientation or return training an organization offers. Nonetheless, I would recommend that the
whole concern be considered before recruitment so that the need does not present itself just as the
volunteer is leaving. With foresight, many difficulties can be avoided. With anticipation, we avoid
disappointment of unmet expectations. I suggest that training for the volunteer in and with the
community to which s/he plans to return is key to achieving a smoother transition. And every peace
keeper or satyagrahi can benefit from that.
- Pablo Stanfield was the first long-term volunteer with PBI in Guatemala (1983) and worked with peace teams until
1989. He is a Quaker mediator and specialist in intercultural conflict resolution.
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R E - E N T R Y
A F T E R
F I E L D
T E A M
S E R V I C E
Life after the Project
So, you’ve just spent a fantastic and inspiring year on the Indonesia Project, you’ve been on an islandhopping holiday round Indonesia, now you’re home, and you can’t wait to jump right back into PBI
work! What can you do?! Well, there are plenty of opportunities for returned Project volunteers if they
feel inclined to consider them, such as:
Get out there and talk about it
There is no shortage of fellow NGO workers, Indonesia-philes and members of the community who would
love to hear about your experiences on the Indonesia Project. Your local PBI Country Group no doubt
organises speaking tours for returned volunteers, and you could be one of the star attractions. No country
group where you live? We might sponsor you to speak in another country, or help you organize events on your
own.
Consider making some slides of those great photos you took (or get hold of one of the Project’s slide kits) and
organising a speaking event at a popular local venue. Or you could go more up-market and organise an
exclusive fundraising dinner at which YOU are the guest of honour (and the Indonesia Project or your local
Country Group would be very grateful for the donation).
Then there’s all those politicians and other contacts on the PSN that you met before you left, who would no
doubt appreciate an update on the situation in Aceh, since most of them have never been there and there are
very few NGOs working there. Organising report-back meetings with such people is an excellent way to get
updated information out about Aceh, keep PBI in their consciousness, and provide a unique perspective on
the human rights situation from someone who’s been on the ground.
There’s also a whole new crop of potential Project volunteers who are eager to get the REAL story from
someone who’s been on the Project. You would surely be a welcome and informative guest at a country
group orientation or Indonesia Project training in your area. Possibly, with the wealth of skills you now
possess, you could even do part of the training.
Give something back to the Project
As you know, there is a dizzying array of committees that keep the Indonesia Project running, such as
Peace Education, Training, Human Resources, Publicity andPublic Relations and Strategy. Returned
volunteers are a valuable addition to these committees, and your accumulated wisdom and critical
thinking from your experience on the Team would be highly regarded in their work of strategic planning
for the organisation. There’s also the International Committee, which is always keen for “new blood”, if
you’re keen to see another facet of the organisation.
Ask not what your Country Group can do for you….
Country Groups love returned volunteers, not just because they’ve missed you, but because you bring a
whole new perspective to the organisation, and because you’re a tangible reminder of what Country
Group volunteers are working so hard for. So don’t deprive them- jump into your Country Group and
give
them
the
benefit
of
your
energy
and
your
experience.
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P E A C E
E D U C A T I O N
P R O G R A M
Section
R
R. Peace Education
Peace Education in the Indonesia Project
From the PBI Indonesia Project 6 Month Narrative Report, July - December, 2004.
Conflict Transformation Workshops in Flores.
Workshops in Eastern Indonesia September saw the implementation of two conflict
transformation workshops in Maumere and Larantuka, Flores. Approximately forty participants
attended these workshops planned by Tim Relawan untuk Kemanusia, Flores (TRuK F); a Flores
NGO that has co facilitated several workshops with PBI. Most of the participants attended from
the Catholic Churches with several participants from local Muslim communities and Protestant
Churches. Participants included civilians, priests, nuns, NGO members, businessmen, civil
servants, and a Muslim community leader. One workshop focussed on vertical conflicts while the
second focussed on both horizontal & vertical conflicts. The training team consisted of: PBI
Trainers Angela Morgan and Jason McLeod, PBI team volunteers Isabelle Cartron & Jennifer
Donohoe, and TRuK F trainers Sister Estokia from Maumere and Rini Maghi from Bajawi.
Participants were happy to learn tools to solve conflicts in their local community. They plan to
continue to work together back in their community creating a network of local people committed to
solving conflicts in a non-violent manner. A full report is available from the IP office.
Client Requests During the client evaluations of PBI services in December, almost all clients
expressed a desire to participate in trainings in various areas, particularly in peace education and
conflict transformation. Other training requests were around the issues of security and secure
communication techniques. The opportunity to share stories and network with other activists at
such training was identified as a valuable side benefit to group gatherings; particularly as such
events needed special permission and were heavily monitored presently in Aceh.
Future Plans PBI plans for peace education trainings and workshops in 2004 include:
o
Two 4-day workshops, focussing on conflict transformation and protective
accompaniment theory, will be held with members Department of Justice and Human
Rights (Departemen Kehakiman dan HAM) and the National Commission for Human
rights (Komnas HAM) led by PBI in February/March 2004.
o
Two conflict transformation workshops in Manggarai, Flores
o
Follow up Assessment with Aceh clients for possible workshops
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P E A C E
E D U C A T I O N
P R O G R A M
o Follow up Assessment with FORLOG in Sulawesi for a possible training for trainers
and a workshop focusing on peace building and conflict resolution. FORLOG (Forum
Dialog Antarkita Sulawesi Selatan) is from Makassar/South Sulawesi and is an
initiative founded about 4 years ago by Muslim, Protestant, Katholic, Hindu and
Buddhist activists and concerned people (mainly from campuses like IAIN or STT
Intim and from several NGO's) to promote pluralism and "peace in justice" among the
different religious, ethnic and cultural groups in South Sulawesi.
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E D U C A T I O N
P R O G R A M
Timeline of Peace Education Workshops
5-8 April 2000 Kupang, West Timor

19 participants from NGOs in West Timor, Flores and Ambon

The participants from this workshop became the base of PBI contact in NTT and
Maluku. All future CT workshops in NTT come directly from this one.

PBI facilitator: Danielle Widmann (Angela Morgan, Celia Guilford, Lyn Adamson)

Funders: grants from British and Canadian Embassies in Jakarta
11-13 April 2000 Kupang, West Timor

28 participants from NGOs in West Timor, Flores and Ambon

The participants from these first two workshops became the base of PBI contact in
NTT. All future CT workshops in NTT come directly from this one.

