VZCZCXRO5583
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJS #0012 0310441
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 310441Z JAN 08
FM AMCONSUL SURABAYA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0146
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0070
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 0009
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0134
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 0018
RUEHJS/AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0151
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0022
RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0068

UNCLAS SURABAYA 000012 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP, DRL, EAP/PD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ID PGOV KPAO
SUBJECT: EASTERN INDONESIA: PUBLIC POLICY TRAINING PROGRAMS IN 
POST-CONFLICT AREAS REACH OUT TO EDUCATORS 
 
 
¶1. (U) Much-welcomed USG-funded assistance programs aimed at 
capacity building and conflict resolution are being 
reestablished in areas which have suffered through years of 
ethnic and religious conflict. During separate mid-January trips 
to the eastern Indonesian provinces of Central Sulawesi and 
Maluku, Surabaya Principal Officer and Pol-Econ Officer 
participated in DRL-funded Project Citizen training programs -- 
"Kami Bangsa Indonesia" (KBI) -- targeting middle school 
educators and students.  KBI is an active learning program 
focused on developing public policy and citizenship skills in 
post-conflict areas of Ambon, Maluku; Poso, Central Sulawesi; 
and Sorong West Papua.  The training, conducted by the Center 
for Civic Education Indonesia (CCEI), is designed to introduce 
local educators to an active learning curriculum that can be 
adopted by educational authorities at the local or provincial 
level.  The program is designed to give students (and their 
families) the skills and knowledge necessary to use government 
effectively to respond to issues in their communities. 
 
Ambon, Maluku 
------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) On January 22, PO spoke at the opening ceremony of a 
five-day KBI program in Ambon.  The hands-on, interactive 
training, involving educators from 20 local Islamic, state, 
Catholic, and Protestant schools, was conducted by lecturers 
from the local Pattimura University and CCEI staff members. 
Pattimura University, regarded as the top university in Ambon, 
suffered significant damage during the 1999-2003 conflict.  The 
active learning curriculum is designed to teach children about 
public policy; to identify public policy issues that affect 
their lives; to help them investigate alternatives and 
solutions; and to teach them how to deal effectively with the 
government.  Participants were to be divided into smaller groups 
made up of teachers from different schools and backgrounds to 
enhance the dialogue and foster cooperation between groups. 
Teachers participating in the training expressed enthusiasm 
about the importance of the program to the development of civic 
education. 
 
¶3. (U) In his opening remarks, the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of 
Education at Pattimura University observed that participants had 
a rare opportunity to participate in this training program.  He 
emphasized the value of strengthening educational competence and 
improving teaching skills and quality through this training. 
Echoing the Dean's remarks, the representative from the Maluku 
Department of Education also thanked the USG for its support of 
educational development and capacity building. 
 
Poso, Central Sulawesi 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) On January 18, Pol-Econ Officer spoke at the closing 
ceremony of the KBI program in Poso, Central Sulawesi.   This 
week-long training program, conducted in cooperation with the 
Education Faculty of Sintuwu Maroso University, was attended by 
40 teachers from the local community.  CCEI trainers took 
special care in this post-conflict region to both balance and 
integrate the composition of the class in terms of religion. 
Trainers divided the groups up into teams comprised of teachers 
from different faiths and regions.  Many teachers told the 
trainers that this was the first time they had spoken with 
colleagues from other faiths about how they might work together 
toward reconciliation.  Several teachers told Pol-Econ Officer 
that they valued the training for its direct impact on their 
classroom teaching and also for its indirect impact on forging 
bonds between professionals.  A local education department 
official and the Assistant Dean of Sintuwu Maroso University 
thanked the State Department for its support of the program and 
pledged support for a follow-on showcase of student projects 
scheduled in April. 
 
MCCLELLAND