Dayak, Madurese women hold meeting

YOGYAKARTA: Members of a communication forum for Dayak and Madurese women, or Dara Arum as the forum is named, gathered here in Yogyakarta on Saturday for a six-day meeting to discuss peace- keeping efforts between the two conflicting communities.

Held under the central theme of "Strengthening the Role and Capacity of Dayak and Madurese Women to Build Peace," the meeting in Yogyakarta is the forum's second national consolidation meeting.

"Through the meeting we would like to urge the government to provide more room for women to actively participate in the peace making process in Indonesia," Yooke Adelina, an organizer of the event said.

Established in February 2003 following the 2001 ethnic conflict between Madurese and Dayak communities in the Central Kalimantan town of Sampit, Dara Arum aimed at helping create peace between the two conflicting ethnic communities through various activities involving women.

So far, according to Yooke, women have always been marginalized in such efforts, regardless of their strategic role in the family, as it is mostly women who are responsible for the education of their children as well as implanting moral values within the family.

Some 40 members of Dara Arum from both Central Kalimantan and Madura are participating in the meeting, which will close on June 15. -- JP