Training of Civic Education Program
Project Citizen: KAMI BANGSA INDONESIA
A Professional Development for Civic Education Teachers
in Conflict and Post Conflict Areas
Sigli - NAD, 26-28 August 2008

This workshop was administrated by the Center for Civic Education Indonesia (CCEI) and cooperation with Education and Culture Office of Kabupaten Pidie and funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor

I. Facts

1. 38 civic teachers from 18 state schools in Kabupaten Pidie, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) are participated in the training.  
2. Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province is a post conflict because of its separatist movement active since 1976. Sigli was known as a conflict “hotspot” and GAM (separatist) stronghold.
   

II. Personal Perspective (Acih Sari, Program Coordinator)

The separatist movement of Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka/GAM) in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province was the concern of Indonesian government and international public since 1976. The conflict which is caused by the unsatisfied condition in politics and economy, had killed hundred thousands of Acehnese, the materials lost and left deep trauma to all Acehnese. Facilitated by the Finland’s Prime Minister, the MoU between Indonesian government and GAM was reached in 2005 and end the long conflict. The big tsunami which hit NAD in December 2004 and caused thousands of Acehnese died, added the suffers of Acehnese.

To build the new NAD and to improve the professional development of civic teachers there, the Center of Civic Education Indonesia (CCEI) administrated a Project Citizen (Kami Bangsa Indonesia/KBI) training in Kabupaten Pidie, sponsored by the U.S Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. There were thirty eight teachers from 18 state schools participated in the training which started on 26 until 28 August 2008.

As program coordinator, I did not only logistic and materials preparation for this training but also made some adjustments on ways to deliver the materials because of the strong Islamic culture there. NAD is the only province in Indonesia which implemented Syaria / Islamic law. After democratically decided by all participants, the public policy problems that became the participants` studied cases were the lack of teaching and learning media at schools in Kabupaten Pidie and the economic problem increases the number of the drop out students in Kabupaten Pidie.

The participants went to the city library, district and education office to find more information about the cases. For some of the participants, visited the city library was their first experience and they became the members of the library directly on that day. The two groups that visited the city library became the member of the library directly. These activities have showed the participants of the training that KBI is an active program. 

In conclusion, the training achieved a great success and motivated all participants to implement the KBI at their schools and hopefully able to join the showcase which is scheduled in December 2008.