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

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

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.

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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