Friends Peace Teams in Asia West Pacific

05/22/2026

Joglo Preschool is such a place. Every day we strive to create a safe space where children practice community agreements to respect their peers while learning together. They learn life skills through hands-on play experiences: touching, experimenting, and exploring to understand themselves, others, and the world around them. Interacting in the environment and with children of varying abilities helps both children, families, and teachers become more aware, connected, caring, and understanding of life on this planet.

ASIA WEST PACIFIC — Joglo Preschool is such a place. Every day we strive to create a safe space where children practice community agreements to respect their peers while learning together. They lea…

05/14/2026

The challenges I continue to face include limited facilities, environmental conditions, and maintaining consistency amidst circumstances that are not always supportive. Sometimes I feel tired and alone. But every time I see the children, I remember why I started. The children love the stories. They enjoy being invited to gather, spend time together, and hear positive things. Some even ask when I will come back. That gives me strength.

ASIA WEST PACIFIC — My journey back to Oksibil, the mountainous province of Papua, was not easy. I had to overcome many challenges – physically, mentally, and emotionally. The long journey, t…

05/14/2026

I have begun providing consultation services to parents to help them create home-based support programs for their children. I currently have four clients, some of whom are from Pati and Yogyakarta. This process is going well. The parents and I communicate and reflect every three weeks about their child’s progress and development. Several other parents have expressed interest in developing home-based support programs in consultation with me.

ASIA WEST PACIFIC —After completing my studies in clinical psychology over the course of nearly a year and a half, I am now officially licensed as a clinical psychologist. I am immensely proud of t…

05/01/2026

“Wherever there is war, there are children.”

Civilian life continues four years after the 2021 military coup. The Karen people, living along the Thai-Burmese border in current-day Myanmar, realized a whole generation was losing opportunities for education. Due to the poverty and safety issues of living in war, children must go to boarding school or stay with a relative or friend to attend one of the few upper schools that remain open in Karenland or cross the border to Thailand. Few families can afford this.

ASIA WEST PACIFIC — “Wherever there is war, there are children.” Civilian life continues four years after the 2021 military coup. The Karen people, living along the Thai-Burmese border in current-d…

04/16/2026

Joglo, Rumah Damai Pati – The Joglo Parenting bimonthly meeting was held once again in a warm atmosphere filled with deep reflection. This session invited parents to read and reflect on a true story from the “Power of Goodness” (PoG) series titled “Brick.”

ASIA WEST PACIFIC — Joglo, Rumah Damai Pati – The Joglo Parenting bimonthly meeting was held once again in a warm atmosphere filled with deep reflection. This session invited parents to read and re…

04/16/2026

Kebumen, Central Java – The Yogyakarta Power of Goodness facilitator team, consisting of Altof and Ahmad together with the UNY KKN (Yogyakarta State University Field Work Lecture) group, organized a mini Power of Goodness workshop specifically for children with the theme “Being a Good Friend.” The event was held on Saturday, November 15, 2025, from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm. This activity focused on fostering values of empathy, kindness, and building genuine friendships that reject prejudice through interactive sessions.

ASIA WEST PACIFIC — Kebumen, Central Java – The Yogyakarta Power of Goodness facilitator team, consisting of Altof and Ahmad together with the UNY KKN (Yogyakarta State University Field Work Lectur…

04/09/2026

Another interesting aspect is the availability of children’s books in diverse languages, with varied illustrations and writing styles, which has sparked my curiosity about how to use books to support children’s development. And I became interested in volunteering at the Joglo Peace Library. I learned how to read aloud, create schedules, assess reading levels, choose age-appropriate fonts, label books, review them, care for them, and classify them according to the themes of the “Building a Peaceful Classroom Culture” curriculum used by Joglo. To develop my skills, I interned as part of the Power of Goodness Facilitator Team, as well as with local and regional AVP teams.-Nadif (Ana Luthfiyatun Nadhifah)

ASIA WEST PACIFIC — My name is Ana Luthfiyatun Nadhifah. I have been working as a children assistant at Joglo Preschool for almost three years. And this journey has shaped my perspective on life, r…

04/02/2026

At 10:45 AM on February 28, 2026, 175 students and teachers at Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Hormozgan Province, Iran, were killed by a U.S. missile strike.

04/02/2026

I feel deeply touched as I greeted friends who had arrived as facilitators and participants. The International Practicing Peace Training was the first of its kind in my ancestral homeland, Papua. For me, the training became an opportunity to continue learning and practicing peace in everyday life. It helped me develop habits that allow me to reflect on and measure the impact of these practices in my own life.

03/20/2026

On a visit to five public schools near Pokhara, I met with head teachers and chairs of School Management Committees, who all shared their deep concerns about student attendance decreasing and dropout rates rising. One painful reason they shared was that schools are unable to treat students and parents with the care they deserve. The schools lack resources, capacity, and community support. Many asked me with hope and worry, “Is there a way out?”

ASIA WEST PACIFIC — On a visit to five public schools near Pokhara, I met with head teachers and chairs of School Management Committees, who all shared their deep concerns about student attendance …