Highlights Cross-Country Learning Event JISRA: Building Peace and Digital Safety

The city of Bandung, Indonesia steeped in the history of the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference recently hosted a Cross-Country Learning Event on Youth, Digital Safety, and Human Rights. Facilitated by PeaceGeneration Indonesia (PeaceGen) and organized by JISRA, the event brought together participants from diverse nations to engage in experiential learning focused on fostering peace and critical thinking in a digital age.

On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, the first day was packed with activities designed to break down prejudices, promote empathy, and equip attendees with practical tools for peacebuilding.

The event kicked off with a nod to Bandung's historic role. A warm welcome was given by the host, Irfan Amali (Co-Founder of PeaceGen), who formally opened the proceedings by highlighting three key principles from the Dasasila Bandung (Ten Principles of Bandung) that deeply resonated with the day's themes:

• Respect for fundamental human rights.

• Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

• Recognition for equality.

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He then introduced PeaceGen's mission, born 17 years ago from a cross-cultural collaboration, to promote the 12 Basic Values of Peace.

Experiencing and Overcoming Prejudice: The Koko-Kiki Game

The core of the morning session on the first day of this Cross-Country Learning Event was an interactive, eye-opening experience using the first of the 12 Basic Values of Peace: Judgment.

Participants were split into two arbitrary groups the Kiki Tribe (Asia) and the Koko Tribe (Africa) for the "Koko-Kiki Games." One group was given a constraint (Silence and maintaining distance), which led the other group to make instant, negative judgments "Impolite," "Boring," "Mean," "Too loud," "Annoying," and "Judgmental".

The goal of the Koko-Kiki Game was to reveal a universal truth: that prejudice comes from a lack of information. According to Irfan Amali, prejudice is "The decision to judge someone without knowing them."

In the subsequent session, participants were encouraged to metaphorically put on "extra glasses" an invisible tool to pause, think deeper, and look at others differently, replacing prejudice with tolerance and empathy.

This concept was further driven home with visual exercises, showing how incomplete pictures (a woman holding a rope, Prince William raising his fingers) can be wildly misinterpreted without the full context or a different angle, emphasizing the importance of context.

Addressing Digital Safety and Narrative Framing

In this session, participants connected the idea of prejudice to digital safety by discussing Narrative Framing. PeaceGen focuses on teaching critical thinking to young people to overcome harmful narratives and prejudices. This was then followed by participants sharing personal stories.

Collaboration and Conflict Management Through Games

The afternoon transitioned into a practical application session, with groups using a cooperative board game to explore the 12 Basic Values of Peace. The game was designed to highlight the importance of cooperation over competition, reminding participants that strategic, thoughtful collaboration is the key to shared success.

"The world is enough for everybody, but not for one is greedy."

The discussion then moved to conflict management, stressing three key facts:

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• Everybody faces conflict.

• Conflict is an opportunity for growth.

• Our reaction determines the outcome.

Irfan Amali closed the session by issuing two missions: to always wear the "extra glasses" and to remember to use the three peaceful ways to approach conflict.

Deepening Connections: Creative Reflection and Cultural Exchange

The day one event concluded with powerful moments of connection:

• Creative Reflection: Participants engaged in a unique reflection method involving journaling and collaborative drawing and discussion across different tables. This method encouraged participants to unlock deep, meaningful insights about their work and aspirations. The key takeaways from these discussions centered on the vital need for collaboration, financial support, empathy, critical thinking, and shared values to drive global change.

• Cultural Night: Participants from Kenya, Iraq, the Philippines, Nigeria, the Congo, and various regions across Indonesia shared traditional songs, dances, clothing, martial arts, and stories. The closing performance was titled "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" (Unity in Diversity), perfectly encapsulating the spirit of the entire day—a celebration of shared humanity across all cultural differences.

Key Takeaways for Peacebuilding and Digital Literacy

This Cross-Country Learning Event successfully demonstrated PeaceGen's innovative, experiential approach (Activity, Reflection, Conceptualization, Application - ARCA) to peace education.

• Critical Thinking is Key to Digital Safety: Understanding narrative framing and actively seeking context is the best defense against prejudice and radicalization in the digital sphere.

• Empathy Breaks Down Walls of Prejudice: Using the "extra glasses" can transform prejudice into tolerance and deeper understanding.

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• Cooperation is the Ultimate Strategy: Global challenges, like conflicts and digital threats, require a collective, strategic effort driven by shared values.

Are you interested in integrating the 12 Basic Values of Peace into your organization’s development programs?

Contact [email protected]!