PBI facilitators: Danielle Widmann (Angela Morgan, Celia Guilford, Lyn Adamson)

Funders: grants from British and Canadian Embassies in Jakarta
2-5 August 2000 Kefamenanu, West Timor

19 participants from LAKMAS, local community, local leaders

presented with LAKMAS (Lembaga Advokasi Kekerasan Masyarakat Sipil)

main focus: land rights and adat

local facilitator: Magnus Cobesi and and Viktor Manbiet (LAKMAS)

PBI facilitator: Angela Morgan and Dorina Sedoeboen
5-8 September 2000 Maumere, Flores

12 participants from NGOs

presented with YKM (Yayasan Kuan Mnasi, part of JKPIT)

main focus: gender conflict, women’s issues

local facilitator: Nedhy Noenbeni (YKM)

PBI facilitator: Angela Morgan, Dorina Sedoeboen and Signe Poulsen
9-13 January 2001 Ende, Flores

23 participants from Truk-F, Catholic Church, Muslim community, Ende and Bajawa

presented with Truk-F (Tim Relawan untuk Kemanusiaan—Flores)

main focus: gender conflict, women’s issues

local facilitator: Sr. Eustochia

PBI facilitator: Angela Morgan, Nina Purwiyantini
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E D U C A T I O N
P R O G R A M
16-20 January 2001 Maumere, Flores

22 participants from Truk-F, Catholic Church, Muslim community, Eastern Flores

presented with Truk-F (Tim Relawan untuk Kemanusiaan—Flores)

main focus: gender conflict, women’s issues

local facilitator: Sr. Eustochia

PBI facilitator: Angela Morgan, Nina Purwiyantini
29 January-1 February 2001 Dare, East Timor

13 participants from NGOs across East Timor

presented with CDEP (Centro de Desenvolvimiento da Economia Popular)

main focus: mediation, reconciliation

local facilitator: Magnus Cobesi (LAKMAS)

PBI facilitator: Danielle Widmann
5-8 August 2001 Sabang, Aceh

25 participants from Flower Aceh and Flower Aceh’s field partners

presented with Flower Aceh

main focus: gender conflict, women’s issues, mediation

local facilitator: none (though help from Dorina and Pipink (FA))

PBI facilitator: Danielle Widmann
10-13 August 2001 Sabang, Aceh

18 participants from Flower Aceh and Flower Aceh’s field partners

presented with Flower Aceh

main focus: gender conflict, women’s issues, mediation

local facilitator: none (though help from Pipink from Flower Aceh)

PBI facilitator: Danielle Widmann
3-6 October 2001 Bajawa, Flores

20 participants from Truk-F and Catholic Church

presented with Truk-F

main focus: gender conflict, women’s issues, adat

local facilitator: Father Gabriel Goran

PBI facilitator: Angela Morgan, Nina Purwiyantini
8-11 October 2001 Ende, Flores

16 participants from Truk-F, Catholic Church and Muslim community

presented with Truk-F

main focus: gender conflict, women’s issues, adat

local facilitator: Father Gabriel Goran

PBI facilitator: Angela Morgan, Nina Purwiyantini
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P R O G R A M

4-7 November 2001 Larantuka, Flores

20 participants from Truk-F and Catholic Church

presented with Truk-F

main focus: gender conflict, women’s issues, adat

local facilitator: Father Gabriel Goran

PBI facilitator: Angela Morgan, Nina Purwiyantini
9-12 November 2001 Lembata-Lewoleba, Flores

23 participants from Truk-F and Catholic Church

presented with YS3L (partner organization of Truk-F)

main focus: gender conflict, women’s issues, adat

local facilitator: Father Gabriel Goran

PBI facilitator: Angela Morgan, Nina Purwiyantini
28 May - 1 June 2003 Bajawa Flores

23 Participants - NGO, Catholic, Muslim and Protestant communities invited by Yayasan
Mitra Swadaya

main focus - Training for trainers in the context of conflict resolution skills

Local lacilitator: Pater Gabrial Goren

PBI facilitator: Angela Morgan, Sanna Bergquist and Ruth Halsted
4 - 8 June 2003 Bajawa Flores

Participants - NGO, Catholic, Muslim and Protestant communities invited by Yayasan Mitra
Swadaya

main focus: Conflict Resolution

Local facilitator: Pater Gabrial Goren

PBI facilitator: Angela Morga, Sanna Bergquist and Ruth Halsted with assistance from Rini
Maghi and Markus Raga participants at the previous training for trainers.
4 - 8 June 2003 Bajawa Flores

Participants : 14 local Government workers - all heads of the local Kantor Lurah.
Representation from a women's groups and Muslim and Christian community invited by
Truk F

main focus: conflict resolution

Local facilitator: Pater Gabrial Goren

PBI facilitator: Angela Morgan, Sanna Bergquist and Ruth Halsted
3-6 Sept 2003 Larentuka Flores

21 participants from Larantuka and neighbouring islands invited by TRUK F

main focus: conflict resolution and vertical conflict

Local facilitators: Sr Eustochia and Rini Maghi

PBI facilitator: Jason Mcleod, Jennifer Donohoe, Isabelle Catron and Angela Morgan
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P E A C E
E D U C A T I O N
P R O G R A M
10 - 13 Sept 2003 Maumere Flores

