When Women Rise, Peace Begins: The Power of One Woman to Transform Many
The Women Creators of Peace program took place in Yogyakarta from 29 to 31 October 2025 with a clear purpose, to strengthen women as agents of peace in their families, communities, and wider society. The gathering brought together women from diverse backgrounds who carried stories of strength, struggle, and transformation. Among them was Cayes, a young educator and community worker who often moved between many roles. As the eldest daughter, a teacher, an active church worker, and a volunteer in her neighborhood, she had learned to carry responsibility from a young age while quietly managing her own struggles. The program offered a safe space where she could pause, reflect, and grow with honesty. She joined Women Creators of Peace because she believed women carry both resilience and vulnerability, and she wanted to transform her own experiences into a force for understanding and peace.
The first moment already lifted her spirit. She opened the door to her room and found a custom letter with a flower. That simple gesture reminded her that every woman grows like a flower when she is seen and valued. It set the tone for the days ahead. The opening session set a meaningful tone. Participants introduced themselves and shared their backgrounds. They came from diverse professions and life situations (A teacher, a researcher, a mother, a student, a woman rebuilding her life, a single woman), yet each carried a story shaped by resilience. The first reflective question invited them to explore their understanding of peace through art therapy using playdough. Every creation looked different. There is a house, sky, light, flowers etc. This simple activity revealed an important truth that peace does not look the same for each person. Peace is a process and not a state condition which is shaped by daily choices. Peace demands practice, courage, and clarity. This session opened the group to deeper reflection on justice, freedom from fear, human dignity, and the responsibility to protect the vulnerable. Through group discussions, the participants explored deeper dimensions of peace. They spoke about justice, safety, compassion, fear, and exclusion. They recognized that peace is not merely the absence of conflict but the presence of fairness and respect.
One of the meaningful highlights came from a simple activity, preparing meals together. Participants were divided into groups, went to the market, and cooked side by side regardless of age or background. The shared laughter, teamwork, and learning created an atmosphere of trust. It showed that peace can grow from everyday actions. It also echoed the spirit of the first founders of Creators of Peace, who began their journey by gathering women to cook together, listen to one another, and open new circles of connection.
The group entered the Circle of Concerns with focused attention. Each woman listed the burdens that weighed on her, starting from her home, extending to her community, and then to broader national issues. They spoke about family conflict, financial strain, children’s wellbeing, workplace expectations, and worries about safety and stability. As the circle deepened, they learned to separate problems they could influence from those beyond their control. They recognized that some concerns demanded action, while others required acceptance and wise boundaries. The activity exposed how personal struggles often mirror larger social patterns, showing that many challenges are shared rather than isolated. This insight helped them feel less alone and more capable of responding with clarity, responsibility, and resilience.
The group then analyzed what destroys peace and builds peace. Each woman chose a picture card that reflected her personal path. The cards acted as mirrors for their emotions and values. Cayes picked the image of two girls dancing. The movement and energy in the picture reminded her that joy remains available even in challenging seasons. For her, the card became a commitment. She would guard her peace with a clearer mind, a calmer heart, and a stronger sense of responsibility for her own reactions. The other also talked about how harmful narratives spread quickly and influenced how people judge one another. They saw how unresolved tension creates broken relationships that slowly erode trust. They recognized how self-centered behavior blocks cooperation and keeps conflicts alive. After identifying these patterns, they shifted their focus to actions that strengthen peace. They discussed how courage helps you address problems without anger. They explored how integrity builds credibility. They noted how generosity creates connection and reduces suspicion. They agreed that honesty keeps communication clean and prevents misunderstanding. To close the activity,
The second day began with Quiet Time. The guiding question asked participants to reflect on what they had learned from their personal pain. In silence, they learned to pause, listen, and open themselves to God’s voice. The stillness encouraged them to recognize what action needed instead of waiting passively for circumstances to change. In that moment, Cayes realized that many of her strengths were shaped not only by love but also difficult experiences. She also understood that waiting for external change was not enough. She needed to transform from within. She recognized that growth required action, clarity, and the courage to listen to God’s voice with honesty. Her action card, which encouraged flexibility, confirmed her desire to move forward with deeper faith and readiness to grow.
