By Rachel Bergen From an early age, Lioni Tobing was curious about who exactly God is. She would wonder funny things about her Creator like, “Does God drink coffee or tea? Does God like cookies?” But never got the answers she needed, nor did she feel comfortable asking people in her church these types of…
News & Events
Donors to Stop Rations for Displaced Karen in 2017
By Saw Mort Ei Tu Hta (IDP) camp is located in Mutraw district, on the banks of the Salween River, its total population is 3,352 people living in 475 houses. The camp was set up in 2006 when the Burmese Government military in the Nay Pyi Daw area occupied the Karen National Union areas, including…
Promoting Dialogue and Diversity in Papua
By: Rachel Bergen Laela Tambawang was born into an interfaith family in West Papua, Indonesia, so it’s no surprise she eventually participated in ICF’s School of Peace. “I’m Muslim but my mom is Christian until she became Muslim,” Laela explains. “My grandma is Christian and helped me learn about my own religion. She taught me…
Justpeace Principles in Fashion Design
Portrait of an Indonesia Mini SOP participant Esty Dyah Imaniar I am the founder of Modesty Indonesia. This company produces apparel with hand embroidered calligraphy of peace and equality values in Islam. Under the idea of WeaReaDonate, we aim not only to create unique modest fashion (wear), but also to educate Muslim women by including writing…
Promoting Peace through Pesantrens
By Rachel Bergen When Anick Ht sees images of churches burning on the news, he knows what viewers will think. The culprits: probably Muslim. Muslims: probably dangerous. Islam: obviously promotes violence. But this isn’t the Islam Anick grew up with. While it may seem as though radical Islam is taking over the world, he believes…
Philippines National Coordinator to participate in KAICIID Fellows Program
The King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) selected SOP 2010 alumnus and current Philippines National Coordinator Tirmizy Abdullah to participate in the KAICIID Southeast Asia Fellows Programme for Religious Leaders as Practitioners of Interreligious Dialogue 2016. Tirmizy is one of a couple of dozen applicants from important religious education…
Alumnus to take part in YSEALI academic fellowship
ICF wants to formally congratulate Gunawan “Wawan” Primasatya on his Young Southeast Asia Leadership Initiative (YSEALI) academic fellowship. At the end of April the School of Peace 2010 alumnus from Poso, Indonesia left his home to participate in the leadership training program. He will take part in a five week institute, held on the campus of…
Papuan alumnus wins at photography competition
SOP 2012 alumna and photographer Barce Rumkabu from Papua won three awards for his entries in the Protection of Ecosystem and Nature at Biak Island photography exhibition in February. According to Barce, the purpose of this competition was to promote Biak island as a tourist destination and to protect them for future generations. Biak island is in…
Justice for the Victims of the Kidapawan Carnage in the Philippines
Statement against the Open Firing by the Military and Police on Protesting Farmers and Indigenous Peoples in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, 1 April 2016 The starving and unarmed farmers of Kidapawan cried for rice. They were given bullets. The Hong Kong Campaign for the Advancement of Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP), a network of individuals…
Sharing about Justpeace in Mindanao
By Rachel Bergen A-esha Afdal Ampatuan spent her early childhood on the run with her family. She grew up in a Muslim camp called Abubakar in Southern Philippines. Although a stronghold for the extremist group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), for many years the camp enjoyed relative peace and independence from the Christian government….