Although intolerance and differences are not clearly seen in the city, they are still in the grassroots circles, prompting the need for a message of peace to continue to be echoed by methods that are more creative, fresher, and contemporary.
To further strengthen the sense of brotherhood, security, and peace, a youth group calling itself Peace Generation Movement in Ambon is now creating a new method to convey a message of peace to the local community.
Hence, the Peace Generation Movement has expressed hope that the new method, which is called "Board Game for Peace," to spread the message of peace could have a positive impact and spread more widely among the people at large.
Peace Generation Movement Spokesman James Pakniany remarked in Ambon on Thursday that the Board Game for Peace is part of the Training of Facilitator (ToF) in the form of game to train the skills of young people to become agents of peace in their communities.
The Game for Peace in the Maluku provincial capital of Ambon will be the second after the movement cooperated with Kummara to hold the same training in five major cities in Indonesia in 2017.
Kummara is a game studio focusing on serious game, gamification, and interactive system design.
Supported by passionate team, Kummara is also known as a pioneer in the serious game industry and gamification implementation in Indonesia.
Its concepts, games, and game design approach have been implemented in many fields, namely education, research, business, social campaign, marketing, and many more.
This year, Ambon will be the sixth of seven cities in Indonesia where the ToF Board Game for Peace will take place.
Targeting the younger generation of the high school and university students, the Board Game for Peace training in Ambon City is scheduled to be held at the Fisheries Research and Extension Center (BP3) for three days from Nov 9 to 11, 2018.
"Peace Generation Movement has tried to design board games as a tool to deliver peaceful messages in a more pleasant way, than through seminars and the like," Pakniany remarked.
The coordinator of the peace game at the local level explained that the Board Game for Peace is a game that must be played in groups. The game itself is quite easy and can be played by anyone.
Using card sheets that are similar to playing cards, coins, and boards as game media, Board Game for Peace consists of several types of games with different themes and issues, but aims to convey the values of peace.
In one part of this game, the players will be directed to maintain one village consisting of six hamlets, where each player can choose his or her role and profession in the community, such as health workers, farmers, breeders, and others.
"This activity targets high school and university students because we see them as active social media users. Another reason is that extreme violence tends to occur at this age group. It is hoped that after participating in this training, the students can also train other friends in their respective communities," Pakniany noted.
Participants of the Board Game for Peace can register via online at "http://bit.ly/BGFPeace2." The registration is free of charge.
Until now, Pakniany remarked that the number of registrants had reached 200 people. Because it has exceeded the target, the applicants who passed the first phase selection will also be selected through online interviews.
Seeing the increasing number of people interested in Board Game for Peace activities in Ambon, he expressed hope that the new method of conveying the message of peace could have a positive impact on the local community to continue to maintain peace, security, and tolerance.
The Maluku provincial government in 2009 erected the World Peace Gong in Ambon city center to remind the local people and visitors on the fundamental need for peace and security.
On the surface of the gong, national flags of all countries around the world and the symbols pertaining to religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and others, have been printed.
Since the time it was set up, the World Peace Gong has been attracting a lot of local and foreign tourists.
The 34th world peace gong was set up in the heart of Ambon city to inform the world that the area is safe for local people as well as tourists.
The World Peace Gong has been set up in the Maluku provincial capital of Ambon instead of Indonesia`s capital of Jakarta because peace and security has been restored in the province after a three-year sectarian violence.
Now, the World Peace Gong in Ambon informs the world that Maluku is safe and peaceful and continues to attract both local and tourists from all over the world to enjoy the beauty of this tropical paradise and its rich cultural heritage.
The city is magnificent, particularly at night, with the lights twinkling on the hills around the city and along the shoreline of the Bay of Ambon.
EDITED BY INE
Reporter: Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Otniel Tamindael
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
