IOM, with funding from the Government of Japan, has launched the
first phase of a six-month project that will deliver
individually-tailored livelihood support services and small
business training to thousands of former combatants, including
1,000 women, in Indonesia's Aceh province.

Working with government partners, the leadership of the Free
Aceh Movement (GAM) and former field commanders, IOM last week
began registering the first of 3,000 former combatants at
district-level Information, Counselling and Referral Service (ICRS)
offices around the province.

Since December 4th, 162 former combatants, including 118 men and
44 women, have been introduced to the programme through six
district ICRS offices. The project’s goal is provide former
combatants with the jobs they need to ensure their economic
independence.

"The lack of employment opportunities for former combatants has
been repeatedly identified as a major problem and a potential
threat to a sustainable peace in Aceh," says Mark Knight,
IOM’s post-conflict reintegration programme manager. "The
ICRS system has already put hundreds of former political prisoners
back to work, so we know that the programme is effective."

Over the past six months, more than 1,900 political prisoners
amnestied under the terms of the August 2005 peace deal between the
GAM and the Government of Indonesia, have entered the programme to
start new careers as restaurant owners, mechanics, carpenters and
shopkeepers, with IOM’s assistance.

ICRS staff provide one-on-one counselling to clients, assist in
the identification of effective and sustainable small business,
agriculture and fisheries initiatives, and oversee the purchase of
materials to get those businesses up and running. Each person is
entitled to Rp. 10 million (USD $1,100) in goods and services.

While the IOM project targets 3,000 former combatants, it is
widely acknowledged that the real number of former fighters in need
of help may be much higher, according to Knight.

"The ICRS provides a proven platform to deliver sustainable
livelihood activities that are absolutely critical to supporting
the peace process. With further funding, IOM can expand the scope
and scale of the programme to reach thousands of other
conflict-affected people, including those displaced by nearly 30
years of war," he says.

For more information, please contact:

Paul Dillon

IOM Indonesia

Tel. +628126988035

E-mail: "mailto:pdillon@iom.int">pdillon@iom.int