History of the Project

: The team in Aceh celebrates One Year in Aceh. Photo: PBI

From the start in 1999 the PBI programme was focussed on the need for protective accompaniment, and the teams were concentrated on this work. Peace Education workshops were also given by PBI trainers from abroad.

Over the last few years, the direction of the Project has moved because of changes in the situation. The possibilities of arranging Protective Accompaniment decreased drastically after the period of Martial Law in Aceh when all foreigners had to leave the province. From several places in Indonesia we received requests for Peace Education workshops. The Project was not in the position to take on all requests. More help was needed and asked from the field volunteers.

During the project Face to Face meeting in 2005 the Project programs were shaped in a new direction. We see all our programs as contributions to the overall goal of Positive Peace Building.

Timeline

1998	First concrete requests for protective accompaniment received from Indonesian NGOs

April/May 1999	5-person Project Exploration Team to Dili, East Timor

August 1999	Official founding of the PBI 'East Timor Project [ETP]'

September 1999	East Timor Team evacuated to Jakarta, Bali, Flores, and West Timor due to widespread violence following East Timor referendum for independence

January 2000	Establishment of the West Timor Team and the 'Indonesia and East Timor Project [IETP],' including providing protective accompaniment to NGOs working with East Timorese refugees in West Timor

April 2000	Exploratory Team to Aceh Province in Sumatra

April 2000	First IP peace education workshops, Kupang, West Timor

August 2000	Office/house in Jakarta [capital of Indonesia] established

September 2000	Evacuation of the West Timor Team following the killing of three UNHCR personnel

Oct.-Nov. 2000	The Project monitored and re-assessed the situation in West Timor

December 00-March 01	Process of establishing the Aceh Team

January 2001	First client in Aceh accepted: humanitarian organization RATA

March 2001	Office/house in Banda Aceh [capital of Aceh province] established

March 2002	A second [and consequently, final] re-assessment in West Timor completed

Dec. 2002	Office/house in Lhokseumawe [North Aceh district] established to support the second PBI Team in Aceh

May 2003	Military Operation launched in Aceh, beginning of PBI negotiations with the military

July 2003	Withdrawal of Lhokseumawe team, two weeks later, close Banda Aceh team and withdraw from Aceh

August 2003	Relocate Aceh team to Medan

October 2003	Papua Assessment

February - March 2004	IP conducts peace education training for Directorate General of Human Rights Protection and other high level Government of Indonesia staff

March 2004	Team deployment to Papua

November 2004	Medan team relocates to Jakarta to begin concerted effort for re-entry

December 26, 2004	Tsunami hits Aceh, Sri Lanka, India and other coastal regions

December 2004	Papua team conducts an assessment in Wamena, the province of Papua

January 2005	Aceh Assessment Team travels to Banda Aceh to determine how PBI can provide protection and trauma counseling

January 2005	PBI is granted Yayasan status and changes its Indonesian name to Yayasan Bina Perdamaian Internasional Indonesia

February 2005	Aceh team reopens an office in Banda Aceh

July 2005	PBI opens a new office in Wamena, in the province of Papua

July 2005	PBI volunteers provide PA to PBHI in Makassar for Abepura Case

January 2006	Aceh PPE Sub-team officially established

April 2006	Two Aceh sub-teams integrated

May 2006	Papua Participatory Peace Education (PPE) sub-team established

May 2007	Papua Participatory Peace Education (PPE) sub-team merged with the Wamena sub-team to become a PPE team in Wamena. The PPE office in Jayapura closed.

July 2007	BEO security workshops in Aceh, Jakarta, and Jayapura