20 participants from Larantuka and neighbouring islands invited by TRUK F

main focus: Conflict resolution

Local facilitators: Sr Eustochia and Rini Maghi

PBI: Jason Mcleod, Jennifer Donohoe, Isabelle Catron and Angela Morgan
165
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S
–
P R E P A R I N G
F O R
T H E
T R A I N I N G
E V A L U A T I O N
Section
S
S. Preparing for the Training Evaluation
Questions for Personal Reflection
Motivation
After learning more about the work of PBI and certain skills used in it, how do feel about working in the
field with the Indonesia Project? What are your reasons and motivations for going? Have they changed?
What are your expectations?
Knowledge of the Situation
Do you feel that you have a decent grasp of the situation in the region? What can you do to learn more if
needed?
Inter-cultural experience
Are you ready to spend a long period of time living in a different culture? What kind of problems can you
imagine that you might personally encounter living in Indonesia? How do you envision dealing with them?
Nonviolence
How do you now envision nonviolence as it relates to the work of the Indonesia Project? Do you see limits
for yourself personally to nonviolence within this context? What might you do to overcome these limits?
Non-partisanship
After the past week, what is your understanding of non-partisanship in relation to the work of PBI? Do you
see personal challenges to non-partisanship? What do these challenges mean to you? Do you see limits to the
work of the Indonesia Project? How would you deal with these limits?
Team Work
What are your strengths in living and working closely with a team? What are your weaknesses? What could
you contribute to organizing the team? How is your tolerance for the different organizational skills of others?
What causes problems for you in a team situation? How do you deal with these problems? Are you able to
work with consensus decision-making?
167
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P R E P A R I N G
F O R
T H E
T R A I N I N G
E V A L U A T I O N
Fear and Risk
What are your fears about working in the field with PBI? Are these physical or psychological fears? What do
you do to deal with your fears?
Stress
How will you deal with stressful situations? How do you deal with a heavy workload? How would you relate
to traumatised people?
Initiative
How do you judge your initiative level? Do you take initiative easily? Are you able to meet and talk, perhaps
even negotiate, with high-level government or international officials?
Strengths and weaknesses
What are your strong sides? What do you have to offer to the countries of South East Asia? Is PBI the
medium in which to best use your skills? What are your weak sides? How do you assess your maturity level?
Are you a stable person?
These questions are provided for you to reflect upon during your week-long training period. They are based
on the questions of your original interview for the application process. We encourage you to talk about some
of these issues in your reflection group. These questions can be seen as a breakdown of the following
question: Given my experience, my knowledge, and my skills, is the PBI Indonesia Project really the right
place for me?
One last thing
Bear in mind that you don’t HAVE to be perfect to do this work! Everybody has particular stresses and
weaknesses, times when they are more vulnerable and situations in which they don’t cope in the same way as
those around them. All of these questions are not intended to scare you away or make you feel hopelessly
inadequate. They ARE intended to make you think about where your strong and weak points are and, as you
know yourself better than anybody else does, what you can envisage finding particularly challenging about
life on a PBI Team. If you and the trainers both decide that this work is right for you at this time, you have
from now until you join the Project to start working on these things, developing strategies to take care of
yourself while you are away, and preparing yourself mentally and emotionally.
168
A P P E N D I C E S
Appendices
Apendix 1: Map of Aceh
169
A P P E N D I C E S
Appendix 2: Indonesia Project Address List
Jakarta sub-team
Kompleks Liga Mas Indah
Blok G 43
Pancoran 12768
Jakarta
pbi-jkt@indo.net.id
Project Coordinator
Celia Guilford
Box 9, 33 Boundary Trail
Clearwater, Manitoba R0K 0M0
CANADA
pbiip@mb.sympatico.ca
tel: +62 (0)21 7973702
1 204 825 2477 (o)
1 204 825 8473 (hm HP)
1 204 951 5660 (travel HP)
1 775 242 5240 (fax)
Medan sub-team
Jalan Sriwijaya No.66A
Medan Baru 20153
Medan INDONESIA
pbi_aceh@yahoo.com
Finance and Administration Coordinator
Grace Chitate
162 Connor Lane
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 3H7
CANADA
Vimbiso@aol.com
tel: + 62 61 415 2557
fax: + 62 61 456 2348
Papua Sub Team
Perumnas IV, Blok D no 7
Padang Bulan, Abepura,
Jayapura
Indonesia 99351
pbi_past@cbn.net.id
Tel: +1 902 453 9276
Training Coordinator
Peter Leblanc
ptrleblanc@positivepeace.org
+1 604 216 1137 (h)
+1 604 724 6538 (HP)
tel: +62 967 584583
fax: +62 967 584676
Advocacy Coordinator
Paola Carmagnani
pbi-ip-eur-rep@wanadoo.fr
Human Resources Coordinator
Sarah Markwick
the_markwick@yahoo.com
Tel: + 41 765075341 (HP)
Tel: +1-604-219-9587 (HP)
Peace Education Coordinator
Yulia Sugandi
Strategy Coordinator
Minna Fredriksson
peaceeducation_ip@yahoo.com
stratminna@yahoo.com
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A P P E N D I C E S
Appendix 3: IP List Serves
Indonesia Project List Serve
pbi@yahoogroups.com
Who’s on the list: Project committee members,
sub-committee members and advisors.
Used to: Circulate team and project meeting
notes, share news and information that is
relevant to everyone in IP.
Executive Committee
pbi_executive@yahoogroups.com
Who’s on this list: IP Staff and 3-4 committee
members
Used to: Communicate to the committee, but
mainly internal for the executive committee.
Who’s on this list: Members of the committee,
the finance coordinator and project
coordinator.
Used to: Communicate to the committee, but
mainly internal for the finance committee.
Who’s on the list: Members of the committee
and the human resources coordinator
Used to: Internal for the human resources
committee, and for correspondence from the
team.
Who’s on the list: Members of the peace
education committee, peace education trainers
Used to: Communicate to the committee, but
mainly internal for the peace education
committee.
Who’s on the list: Members of the PPR
committee
Used to: Communicate to the committee, but
mainly internal for the publicity and public
relations committee.
Who’s on the list: Members of the committee
and the project coordinator
Used to: Communicate to the committee, but