The participants explored the qualities of a peace creator by breaking each value into concrete actions, studying love as consistent care, unselfishness as serving the common good, purity as clarity of motive, honesty as the discipline to speak truth, patience as steady calm, discipline as purposeful action, and justice as the duty to confront harm. They saw that peace begins inside each person, grows at home through daily habits, and expands outward through respectful behavior. The session moved into forgiveness, where they wrote letters expressing anger that had been held for years and then wrote letters of compassion to themselves. The process felt heavy, yet naming their emotions released pressure they carried quietly. The activity opened a path toward emotional freedom and helped them see that healing is a deliberate choice.
They then moved into the topic of forgiveness, a session that demanded honesty and courage. The facilitators asked each woman to write a letter of anger to someone who had hurt her, forcing them to confront wounds they had often avoided. Some wrote to parents who were never present, others to partners who broke trust, friends who abandoned them, or people who silenced their voice. The second letter shifted the focus inward, inviting them to write with compassion to themselves. They apologized to their younger selves, acknowledged the weight they had carried, and forgave their own fear and mistakes. The room felt heavy yet gentle as every participant met her truth without judgment. This challenging process opened a real path toward emotional freedom, helping them understand that forgiveness does not erase the pain but releases its hold, allowing them to choose peace with intention.
The peace-in-practice session brought all the lessons together and pushed the participants to look honestly at themselves. They began by understanding that stress touches every life and that inner peace grows when a person knows how to manage pressure with clarity and resilience. They identified the doubts, ego, and fears that quietly block growth and learned to face them with courage. The listening practice reminded them that peace also depends on how they receive others, because listening without judgment builds trust, strengthens relationships, and prevents unnecessary conflict. As they reconnected with their inner guidance and values, they realized that real change does not come from grand gestures. It begins with consistent small actions that shape character and influence the environment like a kind response, fair decision, a patient tone, an honest step. These simple choices, that are done continuously, create a steady culture of peace. Each woman left the session understanding that peace is not a distant ideal. It is daily discipline, a practice that grows stronger every time a person chooses integrity over impulse and compassion over fear.
Next, the informal girl’s day out provided space for joyful connection. They walked through Malioboro, shared conversations, and enjoyed cultural performances. This moment reminded them that peace is also nurtured through joy, friendship, and shared humanity.
On the final day, the women gathered in a circle for evaluation and commitment, ready to close the program with intention and clarity. One by one, they shared the next steps they would take to live out the values they had learned. The circle felt safe and respectful, a space where honesty was welcomed and every voice mattered. They then moved into a symbolic act of prayer using threads. Each woman held a piece of thread that connected her to the others in the circle. As they prayed, the threads formed a web that represented unity, shared strength, and mutual care. No one stood alone. Every thread carried the story, hope, and resilience of the woman holding it. The moment was simple but powerful. It reminded them that peace grows stronger when women support one another. When the circle closed, the threads became a symbol they carried home. A reminder that they are part of a community of women committed to healing, courage, and peace.
Cayes returned home with renewed conviction. She understood that peace begins with self-awareness and daily discipline. Peace grows through empathy, forgiveness, and responsibility. She carried with her the commitment to practice these values in her roles as a teacher, a community servant, and a woman who seeks to build understanding wherever she enters. The experience sharpened her belief that peace is not accidental. Peace is created. It starts with one person who chooses sincerity, courage, and compassion. It expands through small actions that reduce fear and strengthen trust. And it becomes a lasting legacy when women rise together, support one another, and shape a future defined by dignity and understanding.
Writer: Teresa Avilla Ayuning Budi Cayestu