Franciscans and Muslims are working together work
in Medan, Aceh and Jakarta – Indonesia

1. Our team of 9 people, consist of a doctor, nurses, a counsellor, SAR personnel’s, Haji-ustad (Moslem priest), 3 Franciscan young friars went from Medan-Polonia airport, by plane (Hercules) to Banda Aceh . They are our first team to get a Nangroe Aceh Darussalam Province.
2. A Banda Aceh based NGO—Flower Aceh— will facilitate our team in Banda Aceh. They will help us to find a place for to establish a Crisis Center there. The cooperation with local NGOs and a mutual-trust with local Islamic leaders is very important. We will reach the villages around the Banda Aceh.
3. In Jakarta we worked together with two organisations of liberal Islam activists. We hope we can work together with them in this emergency.
4. There are many young volunteers join us and wishing to go to Aceh. But we cannot send them without a Center in Aceh. We hope that we can send a next team before Sunday to support the team in Aceh.

Beside Aceh, we must at the same time keep doing our JPIC advocacy work for the farmers, victims of the conflict in Colol. Next week, we will facilitate 9 representatives of the victims to come to Jakarta. Together with them we will meet the National Commission of Human Rights, Parliament, and Ministry of Forestry. We will give you a more detail information about the progress of our advocacy activities next week.

Fraternally,
Cypri, OFM