mainly internal for the strategy committee.
Who’s on the list: Members of the committee
and project trainers.
Used to: Communicate to the committee, but
mainly internal for the training committee.
Who’s on the list: The training coordinator
Used to: Accepts public inquiries about IP
trainings.
Who’s on the list: The PPR coordinator
Used to: Communications between the country
groups and the IP.
Finance Committee
ietpfinance@yahoogroups.com
Human Resources Committee
pbi-humanresources@yahoogroups.com
Peace Education Committee
IP-PeaceEd@yahoogroups.com
Publicity and Public Relations
pbi-publicity@yahoogroups.com
Strategy Committee
ipstratcom@yahoogroups.com
Training Committee
IndoProjTrainings@yahoogroups.com
Training Inquiries
TrainingIP@yahoogroups.com
Country Groups List Serve
ip-cg@yahoogroups.com
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Appendix 4: Acronyms – PBI
Indonesia Project Bodies/Structures
BAST
Banda Aceh Sub-team, currently withdrawn
BWU
Bi-Weekly Update, the IP’s fortnightly publication to high-level contacts
ERN
Emergency Response Network, activation of our network to respond to an
emergency
F2F
Face to Face Meeting of the entire project which occurs twice yearly.
HRC
Human Resources Committee
IP
Indoensia Project. Formerly IETP, Indonesia East Timor Project, formerly ETP,
East Timor Project
JAST
Jakarta Sub-team
LOC
Letter of Concern, issued to alert our network of a serious situation.
LOST
Lhoksuemawe Sub-team, currently withdrawn
MEST
Medan Sub-team
PAST
Papau Sub-team
PCWM
Project Committee Weekly Mail, also JWM for Jakarta Weekly Mail, MWM for
Medan, PWM for Papua
StratCom
Strategy Committee
PBI International Bodies/Structures
BEO
European Office of PBI in Brussels, Belgium
CG
Country Group, a national PBI Chapter
EC
Executive Committee
GA
General Assembly, the ultimate decision-making forum in PBI which meets
every three years with representation from all parts.
IC
International Council, representative decision-making body between General
Assemblies
IDC
Information Distribution Committee
IFC
International Finance Committee
IO
International Office of PBI, in London, England
IPC
International Office Personnel Committee
ISec
International Secretariat
PBI
Peace Brigades International
PC
Project Committee, the body responsible for running a project.
PD
Project Desk
PEC
Project Exploratory Committee, ad-hoc body created by IC to explore a request
for a new PBI project
173
A P P E N D I C E S
SEC
Standing Exploratory Committee
174
A P P E N D I C E S
Other Current Projects
COP
Colombia Project with four sub-teams in Barrancabermeja, Turbo, Medellin and
Bogota with a project office in London, England
Guatemala Project, reopened in 2002
MEP
Mexico Project, established in 1998.
SIPAZ
International Service for Peace in Chiapas. PBI joint project working in Chiapas,
Mexico since 1995
Former Projects
BPT
Balkans Peace Team, a joint project which PBI is involved with along with
several other teams in the Balkans region.
CAP
Central America Project, referring to the Guatemala and El Salvador Projects
HAP
Haiti Project, fielded a team in Port au Prince, closed in 2000
NAP
North America Project, closed in 2000
SLP
Sri Lanka Project, closed in 1999
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A P P E N D I C E S
Appendix 5: Acronyms – Indonesian
Security Forces
Indonesian Police Structure
Brimob (Brigade Mobil)
Special Police Unit
Polri (Polisi Republik Indonesia)
Indonesian Police
Kapolri (Kepala Polisi Republik Indonesia)
The National Head of Police
Polda (Polisi Daerah)
Police at Provincial Level
Kapolda (Kepala Polisi Daerah)
The Head of Police at Provincial Level
Polwil (Polisi Wilayah)
Police at Regent Level
Kapolwil (Kepala Polisi Wilayah)
The Head of Police at Regent Level
Polres (Polisi Resort)
Police at District Level
Kapolres (Kepala Polisi Resort)
The Head of Police at District Level
Polsek (Polisi Sektor)
Police at Sub District level
Kapolsek (Kepala Polisi Sektor)
The Head of Police at Sub District level
Pospol (Pos Polisi)
Police Post at Village level
Kapolpos (Kepala Pos Polisi)
The Head of Police at the Village Level
Indonesian Military Structure
Panglima TNI (Tentara Nasional Indonesia)
The Head of National Military
Panglima Kolakops (Panglima Komando Pelaksana
Operasi)
The Operational Command Implementation for
Coordination Between Police & TNI in Aceh
Kodam (Komando Daerah Militer)
Military Command for a Region
Pangdam (Panglima Daerah Militer)
The Leader for a Military Territory
Korem (Komando Resort Militer)
Military Command Below the Provincial Level
(Resort)
Danrem (Komandan Resort Militer)
Commander for a Military Resort
Kodim (Komando District Militer)
Military Command for a District Area
Dandim (Komandan District Militer)
Commander for the Military District
Koramil (Komando Rayon Militer)
Sub District Level
Danramil (Komandan Rayon Militer)
Commander for the Sub District Level.
Babinsa (Bantuan Bintara Desa)
Military Development Assistance in Villages
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A P P E N D I C E S
Appendix 6: Acronyms – NGOs and other Terms
Non-governmental Organizations and Other Terms
CARDI
Consortium for Assistance to Refugees and the Displaced in
Indonesia (replaces the IRC)
CIDA
Canadian International Development Agency
DFAIT
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (Canada)
DMD
Peace through Dialogue, Damai Melalui Dialog
DOM
Military Operations Region, Daerah Operasi Militer
DPR-D
People’s Legislative Assembly, Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat – Daerah
EWS
Early Warning System
FARMIDIA
Aceh Student Front for Reform
GAM
Free Aceh Movement, Gerakan Aceh Merdeka
GOI
Government of Indonesia
HDC
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, previously the Henri Dunant
Centre
ICMC
International Catholic Migration Committee
ICRC
International Committee of the Red Cross
IDP
Internally Displaced Person
IFA
International Forum for Aceh
INGO
International Non-Governmental Organisation
IRC
International Rescue Committee, replaced by CARDI
IRCT
International Rehabilitation Council for Torture
JCHA
Joint Committee for Humanitarian Affairs
KAPAK
Anti-Communist Youth Action Committee, Komite Aksi Pemuda Anti
Komunis
Koalisi NGO HAM
Coalition of NGOs for Human Rights
Komnas HAM
National Commission for Human Rights, Komisi Nasional Hak Asasi
Manusia
Komnas Perempuan
National Commission for Women, Komisi Nasional Perempuan
KONTRAS
The Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence, Komisi
Untuk Orang hilang dan Korban Tindak Kekerasan
LAK MAS
Organisation for Advocacy Against Local Community Violence,
Lembaga Advokasi Kekerasan Masyarakat Sipil
LAP
Timorese Organisation for Human Rights Research and Advocacy in
