Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian National Defense Forces Peacekeeping Center (PMPP TNI) and United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Jakarta held their first-ever Journalist Boot Camp: Experiencing Indonesia’s Peacekeeping Mission on May 14–15, 2025, in Sentul, Bogor, West Java.

Director of International Cooperation/Danlat Colonel ARH Budi Laksana, representing the Commander of PMPP TNI Maj. Gen. Budi Santoso stated that the boot camp not only demonstrates Indonesia’s readiness and commitment to peacekeeping but also strengthens ties with the media.

"Media is our essential partner in telling the story of peace. By this pre-deployment training, we are trying to develop scenario-based training to provide soldiers with a clearer understanding of the tasks in the mission area later," he stated in Bogor on Thursday afternoon.

Director of UNIC Jakarta, Miklos Gaspar, explained that the initiative bridges the gap between the public and peacekeepers by equipping journalists with firsthand experience.

According to Gaspar, the event promotes accurate, ethical, and informed reporting on Indonesia’s vital contributions to global peace and security.

Some 10 journalists from leading media outlets in Indonesia were selected to participate in the two-day immersive program, which is designed to deepen public understanding of Indonesia’s contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations, particularly in complex missions like those in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Indonesia is a major contributor to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping and currently has the fifth-largest peacekeeping contingency globally, with 2,559 military personnel deployed across eight missions.

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Hosted at the Indonesian Peacekeeping Training Center, the boot camp features high-level briefings and a full-day simulation exercise.

Participants were embedded in a realistic peacekeeping scenario involving conflict mediation, hostage negotiation, and humanitarian assistance, mirroring the complex situations peacekeepers encounter on the ground.

The participating journalists work for major Indonesian media outlets: ANTARA, CNN Indonesia, Kompas TV, Kompas.com, Radar Sukabumi (jawa Pos), Suara.com, Tribun News, TVRI, Al Jazeera, and Kyodo News.

The journalists took part in simulations conducted by the Indonesian Peacekeeping Mission Training Center (PMPP TNI) as part of preparations for deploying over one thousand troops to the peacekeeping mission in Congo.

The simulation marked the final stage before deployment, presenting the complex realities of peacekeeping, including armed conflict, abductions, negotiations, hostage situations, and more. Through this boot camp, journalists participated in these simulations and experienced them firsthand.

As a result of the boot camp, participants are expected to produce coverage that increases visibility of Indonesia’s contributions to global peace while applying conflict-sensitive journalism principles and upholding ethical standards.

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