We stayed in the Mutiara (Pearl) Hotel about 100 meters from the Governor's office where we did the training. The hotel is a neutral zone, but the church across the street is not. The side of the church steeple not visible is pocked with bullet holes.
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We were asked not to wander around, so our meals were taken in the hotel. This is the PSPP team: Wiwin (from Interfidei), Krisni, Pratomo, Jen Harvey (MCC), Duane, and Etik. Notice the huge shell above Wiwin's head.
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The front door of the Governor's office. We passed one group of armed soldiers to get this far, and there is another group inside.
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The view from the second floor of the Governor's building, looking toward the Muslim area.
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There was a constant military presence here, as well as around town.
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Vice Governor Gunawan, Konrad Huber of UNICEF and Duane at the opening ceremony. The Governor's speech as read at this event was published in the Ambon Expres newspaper the next day.
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The PSPP and UNICEF training teams. The UNICEF team will return to Yogyakarta in October for the advanced version of Empowering for Reconciliation. Front row l-r: Rosa Penturi, Wiwin, Irma Betaubun, Krisni, Etik. Back row l-r: Daang Salampesi, Duane, Yusrun Laitupa, Jennifer, Pratomo.
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Wiwin leading a session. She attended basic Empowering two years ago and advanced last March. Her experience with Interfidei was a good addition.
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Krisni leading the session.
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One of the rowdy games we use to wake people up.
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Teamwork: Krisni eliciting from the group, Wiwin writing it on the poster paper, and Duane getting ready to offer something.
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They aren't dancing, this is a power struggle game.
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Pratomo (Tom) leading a session.
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The UNICEF team getting ready.
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Most of our time is spent in small group work.
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The group photo, always quite a process as multiple cameras and arrangements are tried.
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Duane and Konrad do the ceremonial handover of certificates to two participants.
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The participants had a closing ceremony of their own with speeches and gifts of woven Ambonese cloth for the presenters. A reporter from the Ambon Expres caught us on the way out and managed to get enough for an article. He asked Duane whether it wasn't true that a solution to the conflict had to go to the roots of the conflict. Duane said no and explained how starting from where you are is best. The headline says: "Duanne: Reconciliation must come from the roots of the problem."
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We did manage a little sightseeing. This is a fairly typical street scene on a weekday afternoon.
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Looking the other way down the street.
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A view of Ambon city from the heights above.
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Another view from the heights in the rain.
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To get to the airport one crosses the bay in a speedboat. Christians go to the Christian beach and Muslims to the Muslim beach. Since attacks on speedboats and waterborne attacks on the city have happened, soldiers guard the waterfront.
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Since there is no dock, a narrow gangplank is laid from the beach to the boat's stern, and one hopes for good balance.
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Everyone wanted to be in the picture, Duane held the boat down on his side. We traveled without incident.
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