West Timor, Lembaga Advokasi dan Penelitian Timoris
LBH BA
The Legal Aid Foundation – Banda Aceh, Lembaga Bantuan Hukum
Banda Aceh
MOU
Memorandum of Understanding
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MSF
Medecins Sans Frontiers - Doctors Without Borders
NAD
Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (this is the new Acehnese name for the
province of Aceh)
NTR
Greater Timor State, Negara Timor Raya
NGO
Non-Governmental Organization
OCHA
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN)
PA
Protective Accompaniment
PBI
Peace Brigades International
PCC
People’s Crisis Center
PRD
People’s Democratic Party, Partai Rakyat Demokratik
Ratih
Trained Civilians, rakyat terlatih
RATA
Rehabilitation Action for Torture Victims in Aceh
RI
Republic of Indonesia
RpuK
Women’s Volunteer Team for Humanity, Tim Relawan Perempuan
untuk Kemanusiaan
SIRA
Central Information for Referendum Aceh
SPKP-HAM
The Brotherhood of Torture Victims, Solidaritas Persaudaraan Korban
Pelanggaran HAM
TAPOL
The Indonesian Human Rights Campaign (International NGO in
London)
TNI
National Indonesian Army, Tentara Nasional Indonesia
TNI AU
Indonesian National Air force
TRK
Volunteer Team for Humanity, Tim Relawan untuk Kemanusiaan
Truk-F
Volunteers for Humanity – Flores, Tim Relawan untuk Kemanusiaan –
Flores
TTS
South Central Timor, Timor Tengah Selatan
TTU
North Central Timor, Timor Tengah Utara
UNAMET
United Nations Mission in East Timor
UNDP
United Nations Development Program
UNHCR
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNTAET
United Nations Transitional Administration of East Timor
UNTAS
A Political Umbrella Group Representing Pro-Indonesian Militias in
West Timor
USAID
United States Agency for International Development
YLBHI
Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum
Indonesia
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A P P E N D I C E S
Apendix 7: Bi-Weekly Update June 17, 2004
Dear Colleague,
This is the Bi-Weekly Update from the Indonesia Project of Peace Brigades International (PBI) for 7 October
2004.
C
U R R E N T
S
I T U A T I O N
A
S
W
E
P
E R C E I V E
I
T
PBI’s perceptions are based on information obtained by sub-teams in Medan (North Sumatra), Jayapura
(Papua) and Jakarta.
A
C E H
Most of PBI’s client organisations describe the current situation in Aceh as stable. PBI client organisations
involved in election monitoring have confirmed that the final round of presidential elections proceeded
safely and smoothly though minor electoral violations were reported in some areas. The additional military
troops brought up to the province during the election period have reportedly left and the security situation
in the cities remains good. However, in rural areas armed clashes between TNI (Tentara Nasional Indonesia,
National Indonesian Army) and GAM (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, Free Aceh Movement) still occur. One PBI
client organisation reported that in Central Aceh district people are still afraid to go to their fields in more
isolated areas and in some rural areas nightly curfews have been implemented.
PBI client organisations report they have been able to continue most of their current programs over recent
weeks. Several client organisations have been organising and participating in trainings and other gatherings
recently. Clients across the province report being able to travel into the field when required. Additionally,
one client organisation has begun a new monitoring program which includes field investigations. The
planned implementation of this program was suspended at the beginning of the Military Emergency in
May 2003 due to security considerations. These examples indicate a slight improvement in the level of
stability in their space to work.
Despite this increase in program activity however, other investigating organisations report continuing
difficulties in collecting data regarding alleged violent incidents. They report that people in more isolated
areas are often too afraid to report such incidents due to fear of physical retaliation. This, along with
security concerns when travelling into the field, hampers their ability to collect accurate information.
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A P P E N D I C E S
One member of a PBI client organisation in Aceh that does field investigations has recently been receiving
threatening mobile phone calls from a person identifying themselves as GAM. In the past two weeks this
person has called the client member several times, demanding phone credits for his mobile phone. When
the client member refused to comply, the GAM member said that if he didn’t receive these credits, he
would arrest the client member the next time they were in the field. The client member has changed their
mobile phone number to avoid the calls and hopes that this will be sufficient to dissuade the demands. PBI
will monitor the situation for further developments.
O
R G A N I S A T I O N A L
N
E W S
The Papua sub-team was recently invited to make a presentation on PBI’s work to a coalition of seven
prominent human rights and legal NGOs. The coalition was formed to support and campaign on behalf of
the victims and witnesses of the Abepura case currently being tried at the Makassar human rights court.
Using the example of PBI’s work in Aceh and elsewhere, the meeting discussed the details of international
accompaniment and how it might work in the Papuan context.
U
P D A T E
F R O M
T H E
T
E A M
The Medan sub-team currently consists of Anna Adamczyk (Poland), David Shields (Australia) and
Naomi Baird (United Kingdom).
The Papua sub-team currently consists of Andrew Hickman (United Kingdom), Kristina Neubauer
(Germany), Helen Payne (United Kingdom), Nancy Vogt (United States of America), Rachel Sutton
(Canada) and Janine Tijhoff (Netherlands).
The Jakarta sub-team currently consists of Blossum Gilmour (Canada), Christian Coelle (Germany),
Huibert Oldenhuis (Netherlands) and Aksel Tomte (Norway).
Ruth Halstead (United Kingdom) from the IP Strategy Committee has been working with the sub-teams
since the beginning of September and is currently with the Papua sub-team in Jayapura.
Jennifer Brav (France) is currently on leave.
Please feel free to contact us if you wish to discuss the contents of this Bi-Weekly Update.
Yours sincerely,
Indonesia Project
Peace Brigades International
This Bi-Weekly Update is for limited distribution.
We request that you do not forward it outside of your organisation.
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A P P E N D I C E S
Appendix 8: Bi-Weekly Update Policy
Updated 27 March 2003 (this policy has been revised in July 2004, see sub-team manual.)
Aim

