economic interpretation of peace

Efforts for peace once again come to Aceh. The agreement is there, the spirit accompanies it, the people full of hope, and the process is happening. Everyone pray it will last forever.

So what is the meaning of peace? Surely it is about safety in all daily activities; from sleep, working, traveling, praying, and back to sleep.

From the entire hip for peace, the earliest interpretation of it is about economic; better income and welfare. Well, we live in the materialistic world where anything that matter seems to be ownership of assets. Climbing the social ladder mostly also about wealth accumulation. Study hard at school narrowly bound just for career, which mean a higher salary.

Then no wonder when peace there, economic interpretation becomes crucial.

List the examples:

• people work back to paddy farm that had been left for years


• ignore plantation became like a forest, now is clear up


• crowd in the coffee shop happening pass the midnight, compare to conflict time which end at 07.00 p.m.

• across city transportation (say Banda Aceh – Medan) continue for 24 hours, while in the past it was stopped before dark


• and more….

Small bus terminal in Sigli, where I live now, active 24 hours, proofing the confidence and vote for peace.

I have good title for a post conflict program too: Maintaining Peace through Economic Empowerment/Development. Yeahhh, only title for now. See later if we can any budget for that. This brings my memory back to brief on Aceh in Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) during the “Cessation of Hostility Agreement” (COHA) titling: Promoting Peaceful Development in Aceh.

The poster spread through the region also say about it clearly, Peace are:

• you can trade and go to market everywhere


• you can farm anytime


• you can go to the sea anytime


• you can go to the paddy field without fear


• you can study and teach anywhere

Let’s make it real and preserve the peace.

Relevant posts:
- bi-weekly round up, Dec '05