Lampung Province, often referred to as a miniature version of Indonesia due to its rich diversity of ethnicities, races, and religions, has experienced various social conflicts over the past few decades. While the Lampung Provincial Government issued Peraturan Daerah (Regional Regulation) No. 1 of 2016 as a conflict prevention effort, its implementation has been less than optimal due to the absence of simple, practical technical guidelines for communities.
To address this gap, the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) supported the Strengthening Social Cohesion Project (SSCP) to introduce an integrated approach combining peace education with policy advocacy. Led by ChildFund International and implemented in Lampung by the Catholic Social Development Foundation (YPSK). The initiative has brought about several breakthroughs. One of its key innovations is the development of the Ulun Lampung Expedition Peace Education Module, a technical guide designed to be easily understood by communities while remaining locally relevant. The module supports conflict prevention by instilling values of peace from an early age, especially through schools and youth communities.
ChildFund International in Indonesia and YPSK successfully integrated the module into the curricula of 166 junior high schools, 60 senior high schools, and 18 Islamic high schools, a remarkable expansion from just 13 schools during the pilot phase. Collaboration with youth-based civil society organisations further expanded the module’s reach, making it a strategic tool for promoting peaceful coexistence among young people.
“Through an approach that integrates education, community participation, and policy development, the project has not only created a practical tool for conflict prevention but also fostered a collective understanding that peace is a shared responsibility,” said Candra Dethan, SSCP Manager. “We are proud that this process was rooted in community voices and brought to the policy-making table.”
To complement this work, the project facilitated the participatory development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for handling social conflict. Focus group discussions were held at various levels—from sub-district to provincial—engaging traditional leaders, volunteers, academics, and government officials. The SOPs were then introduced to communities and key stakeholders. During this process, participants proposed strengthening the SOPs through formal regulation in the form of a Peraturan Gubernur (Governor Regulation).
Following this, the project supported the formation of a drafting team, consisting of representatives from Regional Development Planning Agency, the Provincial Legal Bureau, and academics from the University of Lampung. The draft of Governor Regulation was developed through a series of meetings and workshops before being submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. It has received a recommendation from the Ministry and is expected to be signed by the Governor of Lampung in the near future.
“SSCP demonstrates that when communities are involved from the outset—from developing modules to advocating policy—the results are more robust, contextually appropriate, and sustainable,” said Dedi Purnama, Project Leader at YPSK. “This is the process we’ve supported in Lampung, and we hope it inspires other regions across Indonesia.”
Various testimonials attest to the program’s positive impact. Teachers praised the peace module for being contextually relevant and easy to apply in the classroom. Students showed improved ability to express opinions peacefully, while village heads observed increased youth engagement in social and religious activities. Today, both the module and the SOPs are being implemented in schools and community-based initiatives, helping to strengthen social cohesion as part of a broader conflict prevention strategy.
The success of this project in Lampung shows that conflict prevention doesn’t need to begin solely with legal mechanisms. It can grow from educational and participatory efforts rooted in local values. This integrated approach—blending education, culture, and policy—is still rare in many regions, positioning Lampung as an inspiring model with national relevance.
As a result, we are not only making an impact in South Lampung Regency, where it is implemented, but also holds the potential to benefit over 9 million residents of Lampung Province through its successful policy advocacy. This remarkable achievement well reflects our foreign policy in action!