Project Citizen: Kami Bangsa Indonesia
SHOWCASE In Poso, Central Sulawesi
May 17, 2008

By Acih Sari, Program Coordinator

Administrated by the Center for Civic Education Indonesia (CCEI) cooperation with Pattimura University and funded by
the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor

As the culmination of the U.S. State Department – sponsored Democracy, Human Rights and Labour (DRL) program, a showcase is an important and wonderful event for junior high students and their teachers to present students` projects which try to solve problems at their schools and communities. The showcase is also an important and rare opportunity for teachers to prove their ability in delivering the KBI program and their guidance to their students in making their projects. After four months implementing the KBI program in their classrooms, on 17 May 2008, 20 teachers from nine different schools and their 72 students presented their projects in front of juries who were CCEI local trainers and Program Coordinator.        

The showcase was attended by Jeffrey Loree, the Political and Economic Officer of U.S. Consular General in Surabaya and the Rector of Sintuwu Maroso University. The showcase started with the national anthem “Indonesia Raya”, the students from Poso and Tentena (1,5 hours from Poso) proudly and enthusiastically explained and answered the juries` and other students` questions. They asked critical questions to hear students` arguments and understanding about the presented project.

After hearing all nine teams presentation and checking their portfolios, SMPN 2 Poso was chosen as the first winner of the showcase which project was about the increased of drop out students at SMPN 2 Poso, followed by SMPN 1 Tentena as the second winner with the project about the low number of graduate students at that school and SMPN Poso Pesisir as the third winner with the project about the spreading of drugs in Poso Pesisir district. The best three teams had successfully fulfilled the requirements of the presentation and the portfolios and were also able to answer juries` question.      

Since the showcase started, I could see how the showcase succeeded in bringing the teachers and students closer to each other. After the interfaith conflict which lasted for six years, the people in Poso, including the teachers, seemed to live separately based on religion. There was no more working together but only suspicious feeling to each other. One of the teachers, Mrs. Suryani said because of the KBI teachers` training, she has many new friends from different faiths. She usually only said hello when she met them on the street but after joining the training, she made a conversation with them and build a new sisterhood between them. The students from Islamic and Christian schools also supported each other and became new friends on the showcase. It was such a nice memory for me to watch that happened in Poso.

In summary, democratic values were successfully delivered in the KBI teachers` training and during the showcase. To see one team supported the other team made me realize that no matter how bad the conflict happened in Poso, the people there are toward the peace with supports from people of Poso, state officials, non government organizations and Indonesian government.