Conscience in Action: Advocacy for the Protection of Children in Papua
Acts of violence and conflict have a detrimental impact on all parties involved, particularly women and children. When conflicts erupt, children, women, and communities feel unsafe, unable to go to school, and struggle to carry out their daily activities. In the midst of these challenging circumstances, the Papua NOKEN (TraNsformasi kOmunitas untuk KErukunaN or Community Transformation for Peace) Program, a collaboration between Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) and church partners, strives to empower women, youth, and community leaders to become agents of peacebuilding. The goal is to minimize the harm caused by conflicts to these vulnerable groups and even prevent conflicts from occurring in their surroundings.
A peace committee in one of the districts of Jayawijaya Regency is composed of representatives from these groups. This committee envisions creating a safe environment for children by preventing violent conflicts. One of the triggers of conflict in the district is the abuse of alcoholic beverages (miras). Therefore, the committee undertook advocacy efforts that were well-received by stakeholders. WVI, together with NOKEN program partners, facilitated public consultations to draft regulations on the restriction and distribution of miras until the official approval process.
"As a member of the peace committee, I hope that there will be no chaos or conflicts between one another in our areas, villages, and districts so that we can live safely, comfortably, and carry out our activities properly," expressed Lukas, a committee member.
Since its formation in early 2023, the peace committee has undergone capacity building that has enabled them to conduct awareness building, advocacy, and mediation. The committee successfully analyzed that miras is one of the triggers of problems they encounter daily, ranging from domestic violence to inter-tribal violent conflicts. This year, miras has sparked inter-group fights that have resulted in destroyed homes and injuries. Such incidents have been ongoing for a long time in the district.
"Houses are burned down, accidents happen, and people are blocked on the roads, all because of alcoholic beverages. Let's not let our future generations be cut short by miras. Many young people have died because of miras," Andreas, the village head, stated softly.
"Miras is indeed a social disease. We encounter people drinking alcohol every day, even those who are addicted. Distributors or sellers are present in our communities. Many people produce alcohol drinks, including in my village. It has become their source of income. In fact, we have been nurturing this problem, consciously. There must be a deterrent effect for distributors and drinkers to break the chain of various problems," Kosmas declared.
The discussion on the regulation draft was engaging. There were many proposals to find practical solutions that were fair yet aligned with cultural wisdom. For instance, regarding the payment of fines, some questioned whether it was fair to impose fines on families rather than just the individual offenders, considering that many families are less well-off. Others suggested discussing the fines at the next meeting. However, the desire to have the regulation approved was undeniable.
Andreas emphasized, "If there are rules, they must be enforced properly. There must be an agreement on the punishment, so that we don't let (the offenders) go free. We will approach (the residents) and then provide them with the agreed-upon agreement."
After discussing and recording the regulation draft, the community signed a recommendation sheet and submitted it to the district head. A smile spread across the committee members’ face, signifying the unity of the community and the district government in realizing their dream of a better environment.
"I am proud and happy. I hope that the draft we have discussed will not stop here, but we will discuss it again by inviting the villages. Please, all the community members, provide data on where people are making alcoholic beverages so that we know and have that data. Please also convey verbally to families that there are district regulations that must be agreed upon. We will follow up at the village level so that with this regulation, we can regulate the community and save our future generations," concluded Laurens, the district head.
"I am very happy with the drafting of this regulation. My hope for the future is that this district will always be safe and become an example for the 39 other districts in Jayawijaya," said Afrida, a district staff member who is actively involved with the peace committee.
Author: Andina Larasati (MEL Coordinator for NOKEN Programme)
Editor: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)
