March 17, 2005: Headlines: COS - Indonesia: COS - Kazakhstan: Religion: The Athens News: Kazakhstan RPCV Troy Johnson is part of a delegation of American civic and religious activists visiting Indonesia for two weeks as part of an Ohio University project focusing on promoting and facilitating inter-religious dialogue in Indonesia

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Indonesia: Peace Corps Indonesia: The Peace Corps in Indonesia: March 17, 2005: Headlines: COS - Indonesia: COS - Kazakhstan: Religion: The Athens News: Kazakhstan RPCV Troy Johnson is part of a delegation of American civic and religious activists visiting Indonesia for two weeks as part of an Ohio University project focusing on promoting and facilitating inter-religious dialogue in Indonesia

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-123-27.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.123.27) on Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 11:40 am: Edit Post

Kazakhstan RPCV Troy Johnson is part of a delegation of American civic and religious activists visiting Indonesia for two weeks as part of an Ohio University project focusing on promoting and facilitating inter-religious dialogue in Indonesia

Kazakhstan RPCV Troy  Johnson is part of a delegation of American civic and religious activists visiting Indonesia for two weeks as part of an Ohio University project focusing on promoting and facilitating inter-religious dialogue in Indonesia

Kazakhstan RPCV Troy Johnson is part of a delegation of American civic and religious activists visiting Indonesia for two weeks as part of an Ohio University project focusing on promoting and facilitating inter-religious dialogue in Indonesia

Two local people to help promote religious dialogue in Indonesia as part of OU project
2005-03-17

Two Athens residents are part of a delegation of American civic and religious activists visiting Indonesia for two weeks as part of an Ohio University project focusing on promoting and facilitating inter-religious dialogue in Indonesia. The delegation left on the trip yesterday.

According to a news release, the delegation's visit is intended to demonstrate solidarity with the Indonesian people in the wake of the recent disaster and promote better relations between the people of Indonesia and the United States. The project is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of State.

Mara Giglio, training and program coordinator for the Appalachian Peace and Justice Network, will provide training to Indonesian educators on peer mediation. Giglio is a conflict-management trainer for the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management and has trained more than 300 teachers and administrators in peer mediation and other conflict-management techniques. She also teaches a course on school-conflict management at OU.

Troy Johnson, a graduate student in International Development Studies at OU, also will travel with the delegation. Johnson became interested in Islamic education while working with Muslim youth as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan.

The delegation is being led by project director Richard Kraince with assistance from OU doctoral student Ann Shoemake. Both have extensive experience working in Indonesia.

The 10 Americans selected for the delegation include university professors, graduate students, and representatives of non-profit organizations working on issues of conflict resolution, mediation, and peace and justice. A series of public forums will be implemented as well as visits to various non-government agencies, government agencies and religious institutions.

In Jakarta, members of the delegation will attend a conference on higher education partnerships at the University of Indonesia. They also will implement peer mediation trainings for the Indonesians who have participated in the Inter-religious Dialogue Project and for faculty and students from two local universities.

The group will visit a traditional Islamic boarding school in West Java, where they will participate in discussions on minority rights with local religious leaders. In Cirebon, the group will visit a non-governmental organization working to foster inter-religious tolerance, and meet with local religious and civic leaders to discuss the role of inter-religious dialogue in conflict management and tolerance promotion efforts. Delegates will conclude their visit with a trip to Aceh Province.

In 2004, Ohio University's Center for International Studies launched a series of exchanges between religious and civic leaders in Indonesia and the United States, and three Indonesian groups visited the United States as part of this project focusing on inter-religious dialogue.

These exchanges are intended to promote greater understanding and mutual respect among people of different faiths by expanding dialogue on critical issues, including religious freedom, individual rights and relations between faith communities.

The project provides opportunities for participants from both countries to share strategies for responding to religious extremism and intolerance in various contexts.

Organizers hope the initiative will motivate serious efforts to strengthen inter-religious harmony by promoting conflict-management efforts in areas affected by sectarian strife as well as building support for civic education and tolerance promotion activities more generally. A key goal is to facilitate long-term relationships so that dialogue on how to manage differences among religious groups in a pluralistic civil society can be broadened and sustained.

In the news release, Kraince said that Indonesian delegates who participated in the U.S. study tours hope to replicate peer-mediation programs observed in schools in Ohio and New York. Several of the delegates who will travel to Indonesia from the United States in March have been selected for their backgrounds in peer-mediation training.

"One tangible outcome I see for this project are the long-term friendships between our Indonesian colleagues and the Americans participants," Kraince said in the release. These connections are inspiring the Americans who have been involved in the project to learn about and talk about Indonesia here in the United States. According to Kraince, the American delegation's visit provides an opportunity to further those friendships and introduce the group of American civic and religious activist to Indonesia and its culture.

"I hope this will foster more international understanding and goodwill," Kraince said in the release.





When this story was posted in March 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The Peace Corps Library Date: February 7 2005 No: 438 The Peace Corps Library
Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in over 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related reference material in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can use the Main Index to find hundreds of stories about RPCVs who have your same interests, who served in your Country of Service, or who serve in your state.

