Peace Village: Women-led Initiative to Promote Peaceful and Resilient Communities in Indonesia

[Bahasa Indonesia with English subtitle]In 2017, UN Women partnered with the Wahid Foundation to develop the “Peace Village” concept on Indonesia’s Java Island. To become a Peace Village, the village has to agree to a set of commitments designed to prevent violence, promote tolerance, and advance social cohesion. Recognizing economic empowerment as a foundation for change, the Peace Village initiative promotes women's voice and agency, increases women’s access to economic opportunities, and builds their capacity to resolve communal conflict. In Peace Villages, women also sit with their local government to explore and identify ways to promote tolerance and sustain peace in their village and push for change in village government policy and processes. This community-based approach fosters mutual understanding, social cohesion, and peace in the village for all. In particular, four Peace Villages in East Java are piloting approaches established on global human security principles to build resilience within the community. Supported by UN Women and the Wahid Foundation under the Guyub Project, the villages of Prancak, Sidomulyo, Candirenggo, and Guluk-Guluk evidence strong outcomes and impacts stemming from the empowerment and inclusion of women. Video: UN Women/Satu Bumi Jaya