to regularly inform support networks of our activities, observations, and concerns

to raise the profile of PBI IP, and build an understanding of our work.

towards the ultimate aim of strengthening our emergency response networks, and thus our ability to
provide protection to the local organizations that we work with.
Periodicity

every second Thursday. Preferably sent out 9 am (Jkt time) so that it reaches recipients in Indonesia in
the morning.
Contents

The content and style of the updates should always be appropriate for this audience (see below; hati2
when to Komnas HAM), namely it must be factual and non-partisan.

The information should be based on field team’s own observations and communications rather than be an
analysis of news already available to our networks. Information that represents a pattern, is particularly
concerning, is verifiable by a number of sources, is actual rather than perceived. No one-off threats or
vague perceived threats in order not to create a list of rumors and paranoia.

Incidents can be mentioned if they are directly linked with the work of our clients or PBI or affect the work
of our clients or PBI in that area. Name the link explicitly (e.g. Despite the increasing number of
sweepings in town our client organizations are able to continue their work as usual.)
Distribution

The BWU goes to our support networks, which includes diplomatic contacts, Komnas HAM, selected
international NGO colleagues, PBI country groups, selected Indonesian diplomatic contacts, and key
individual contacts as recommended by the team or PC. Individual / NGO contacts must be approved
by the exec committee.

The updates will be sent BCC (so that recipients are not disclosed) email on the morning of distribution
from the Jakarta office. If email is not available for particular recipients we can fax the update.

The Komnas HAM update will be hand delivered on the Thursday afternoon by a member of each team to
the respective Komnas HAM offices. Komnas HAM and other selected Indonesian contacts will receive a
slightly different update. Basically references such as ‘Dear Colleague’ that indicate that the update is
widely distributed will be removed. The closing paragraph may thank Komnas HAM or the recipient
specifically for assistance provided in the last two weeks, and encourage follow up contact to the update if
desired. We should be particularly aware how the content of the update may be perceived by Indonesian
state representatives.

The update will also be sent to the PC via Jakarta office, and to volunteers studying language, and ex
volunteers who are interested, via the Project Coordinator.

Jakarta Office will maintain the Indonesia based distribution list. Project Coordinator will keep a copy and
maintain other distribution lists.
Security Rating: LIMITED and SEMI-PUBLIC

While the information contained is not confidential, it is politically sensitive and we aim to maintain
some control over where the updates are distributed. Limited distribution means that we ask
colleagues to not forward-distribute the updates outside of their organizations. CGs receive this policy
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A P P E N D I C E S
with an explanation emphasizing that the BWU is not for public use. Country Groups can distribute
the information internally as well as to key ERN contacts.
Transparency

If asked about our reporting system, the team can say that the BWU (described as a letter) is sent to
our support network, and that it is about our activities and clients’ activities, to provide a measure of
protection for our work. This is because we don’t translate it to authorities as a report, but as a letter –
which is the way it is technically formatted anyway. If the questioning authority would like more
information about our work we would be happy to meet with them again.
Information Assessment

Before we publish information about clients or other contacts we check with them whether they
consider it safe to publish the information. We do not publish information without informed approval
from the subject of information. We are responsible for them knowing the range of distribution of the
BWU.

Every time we use the name of a person we must check before with him/her. In some specific cases
the team may decide to ask aparat sources permission to quote them by name/position. It is best to
not use anyone’s name directly, but have it on file for backup if needed.

Even if approved, we do not publish information if we assess that this unnecessarily could
compromise the safety of a group or a person. We ask ourselves whether anybody could make
improper use of the information, and what consequences this could have.

We have to be extra careful with last minute information. In a conflict zone it is particularly difficult to
get accurate information; lots of rumors (to blame, to threaten, out of fear…) are around. In order to
be able to check and confirm the information by several sources and overcome the initial rumor, we
might wait a couple of days and decide later if we include the information in the next BWU.
Format:
On current letterhead, no more than two pages. Subheadings:

Current situation as we perceive it

Aceh (Jakarta or other areas where we are operating if something unique to report)

Area of Concern


Update on teams


To include for each team activities undertaken in this period, team composition and nationalities, and
planned activities for the next fortnight.
Organisational News


Choose one important issue or event and analysis in more depth. As a guide, the ‘Area of Concern’
should be particularly relevant to, or have implications for the work of IP (and/or the groups we work
with). It’s better not to have an Area of Concern in each BWU but to use it to emphasize something of
particular concern and/or to alert our support network.
Optional if there is something to report. Could include PC meeting, shift in team focus, or planned
activities if resources permit, awards presented to PBI etc. We do not represent our clients’ work
organisational issues.
Who’s where

It is important (especially for embassies) to let our support network know where each of our
volunteers are at all times.
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A P P E N D I C E S
Drafting Process






The Banda Aceh and Lhoks sub teams will write their sections by the Tuesday before presentation.
The Banda Aceh sub team will send out a first draft to the Jakarta sub team on Tuesday.
If the Jakarta sub team has questions, get back to the Banda Aceh sub team.
The Banda Aceh sub team will coordinate with the Lhoks sub team and make a second draft, send it
out to the Jakarta sub team.
Cross-drafting ensures clarity in content and grammar, provides an ‘outside’ perspective on how the
content may be perceived (ie what is most important, what sounds politically partisan, what doesn’t
sound credible).
A final version is agreed upon by all teams, and then sent out by Jakarta office. This ensures that all
teams are aware of the content, and agree with how the project is being presented.
Language advice

Dates are written “6 February 2003”.

Regions are presented as districts (Kabupaten), sub-districts (kecamatan) and provinces. Because
they are names of districts, you cannot write, East and South Aceh but East Aceh and South Aceh
districts.

Villages need to be specified by sub-district and district (e.g. Kabong village, Krueng Sabee subdistrict South Aceh district), towns by district (e.g. Meulaboh, West Aceh district) and towns with the
status of Kota Madya such as Banda Aceh and Lhokseumawe by itself (e.g. Banda Aceh).

Lhokseumawe, Municipality of Lhokseumawe, it is confirmed that Lhokseumawe is no longer part of
North Aceh, but is it’s own independently governed area, called Kota Madya in Bahasa Indonesia.
Municipality is the closest translation we could come up with.

We translate things written in Bahasa Indonesia to English in brackets. Abbreviations in BI are spelled
out within brackets in italics, followed by English translation. Military and police are being introduced
with Indonesian title/acronym with the English translation in brackets, e.g. Kapolda (Kepala Polisi
Daerah, Provincial Head of Police).

