Thirty-eight students from Jesuit universities in four Asian countries gathered in Yogyakarta, Indonesia for this year’s Service Learning Programme (SLP), hosted by Sanata Dharma University.  The theme this year – Serving the City, Serving the People: Developing Youth Social Movement within the Urban Communities – was inspired by a growing concern that city development is happening without citizen involvement.

The programme employed the Ignatian Pedagogy Framework of Context-Experience-Reflection-Action-Evaluation.

In Context, the students discussed social movements and youth involvement in Yogyakarta with speakers Elanto Wijoyono, a social activist from Combine Institute; Fr Benny H Juliawan SJ, Social Apostolate Coordinator of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific; and Fr In Nugroho Budisantoso SJ, Lecturer of Magister Management at Sanata Dharma University. For their field study, the students went around Yogyakarta including the fringe community along Kali Code river and to Sekolah Gajah Wong, a school for the less fortunate, where they saw first-hand citizen participation in community development.

For their Experience, the participants went on a 10-day immersion in four rural areas in Yogyakarta, collaborating with the local youth in children’s learning activities, an urban ecological project, a public festival, and public space revitalisation.  They also learned about local culture, karawitan music, local dance, batik, logam (metal) and local history.

After their immersion, the students had their Reflection at the Kalyana Resort where they internalised and wrote down their experiences, and processed their daily reflection with the help of Fr Albertus Buddy Haryadi SJ.

In the Action phase, the students developed a follow-up action plan focussed on sustaining the participation of young people in keeping local wisdom alive amidst globalisation and modernisation. Their proposal was to do this by running social campaigns using social media and dialogue with social communities.

At the end of the programme held from Aug 2 to 20, Dr Eka Priyatma, rector of the host institution, Sanata Dharma University, expressed the hope that the students will remember their SLP experience and apply what they have learnt, especially in ways that will help others.

The Service Learning Programme is a programme of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities – Asia Pacific, and is centred on youth participation in building urban communities. The participating institutions this year were Ateneo de Manila, Ateneo de Davao, Ateneo de Zamboanga and Xavier University in the Philippines, Sophia University in Japan, Sogang University in South Korea and Sanata Dharma University in Indonesia.