The protracted political conflict in Papua has occurred since 1969 and taken a death toll and property. The security approach of the Indonesian government and the sporadic resistance of the Free Papuan Movement have not brought Papua to achieve the Land of Peace (Papua Tanah Damai). This paper argues that a complete settlement of Papua can only be reached by means of a peaceful dialogue between Papua and Indonesia. Indeed, since the reform era 1998 there has been an attempt to resolve Papua by means of dialogue, which became the policy of each Indonesian president whose embodiment was different from each other during their leadership. This study explains four matters. First, revisiting the declaration of Papua’s Land of Peace. Second, examining Indonesian President’s policies towards Papua and the path of peaceful dialogue after the reform era. Third, exploring the cultural foundations and meanings of “independence” that can contribute to the realization of a peaceful dialogue. Fourth, Explicating the challenges of political aspects that become obstacles of the Papua-Jakarta peace dialogue. To conclude, this paper is based on the author’s long observation and desk review to produce a broader perspective on the Papua settlement.

Keywords:

Cultural foundation, Political Challenges, Dialogue, Land of Peace.