Where We Work | Asia and the Middle East | Indonesia
Indonesia
A nation of thousands of islands stretching across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Indonesia is as diverse ethnically as it is geographically; its people speak more than 300 languages. Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populist country and largest Muslim-majority country. After four decades under the rule of an authoritarian government, Indonesia is in a state of transition toward popularly elected local, provincial, and national governments.
In December 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami struck the northern coasts of the large Indonesian island of Sumatra, taking 130,000 lives and leaving nearly 600,000 people homeless. Subsequent earthquakes caused further damage and trauma to affected persons in the region, particularly on the coastal island of Nias. The tsunami took its greatest toll in Aceh, a province already in turmoil from nearly three decades of conflict between the Indonesian armed forces and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM). By many accounts, the tsunami acted as a catalyst for peace talks that had been stalled since 2003. GAM forces turned in their weapons to international monitors and the Indonesian government withdrew much of its military presence at the beginning of 2006. The peace process is moving forward, yet challenges remain in reintegrating former GAM combatants into society.
While the success of the peace process thus far provides hope for Aceh, coastal regions of the province have years of reconstruction work ahead of them. Permanent homes for the hundreds of thousands of survivors who still live in transitional shelters and the restoration of basic community infrastructure are top priorities.
OUR HISTORY IN Indonesia
Lutheran World Relief (LWR) first began work in Indonesia following the tsunami of December 2004. LWR’s first response to the disaster was through local partners of Action by Churches Together (ACT). LWR’s long-term recovery and development work in the tsunami-affected regions of the country began in 2005 with the opening of the Indonesia Country Office in Medan.
LWR WORKS WITH LOCAL PARTNERS
To create sustainable rural livelihoods by:
- Providing seeds for farmers internally displaced by the tsunami and facilitating their access to skills training.
To promote peace and justice by:
- Educating tsunami survivors on their rights, equipping them with the skills to advocate for these rights, and training community leaders to organize their communities and find just solutions to their problems.
To respond to emergencies by:
- Constructing homes built with high quality standards for families living in temporary shelters;
- Rehabilitating community water and sanitation by drilling boreholes, digging wells, and constructing latrines;
- Training community volunteers in basic skills for psychosocial care and counseling for children.
ACCOMPANIMENT: HOW WE WORK
Lutheran World Relief believes working with local partners is the key to lasting changes that end poverty and bring justice. We work together with trust, respect and accountability in order to most effectively serve those for whom we work.
Lutheran World Relief is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), individuals and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility.
