BARUBUNG village, Aceh, December 14, 2006. The sun is setting at the Taman Pendidikan Al-Quran (TPA, School for Quran Studies) in Barubang in Aceh, but it has a different meaning from sunsets past.

Earlier, a setting sun was like a call to arms in this notorious conflict zone when darkness brought a cloak of violence that kept residents fearfully indoors. Now, the sunset brings villagers together at prayer and families that once eyed each other wi