Top Stories and Breaking News PCOL Magazine Peace Corps Library RPCV Directory Sign Up

RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC Date: March 5 2005 No: 482 RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC
RPCVs Sam Farr, Chris Shays, Thomas Petri, James Walsh, and Mike Honda have asked their colleagues in Congress to add their names to a letter they have written to the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, asking for full funding of $345 M for the Peace Corps in 2006. As a follow-on to Peace Corps week, please read the letter and call your Representative in Congress and ask him or her to add their name to the letter.

Add your info now to the RPCV Directory Date: March 13 2005 No: 489 Add your info now to the RPCV Directory
Call Harris Publishing at 800-414-4608 right away to add your name or make changes to your listing in the newest edition of the NPCA's Directory of Peace Corps Volunteers and Former Staff. Then read our story on how you can get access to the book after it is published. The deadline for inclusion is May 16 so call now.

March 12, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Date: March 13 2005 No: 487 March 12, 2005: This Week's Top Stories
The Coyne Column: Read Winning Essay by PCV 12 Mar
Laura Germino helps Migrant Workers Advocacy Group 12 Mar
Sam Farr impresses medical-pot advocacy group 11 Mar
Fred O'Regan writes Op-Ed on Canada seal hunt 11 Mar
Fern Holland remembered In Oklahoma 10 Mar
Mountaineer Charles Houston receives honorary degree 10 Mar
Elaine Chao led delegation for President's inauguration 10 Mar
Chris Dodd wins Hispanic Capital Award 9 Mar
Pat Waak is new Colorado Democratic Party Chair 9 Mar
Chris Matthews withdraws from Florida Event 9 Mar
Timothy J. O'Brien returns to Korea 8 Mar
Tomas Belsky's paintings inspired by service in Brazil 7 Mar
Christopher Hill to be Assistant Secretary of State 7 Mar
Allen Moore is Sen Frist's Deputy Chief of Staff 7 Mar
Jim Doyle heads trade delegation to Mexico 5 Mar
Al Kamen says Narcissus Is Now Greek AND Roman 4 Mar
Diana Gomez says to do something about Peace 4 Mar

March 12, 2005: RPCV Groups in the News Date: March 14 2005 No: 494 March 12, 2005: RPCV Groups in the News
San Diego RPCVs host reception with Gaddi Vasquez on March 6 4 Mar
Alaska RPCVs speak for dividend 4 Mar
Western North Carolina's RPCVs sponsor Africa Night on March 6 3 Mar
Maryland RPCVs lobby their Senators for Peace Corps 3 Mar
Connecticut RPCVs hold fundraiser on March 5 3 Mar
Charles Baquet speaks at Louisiana PC Breakfast on March 4 28 Feb

RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

March 1: National Day of Action Date: February 28 2005 No: 471 March 1: National Day of Action
Tuesday, March 1, is the NPCA's National Day of Action. Please call your Senators and ask them to support the President's proposed $27 Million budget increase for the Peace Corps for FY2006 and ask them to oppose the elimination of Perkins loans that benefit Peace Corps volunteers from low-income backgrounds. Follow this link for step-by-step information on how to make your calls. Then take our poll and leave feedback on how the calls went.
Make a call for the Peace Corps Date: February 19 2005 No: 453 Make a call for the Peace Corps
PCOL is a strong supporter of the NPCA's National Day of Action and encourages every RPCV to spend ten minutes on Tuesday, March 1 making a call to your Representatives and ask them to support President Bush's budget proposal of $345 Million to expand the Peace Corps. Take our Poll: Click here to take our poll. We'll send out a reminder and have more details early next week.
Peace Corps Calendar: Tempest in a Teapot? Date: February 17 2005 No: 445 Peace Corps Calendar: Tempest in a Teapot?
Bulgarian writer Ognyan Georgiev has written a story which has made the front page of the newspaper "Telegraf" criticizing the photo selection for his country in the 2005 "Peace Corps Calendar" published by RPCVs of Madison, Wisconsin. RPCV Betsy Sergeant Snow, who submitted the photograph for the calendar, has published her reply. Read the stories and leave your comments.
WWII participants became RPCVs Date: February 13 2005 No: 442 WWII participants became RPCVs
Read about two RPCVs who participated in World War II in very different ways long before there was a Peace Corps. Retired Rear Adm. Francis J. Thomas (RPCV Fiji), a decorated hero of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, died Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 at 100. Mary Smeltzer (RPCV Botswana), 89, followed her Japanese students into WWII internment camps. We honor both RPCVs for their service.
Bush's FY06 Budget for the Peace Corps Date: February 7 2005 No: 436 Bush's FY06 Budget for the Peace Corps
The White House is proposing $345 Million for the Peace Corps for FY06 - a $27.7 Million (8.7%) increase that would allow at least two new posts and maintain the existing number of volunteers at approximately 7,700. Bush's 2002 proposal to double the Peace Corps to 14,000 volunteers appears to have been forgotten. The proposed budget still needs to be approved by Congress.

Read the stories and leave your comments.






Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: The Athens News

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Indonesia; COS - Kazakhstan; Religion

PCOL17770
91

.


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: