The Center for Indigenous and Cultural Psychology (CICP) of the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, participated in the u’GOOD Inaugural Conference titled “Thriving Together: Youth, Relational Wellbeing and the Future of the Global South,” held from October 7–9, 2025, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This inaugural conference served as the official launch of u’GOOD research projects across 9 Global South countries and marked the initial meeting of a Community of Practice (CoP) aimed at strengthening cross-national and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Pradytia Putri Pertiwi, S.Psi., Ph.D, a lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), was invited by the American Red Cross through the Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC) to present her research on the inclusivity and actionability of volcanic hazard Early Warning Systems (EWS) for persons with disabilities (PwD) in Indonesia. The study has been published on the GDPC–American Red Cross platform under the title “Inclusivity and actionability of volcanic hazard Early Warning System in Indonesia: Perspectives of persons with disabilities”.

Yogyakarta, May 5, 2025 — A recent study titled “A bibliometric analysis on disaster volunteer resilience research: All time period”, published in the Scopus-indexed proceedings IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1479 012036, reveals global trends, collaborations, and key focuses in disaster volunteer resilience research.

The workshop featured three lecturers from the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM): Prof. Dr. Sofia Retnowati, M.S., Psychologist; Prof. Drs. Subandi, M.A., Ph.D., Psychologist; and Dr. Diana Setiyawati, M.HSc.Psy., Psychologist. These individuals were directly involved in psychosocial recovery programs following the tsunami. UGM played a significant role in Aceh’s recovery post-tsunami, with its Faculty of Psychology actively supporting the psychosocial rehabilitation of the community. This support included deploying psychologists to various community health centers (puskesmas), including in the Meulaboh area, and initiating collaboration to establish a Psychology Study Program at the Faculty of Medicine, Syiah Kuala University. This initiative was part of long-term efforts to build local capacity in mental health.

The workshop’s in-depth discussions aimed to evaluate the achievements of mental health programs over the past two decades while formulating concrete follow-up action plans. “All parties agree that the presence of psychologists in puskesmas needs to continue, just as it was during the tsunami recovery period. This step is crucial for strengthening mental health services at the community level,” explained Dr. Diana Setiyawati.

The main commemoration event is scheduled for December 26, 2024, in Meulaboh, one of the areas most severely affected by the disaster. The event will be attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Psychology UGM, Rahmat Hidayat, M.Sc., Ph.D., and Drs. Haryanto, M.Si., Psychologist, representing the Faculty of Psychology UGM, along with local officials and community members. This commemoration serves as an important moment to honor the victims and to strengthen solidarity in building a more resilient future for Aceh.

This series of commemorative events is not only an opportunity for reflection but also a reminder of the importance of preparedness and collaboration in facing future disaster challenges.

Author and photo: Wulan Nur Jatmika, S.Psi., M.Sc.