The name of our client organizations should always be used in the same way and the name in
Indonesian should be in italics ((please check all these names in detail!)):
o
RATA (Rehabilitation Action for Torture Victims in Aceh): because the acronyms are from
the English translation it does not need an Indonesian explanation of the title
o
Flower Aceh: no explanation
o
RPuK (Tim Relawan Perempuan untuk Kemanusiaan, Women’s Volunteer Team for
Humanity): don’t forget “Tim”/”Team” in the name; put “’s” always in the same place
(please check with client how they translate their name!)
o
Koalisi NGO-HAM (Aceh NGO Coalition for Human Rights): a hyphen between NGO and
HAM; no “’s” after NGO
o
PB HAM (Pos Bantuan Hukum dan HAM, Human Rights and Legal Aid Post): add the
district after the brackets e.g. PB HAM (...) in South Aceh district
o
SPKP-HAM (Solidaritas Persaudaraan Korban Pelanggaran Hak Asasi Manusia,
Association of Victims of Human Rights Abuse): always add “-HAM” to SPKP
o
LBH (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum, Legal Aid Foundation) Banda Aceh

Specify the area where the client works when important to situation described.

Names of people should always be used full names: Suraiya Kamaruzzaman.

If a person is uncomfortable with us using their name we can say “one of the SPKP-HAM staff”, or
“the NGO we provide accompaniment to”.
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A P P E N D I C E S

When we talk about “high level meetings”, we should use another term in the BWU as “meetings with
civil authorities and security forces” (or whoever is meant).
Damage prevention

The person who sends the BWU out should print the final version before attaching it to e-mail. This is
to prevent the BWU being sent out with changes tracked in printed document. Before sent out, all
changes have to be accepted. This is done by → Tools/Track changes/Accept or reject
changes/Accept all. So far, the BWU has been sent out twice with changes visible in printed
document.

If information is sent out unintentionally no matter what, we immediately send out correct version of
information. Further, if the information concerns a named person or a group that can be identified, we
let them know what has happened and discuss with them what steps we need to take to prevent or
reduce damage being done.
Emailing
The addresses that the BWU is sent to must be put in the “BCC” field, so that those receiving it do not see other
people’s email addresses.
The email text must include the following:
Dear colleague
Please find attached the latest Bi-Weekly Update from the PBI
IndonesiaProject.
Yours sincerely,
[Name of Team member]
Tim Jakarta
Proyek Indonesia
Brigade Perdamaian Internasional
Jakarta Team
Indonesia Project
Peace Brigades International
Jl. Persatuan Guru no. 19
Petojo Selatan, Jak Pusat 10160
tel/fax
+ 62 21 570 8360
email
pbi-jkt@indo.net.id
www.peacebrigades.org
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A P P E N D I C E S
Appendix 9: Language Proficiency Policy
I
n order to function effectively as part of the team working in Indonesia, a high level of proficiency in Bahasa
Indonesia and English is required. The Indonesia Project is willing to consider candidates who do not have the
required bahasa Indonesia language skills at time of training. Unless other arrangements are made with the
Indonesia Project, each candidate must pay for and achieve an Advanced Level 3B “Proficient Working” (as scored by
Wisma Bahasa Language School in Yogyakarta, or equivalent) before joining the team.
What is meant by proficiency?
The Advanced Level 3B “Proficient Working” is defined as “Able translate or to interpret with reasonable accuracy the
sense of what is conveyed in Indonesian language into English and vice versa. Able to write in better forms and speak
effectively on a range of social, business, professional and specialist topics with diction and structural accuracy.”
Cost and Duration of study:
For those experienced in learning languages, training to this level with no prior experience in Bahasa Indonesia may take 12
- 16 weeks. The average cost is $2,000-2,500 and includes language school tuition of 20 hours per week intensive instruction
and homestay in Yogyakarta.
The Indonesia Project reserves the right to postpone a candidate’s entry onto the team if the minimum language standard is
not yet achieved.
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A P P E N D I C E S
Appendix 10: Language School Scholarship Policy
T
he Indonesia Project has set aside a small scholarship to assist exceptional candidates without other means
of fundraising to attend language school and/or cover training costs (travel and training fee). Candidates
from developing countries may receive special consideration for scholarships.
Who may apply?

Exceptional candidates are defined as those willing to make a year’s commitment to
volunteering on a project subcommittee post-team service and who have two or more of the
following:

Prior understanding of/experience with Peace Brigades International (through country group
contact/orientation; prior service with a PBI team or PBI committee; etc.)

Experience in peace team work, human rights or other equivalent NGO;

Prior knowledge of Indonesian history and politics; and/or

Special skills or attributes desired by the Project.
Application Process
Candidates wishing to apply for a scholarship must have already turned in their completed application and three
references.
Candidates should send a letter requesting consideration for a scholarship to the HR committee at pbihumanresources@yahoogroups.com. The letter should include:

The amount of funds requested;

An explanation of other avenues already exhausted (personal fundraising, PBI country group
support, grants from the State or human rights scholarships, etc.); and

A statement on what special qualifications make the candidate appropriate for scholarship.

Scholarships will be decided by consensus of the Indonesia Project Human Resources
Committee and awarded based on a candidate’s suitability as outlined above and as funds
permit.
Upon receiving a scholarship, candidates will be asked to sign a contract outlining the terms of the agreement.
Timeline
Scholarship requests will be considered on a rolling basis.
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A P P E N D I C E S
Appendix 11: Insurance Coverage for Field
Volunteers
Information Sheet to the Supplementary Social Security Contract for PBI Volunteers on the PBI - Indonesia
Project
General Information
For the duration of your service on the Indonesia Project you are insured against illness, accident, invalidity as a
consequence of an accident and liability. Different rules apply to the respective insurances. If a claim should arise,
please read the particular information for the health insurance, invalidity insurance and liability insurance respectively.
This will tell you what to do to and how to enter a claim. (On your request, we will also send you the complete and
detailed insurance conditions.)
Health insurance
a) Scope of cover
The costs for necessary medical treatment due to illness or accident by a physician. This includes outpatient and
inpatient treatment.
The costs for medically necessary dental treatment. The cover includes painrelieving dental treatment and simple
fillings. Dental protheses and crowns are not covered.
The costs for medically prescribed pregnancy examinations and costs of childbirth after a waiting period of 8 months
after the start of the contract.
The costs for pharmaceuticals and therapy if prescribed by a physician. Pharmaceuticals must be purchased from a
pharmacy. Optical lenses, however, are excluded.
Additional costs for return transport if transport to your home country is ordered by a physician. (The usual transport
costs are not covered). In the case of deaths, funeral costs at the place of death or transport costs to your home
country are insured up to an amount of EUR 10.225,-Illnesses and their consequences and the consequences of accidents which were treated or were in need of treatment
in the last six weeks before the start of the insurance are not covered.
Glasses and contact lenses are not covered.
b) Start and end of cover
the insurance cover starts at the earliest on departure from your home country and ends at the latest on re-entry into
your home country. Cover is also provided for an interim stay in your home country of up to 4 weeks. If you are
suffering illnesses which require treatment at the time of your leaving the insurance, the insurance will continue to pay
benefits for up to 4 weeks.
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A P P E N D I C E S
Invalidity insurance as a consequence of an accident
a) Scope of cover
The invalidity insurance gives cover in the event of invalidity as as a consequence of an accident. An accident has
occurred if you suffer involuntary damage to your health as the result of an external event acting suddenly on the
body. This can, for instance, be a traffic accident or also an infection and tropical diseases. This insurance covers
invalidity resulting from accidents anywhere in the world.
Invalidity is given when an accident results in permanent impairment of physical or mental faculties. The insurance
therefore does not refer to the costs of treatment as a result of accidents but to the longer term consequences
resulting from accidents (e.g. loss of parts of the body or of their function).
Invalidity is insured up to an amount of EUR 100.000,--. The level of payment depends on the degree of invalidity.
Some kinds of accidents are excluded from the insurance. Excluded are accidents resulting from events of war or civil
war in which you are actively or passively involved. Also excluded are benefits for such accidents if you fail to comply
with calls (e.g. by the PBI) to leave war regions. Other exclusions of cover apply to disturbances resulting from
psychological reaction.
b) Start and end of cover
The insurance covers invalidity resulting from accidents suffered by you between the date of the start of the contract
and the date of the end of the contract. Invalidity is also covered if it only arises later (up to a maximum of 12 months
after the accident). If invalidity arises during that period, it must be diagnosed by a doctor and a claim must be entered
with the insurance company within at most a further 3 months after it arises. If permanent invalidity should then in fact
arise as a result of the accident, this must be diagnosed by a doctor and a claim must be entered within the
necessary time limits.
Liability insurance
a) Scope of cover
The liability insurance covers damage caused by you and for which you are legally liable. Such damage may be to
other persons, to objects or to pecuniary property.
The insurance covers damage for which you become liable in the course of your duties under your Volunteer Service
Contract with the PBI as well as damage for which you become liable privately.
The amounts of cover are: EUR 500.000,-- for damage to persons (though not more than EUR 250.000,-- per person)
and EUR 150.000,-- for damage to objects.
However, persons holding Indonesian citizenship are excluded from the insurance for damage caused in Indonesia.
For all other persons, some forms of damage are excluded from cover, e.g.:
damage resulting from the operation of motor vehicles, aircraft, motorboats, etc.
damage resulting from wilful failure to comply with statutory or official regulations or from other wilful neglect of duty
damage resulting from the loss of objects, money, etc.
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A P P E N D I C E S
Appendix 12: Internet Sites
Indonesian Government and Governmental Institutions
Indonesian Government
www.indonesia.gov.id
Komnas HAM
www.komnas.go.id
Komnas Perempuan
www.komnasperempuan.or.id
National and Local Newspapers, Magazines, other News Resources
The Jakarta Post
www.thejakartapost.com
Kompas
www.kompas.com
Tempo Interactive
www.tempo.co.id
Waspada
www.waspada.com
Antara Interactive
www.antara.co.id
Media Indonesia
www.mediaindo.co.id
Detik.com
www.detik.com
Suara Merdeka
www.suaramerdeka.com
Astaga.com
www.astaga.com
National and Regional NGOs, solidarity movements, groups
Indonesian Commission for Disappearances and www.desaparecidos.org/kontras
Victims of Violence (Kontras)
Solidamor
www.solidamor.org
Acheh Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF)
www.asnlf.net
Indonesia House
www.indonesia-house.com
Koalisi NGO HAM
www.koalisi-ham.org
Jaringan LSM Indonesia
www.ngo.or.id
LBH-APIK
www.lbh-apik.or.id
YAPIKKA
www.yapikka.org
YLBHI
www.ylbhi.org
Other Governments, UN
US Department of State
UNHCR
OHCHR
OCHA
Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong
http://www.state.gov
www.unhcr.ch
www.ohchr.ch
www.reliefweb.org
http://ahchk.net
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A P P E N D I C E S
International NGOs, solidarity movements, groups
Amnesty International
http://www.amnesty.org
Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org/hrw/campaigns/indonesia/index.htm
International Crisis Group
http://www.intl-crisis-group.org
Tapol, The Indonesian Human Rights campaign
www.gn.apc.org/tapol
Community Aid Abroad
http://www.caa.org.au/world/asia/indonesia/index.html
Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East http://www.asiet.org.au
Timor
West Papua Action
http://westpapuaaction.buz.org
Cambridge Campaign for Peace (Campeace) West http://members.tripod.co.uk/CamPeace/westPapua.html
Papua Subgroup
ETAN West Papua and Aceh links
www.etan.org/resource/websites.htm
West Papua Information Kit
www.cs.utexas.edu/users/cline/papua
International Forum for Aceh (IFA)
http://aceh.org/forum
Aceh links
http://come.to/ACEH_LINKS
Minority Rights Group
www.minorityrights.org
Aceh-eye.org
www.acheh-eye.org
Indonesia Human Rights Network
www.indonesianetwork.org
Regional and International newspapers, magazines, other resources:
Inside Indonesia
http://www.insideindonesia.org
Go Asia Pacific
http://goasiapacific.com
Malaysiakini
www.malaysiakini.com
The Straits Times
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg
ABC Australia
www.abc.net.su
The Australian
www.news.com.au
Far Eastern Economic Review
www.feer.com
Times Asia
www.times.org
The Guardian
www.theguardian.co.uk
BBC
www.bbc.co.uk
CNN
www.cnn.com
International Herald Tribune
www.iht.com
New York Times
www.nyt.com
Green left Weekly
www.greenleft.org.au
Reuters
www.reuters.com
Washington Post
www.washingtonpost.com
Le Monde
www.lemonde.fr
194