Middle School (6-8)

High School (9-12)

• Internet access

Between 1999 and 2003, violent conflict between Muslims and Christians in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia killed 10,000 people and displaced over 500,000. Reverend Jacklevyn “Jacky” Frits Manuputty responded with peace campaigns and advocacy.

As he facilitated meetings between Muslims and Christians, Rev. Jacky utilized what he called the “hot porridge method.” He would encourage participants to discuss areas of commonality and build rapport before discussing differences and other “hot” topics. He analogizes this to someone eating porridge: start with the cool outer portion before moving to the hotter porridge further inside the bowl.

Because he communicated with people on all sides of the conflict, he was at times labeled the “enemy” by Christians and Muslims alike, as well as the Indonesian military and police. He continued his work despite death threats and the destruction of his home. After much negotiation, agreement was in sight. In February 2002, Rev. Jacky personally signed the Malino II Peace Agreement, which ended the violence. 

Rev. Jacky was concerned by the lack of local peacebuilding efforts, so he co-founded the Maluku Interfaith Institution for Humanitarian Action, known by the acronym LAIM. LAIM creates programs that build the community’s resilience, promotes positive public dialogue, and trains a diverse group of individuals on how to transform conflict. In LAIM’s “live-in” program, clergy members spend overnights in each other’s homes to build trust and work together to solve social problems in the country. Rev. Jacky and his colleagues developed a peace curriculum, an interfaith peace sermon program, and a trauma healing program. Additionally, LAIM supports community development initiatives and expands the local government’s capacity to build peace.

When violent conflict rose again in 2011, Rev. Jacky formed groups of youth called “Peace Provocateurs.” These Peace Provocateurs initiated social media and “texting for peace” campaigns that were widely successful in correcting disinformation, limiting the scope of the conflicts, and preventing conflicts from spreading.  

In addition to his conflict transformation work, Rev. Jacky initiated an environmental campaign called Save Aru Islands. Using the hashtag #SaveAru, the campaign promoted awareness for the Aru Islands on social media, which were threatened by a governmental plan to develop the islands into sugar cane plantations.

Share these maps of Indonesia with students.

1. Rev. Jacky utilizes what he calls the “hot porridge” method for peacebuilding. What is an example of an interpersonal, family, intracommunity, intercommunity, national, or international conflict that could be effectively approached using the hot porridge method?

2. How do skills like understanding types of conflict, knowing your conflict style, and recognizing perceptual errors connect to Rev. Jacky’s story? How could these skills be used in other places across the globe?

3. What type(s) of conflict are exhibited in this case study? Which conflict style(s) did Rev. Jacky use to transform this conflict?

4. Rev. Jacky worked with youth “Peace Provocateurs” who initiated social media and text campaigns for peace. What is the role of technology in modern peacebuilding? How have you seen activism and peacebuilding efforts play out on social platforms

5. How did religious or cultural identities play a role in this conflict in the Maluku Islands?

How do religious or cultural identities play a role in Rev. Jacky’s peacebuilding work?

1. Learn more about Rev. Jacky:

• Read a Jakarta Post article in which Rev. Jacky speaks about religion and conflict in the Malukus.

• Watch a video of Rev. Jacky during Peacemakers in Action interventions in the Philippines and Indonesia.

• Listen to a podcast on Rev. Jacky’s conflict transformation and peacebuilding work.

• Explore information about Rev. Jacky’s environmental campaign to save

Aru Islands.

2. Identify and interview someone in the local community who has transformed a conflict. Students could write a paper, give a presentation, or create an art project or podcast reflecting knowledge or insights gained through their interview experience. 

3. An innovative and contemporary strategy Rev. Jacky used was mobilizing Indonesian youth to build peace in the Peace Provocateur movement. Ask students to identify, research, and present reflections on young people and organizations such as Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai, Marley Diaz, the Interfaith Youth Core, UNAOC Young Peacebuilders, or the Rose Castle Foundation, who are working to build peace or transform conflict.