Be One in Diversity. Aurelia Jessica Gunawan’s inspirational story.

A bombing in Surabaya in 2018 was a tragedy that impacted on many people. In response, Aurelia Jessica Gunawan (Jessica) a thirteen year-old student, was determined to establish a community of young people who would champion tolerance. The name of the community is Be One in Diversity.

Aurelia Jessica Gunawan wants young Indonesians to be champions of peace and tolerance and to stop fundamentalism and terrorism. Source: Image by mimitalks, married, under grace/creative commons

Prior to the bombing, Jessica had been prompted by her own experience of discrimination when she was still in primary school. A teacher in junior high school encouraged her to take that experience and turn it into something positive.  What was that experience and how did she make Be One in Diversity a reality?

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Learning to see beyond the surface. Although they faced difficulties, Jessica’s team at Be One in Diversity quickly grew in size. Source: Photo by Spiva Arts / Creative Commons