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Eleven years ago, music star Glenn Fredly impulsively decided to hop on the first flight from Jakarta to conflict-ridden Ambon, in Maluku province. His parents, who are Ambonese, tried to stop their son from taking the journey. They said a trip to their homeland would be too risky and dangerous due to the sectarian conflict ripping apart the island at the time.

But Glenn chose not to heed their warnings. The mainstream media’s coverage of the conflict was, in his opinion, biased, and only fanned the flames of hate. He said he had to see for himself what was happening in Ambon.

“I had just finished recording at the studio and I went directly to the airport because the flight was at four in the morning,” he recalled.

Born and raised in Jakarta, Glenn said the trip changed his perspective on music and life in general. In an interview at his humble office, located in the busy Radio Dalam area of South Jakarta, he summed up the whole experience as “the longest three days of my life.”

“Onboard the plane, I saw some people who knew one another. Perhaps they were friends, friends of friends, neighbors or distant relatives. They shook hands and chatted,” he said. “But once the plane landed, we were all divided and led toward different rows. Christians went to one gate and Muslims had to take a different gate. It was so heartless.”

In Ambon, Glenn stayed at a hotel located in one of the peace zones. He could not go anywhere because of the night curfews and road blocks.

“I couldn’t sleep well because all we heard day and night were shots being fired and what sounded like bombs going off.”

Thousands of lives were claimed in the conflict, which was reportedly sparked by a misunderstanding caused by a minor street accident between a Christian and a Muslim. The violence engulfed Ambon, leaving it — and several other towns on the island — crippled. The irony of the conflict was that Maluku had once been famous for its pluralist values and religious tolerance.

Glenn was distressed by what he had seen during his short time in Ambon but was unsure how he could help after his return to Jakarta. However, over the past decade, he has found ways to use his celebrity status as a tool to bring hope and opportunity to the people of Maluku. He has performed at charity concerts, engaged in social activism and started a cultural center in Ambon. His latest project is Beta Maluku, a festival celebrating Ambonese art and culture, which will take place in Jakarta on Friday and Saturday.

Glenn, who turns 36 in September, has used his position in the pop music industry to fight for the cause he feels so deeply about.

Rising to fame in the mid 1990s as the vocalist of the group Funk Section, he later became a solo artist. He released several albums after his 2000 trip to Ambon, including “Selamat Pagi, Dunia!” (“Good Morning, World,” 2002), “Aku & Wanita” (“Me & Women,” 2006), “Terang” (“Bright,” 2006), “Happy Sunday” (2007), “Private Collection” (2008) and “Lovevolution” (2010).

Glenn is one of only a handful of contemporary male Indonesian singers with proven staying power, thanks mostly to his emotive voice and songs of unrequited love and heartbreak.

In 2010, after having been off the media’s radar for some time, Glenn announced that he would be leaving Sony, the music label that had brought him fame.

“I never said I was leaving the music industry. It’s enough for me and the label to work together for 15 long years. I have learned a lot and that’s enough for me,” he said. “Music can also be used for a greater cause, I do believe that now, and that’s what I am aiming for.”

These days, Glenn is dividing most of his time between Jakarta and Ambon so that he can both work on his music and further the causes he believes in.

“Sometimes I fly directly from Ambon to cities where my concerts are held. Jakarta has become my comfort zone I need to get out of, otherwise I will just end up like all the other people who are disgruntled about how inconvenient Jakarta is.”

One of his proudest achievements is Rumah Beta, a cultural center in Ambon he helped to create. It’s a place that aims to give local artists the ability to reach their full potential.

“At Rumah Beta, we have workshops and music clinics for aspiring musicians,” he said. Beta is the personal pronoun “I” in Ambonese.

Glenn described his main mission today as “waking up the sleeping giant” — that’s what he calls eastern Indonesia.

He said there is a great deal of untapped cultural and economic potential in eastern Indonesia that people from other parts of the country have completely ignored.

“History shows us that the Dutch saw eastern Indonesia as untamed and fierce. Remember, most of our founding fathers were sent to prisons in eastern Indonesia. That’s proof of how the area has always been perceived,” Glenn said.

“I’ve traveled extensively in eastern Indonesia, doing small concerts and interacting with local artists and the young people there. They are remarkable both in terms of talent and spirit. What they need are opportunities to grow their talent,” he said.

“What we need to do is create our own critical mass by inspiring people. For instance, we went to East Nusa Tenggara and helped build a small library for the people there because we believe that books are tools that can open people’s horizons.”

Glenn said young people in that part of the country need to believe that you don’t have to go to Jakarta to make it big.

“It’s not the center of everything. Young people should be shown this. They can be stars and become big in their respective regions,” he said.

Glenn is now preparing his latest project, Beta Maluku, a festival featuring performance art, literature and music icons — all from the province.

“Some iconic performers from Ambon will be showcasing their talents. The Maluku Hip Hop Community is also performing. In short, Beta Maluku will feature all kinds of contemporary and traditional culture,” Glenn said.

The festival will also feature a performance of the controversial folk song “Hena Masa Waiya” (“Our Homes in Higher Land”).

It’s no secret that this song has been adopted by pro-independece movement Republik Maluku Selatan (South Maluku Republic) as its anthem, making it somewhat sensitive.

But Glenn didn’t seem too worried about it.

“Not all people in Maluku know about this song, especially the younger generation. It’s a no, no for us to sing this song, my parents say,” Glenn said.

Beta Maluku is part of a series of cultural programs called Indonesia Kita (Our Indonesia) which was organized by, among others, Yogyakarta-based theater actor Butet Kertaradjasa, musician Djaduk Ferianto, and playwright Agus Noor.

His meeting with Butet, which led to the creation of the Beta Maluku festival, was actually an accident.

“I spotted him at a mall in Jakarta one day, called him over and we talked. That accidental meeting turned out very well,” he said with a laugh.

Butet told him about Indonesia Kita and Glenn thought that the artists he had been working with in Maluku would fit the bill.

Butet and his team then visited Ambon to meet with the Ambon-based artists to develop a concept for the festival.

Glenn said he admires Butet’s seriousness and enthusiasm.

“I’m very impressed with Yogyakartan artists They are amazing and inspiring. We often discuss pluralism and the country’s diversity,” he said.

Although Glenn is concerned with the subjects of pluralism and social welfare, he said he was still resistant to the idea of running for public office.

“I was offered the chance to run for mayor of Ambon, but I think there are people out there who are capable and have better visions. I still don’t think that it’s my time.”