Asia Philanthropy Circle Supports Strengthening of Healthy Peaceful Culture and Tolerance
Asia Philanthropy Circle (APC), a philanthropic institution based in Singapore, visited PeaceGeneration Indonesia on Saturday, March 4, 2024. The three-day visit aimed to maintain the partnership between PeaceGen and the institution that has supported its programs.
PeaceGeneration Indonesia, as a social enterprise, collaborates and receives support from various stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, government, international organizations, and philanthropic institutions.
An organized form of collaboration exists, such as the BDW (Breaking Down the Walls) program. Besides that, HOPE (Heroes of Peace and Ecology) and the Sociopreneur Academy by HOPE, which PeaceGen and Eco Camp initiated. The HOPE program has been running for three years and focuses on supporting organizational growth, peacebuilding efforts, and environmental conservation.
In March 2024, APC, as a partner of PeaceGen supporting the implemented programs, visited to see and hear the impact generated from the support directly.
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APC Visit to PeaceGeneration Indonesia Office
The visit activities commenced on Saturday, February 4, 2024, with APC members visiting the PeaceGen office to play board games with PeaceGen Co-founders Irfan Amali and Eric Lincoln. The visit concluded with a dinner together.
Sue Toomey, APC's Chief Impact Officer, expressed that the visit was warm and enjoyable. She described the PeaceGen office as vibrant in terms of the workspace, the team, and the products they offer.
"When we came to the PeaceGen office and met the team, just color vibrancy and dynamism are words I would use to describe the office itself, the products in terms of how you guys convey your stories, but really in the people and the stories that they told," said Sue Toomey.
APC Visit to Eco Camp
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APC members visited Eco Camp in Bandung the following day to learn more about it through presentations and discussions with HOPE Champions. As hosts, PeaceGen provided APC members with firsthand experiences to acquaint them with Eco Camp's activities and engage with beneficiaries. The aim was to maintain and explore future partnership opportunities and strengthen relations between APC, PeaceGen, and the beneficiaries of the HOPE program.
APC's Visit to SMP Muhammadiyah 8 Bandung
On the final day, Monday, March 4, 2024, APC members visited SMP Muhammadiyah 8 Bandung for the Breaking Down the Walls workshop, which was themed "Celebrating Diversity & Friendship." APC members participated in various activities in the workshop, including Lesson 2, No Suspicious, No Prejudice, and board games. The workshop was enjoyable and filled with laughter and camaraderie.
The Breaking Down the Walls program aims to provide a platform for different schools to meet, learn from each other, listen, and create a sense of security. Teng Ngiek Lian from The Silent Foundation supports this objective, emphasizing that PeaceGeneration is doing a significant job combating religious intolerance, fostering understanding, and eliminating prejudices.
"So I think what Peace Generation is doing is significant: trying to make sure the various racists, and especially young children, get to understand the other side and develop a relationship. As they grow up, they will better understand each other rather than just being focused on the difference and misinterpreting each other," said Teng Ngiek Lian.
Upon the conclusion of APC's visit with PeaceGen, Sue Toomey mentioned many lessons learned throughout the journey, with collaboration being a key takeaway.
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"Over the past two days, this journey, learning more, and coming up front and center with PeaceGen, I would say that some of the key learnings are that so much is possible, but critical is the power of collaboration," said Sue Toomey in her final interview with PeaceGen.
Through this visit, PeaceGen hopes to maintain harmonious relationships among APC, PeaceGeneration Indonesia, and the program's beneficiaries to ensure the continued success of organizational growth, peacebuilding efforts, and environmental conservation.
