Indonesian Youth Conference for Gaza: 162 Youth Organizations Unite
"We are not talking about religion, ethnicity, or culture. We are talking about humanity. To speak up for Palestine, we don't have to be anyone special; we just have to be human."
- Staff of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Agency (BKSAP), House of Representatives, Republic of Indonesia
In response to the escalating humanitarian crisis and genocide in Gaza, Palestine, which began in October 2023, Indonesian youth initiated a collaborative movement through the Indonesian Youth Conference for Gaza, Palestine. The goal was to create tangible, impactful, and scalable solutions that deliver results.
On July 12, 2025, the conference was held at the historic Merdeka Building in Bandung. This very building hosted the 1955 Asian-African Conference (AAC), which helped de-escalate global Cold War tensions. This history served as an inspiration for the younger generation to rekindle the spirit of the AAC and continue the fight against colonialism and for world peace.
The 70th anniversary of the Asian-African Conference, to implement the Dasa Sila Bandung (Ten Principles of Bandung).
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PeaceGeneration Indonesia (PeaceGen) was among the participants. The event was a strategic step in drafting a "Declaration of Indonesian Youth" and building a collective commitment to act on the solutions agreed upon. As Bandung's Mayor M. Farhan stated during the conference, "The key is global solidarity, just like in the Dasa Sila Bandung."
Lutfie Maulana Alfianto, chairman of the organizing committee, emphasized that "this conference is not just a ceremonial event, but a step towards real, actionable change for Indonesian youth." To achieve this, the committee held a public competition for solutions for Gaza on social media from April to May.
"We received 117 solutions from the competition, and we narrowed them down to seven actionable items for Gaza," Lutfie revealed.
The 7 Actionable Solutions for Palestine
The conference's final proposals, selected from the public competition, offer concrete ways to support the Palestinian struggle.
1. Sponsoring Gaza Orphans Together This initiative allows Indonesian youth to support Gaza's orphans. The program aims to secure monthly donations starting from IDR 20,000 (approx. $1.20 USD) to collectively sponsor all 43,439 orphans in Gaza. So far, 80% of the funds have been allocated as a IDR 1,000,000 (approx. $60 USD) donation for each sponsored orphan, with the remaining 20% dedicated to building an orphanage in Gaza. The program offers three benefits: a dedicated platform, a profile for each sponsored child, and monthly reports for full transparency.
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Link: www.asuhyatimgaza.com
2. GazaOne: Assistance Coordination Platform GazaOne is a central hub for information and aid coordination for Gaza. The portal provides real-time visual data on the situation in Gaza, a list of aid efforts from NGOs and governments, and contact information for collaboration.
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Link: www.gazaone.com
3. Affiliate-Free Lifestyle This is a "next-level boycott," promoting an affiliate-free lifestyle by avoiding products from companies involved in the humanitarian crisis in Palestine. This action has three key points: products will carry a "Free from Affiliation" certification sticker, consumers can check for this label before purchasing, and local small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) that have been certified as affiliate-free will be supported. Businesses can register their products for verification to receive the official sticker.
4. Palestine Curriculum A curriculum for students to think, act, and reflect on Palestine. The curriculum components include: the history and culture of Palestine, human rights, the role of international communities and Indonesia, and humanitarian action. This curriculum is designed for formal schools, religious schools, non-formal institutions, and youth communities.
5. Palestine Corner: 1,000 Murals This project creates offline awareness that cannot be censored by algorithms. The plan is to paint murals with Palestinian themes at 1,000 locations across Indonesia, in collaboration with art communities, youth groups, and students. Free designs are provided for reference. Ideal locations are village entrances, community halls, school walls, and other strategic public areas.
6. Palestine Research Center An open and collaborative research center to defend Palestine through writing, data, and scientific work. Research topics include: the history of occupation and resistance, international law and human rights, health and psychology of Gazan society, economics and development, architecture and urbanization, and media/disinformation about Palestine.
7. One Minute Palestine This social media campaign involves uploading or creating videos of up to 60 seconds. Content can include stories about Palestinian history, videos of people wearing Palestinian attire, poetry, quick facts, children's stories, or prayers and messages of hope.
Conference Concludes with FGD and Youth Declaration
A crucial part of the conference was the Focus Group Discussion (FGD), which involved all 162 Indonesian youth organizations. Representatives, including those from PeaceGen, chose one of the seven actionable solutions and participated in a discussion facilitated by a moderator. The goal was to develop the actions further, transforming them into impactful initiatives for the people of Gaza.
The "Declaration of Indonesian Youth" was read aloud by seven representatives, one for each actionable solution, as a commitment to make a difference for Gaza. Just like PeaceGen's 17-year mission and vision, this declaration is a concrete step by Indonesian youth to champion peace both at home and worldwide in innovative and creative ways.
"Youth are the front guard for a nation's change."
- Zaki from the University of 11 Maret Surakarta (the conference moderator)
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