Interfaith Bridgebuilding: Solos Experience

Prepared for MCC Asia Peace Gathering in Metta Karuna Reflection Center, Off National Road 6, Phum Kasikam, Siem Reap, Cambodia, January 25-29, 2001, By Mohammad Dian Nafi

Historical Context Successive nations come into the Indonesian state with their respective effects. The longest live nation's in this country is Netherlands, they live in Indonesia up to 300 years. One of the city which have a lot of encounter history record was Solo or Sala, which is the official name of Surakarta. Surakarta is located in the land of Java, precisely in the valley between the mountains Lawu in the east and the two mountains Merapi and Merbabu in the west. Since the 18th Century the city became the administrative center of existing plantations in the surrounding districts. The extent area are 4404.06 ha. Today, most of the land has become residential or housing (2672.21 ha). The rest for the service (428.06 ha), trade and industrial economics (383.51 ha), space area 248.29 ha, 210.83 ha of agricultural, and other (environmental infrastructure and public facilities) 461.16 ha. The Dutch build Highway Post 1,200 km along the north coast of Java island in 1808 and the railway line that connects the plantation areas in 1864. Land transportation growing from time to time. The traffic that relies on the river still survive until the 19th Century. After that the river is no longer a transportation route, because many factories damaged by pollution and erosion by deforestation along the basin river. The important transformation initiated since the removal of Kartasura to the Surakarta palace on February 17, 1745 at the time of King Paku Buwana I. Distance of both locations is 10 km. The move came after the outbreak of the rebellion that resulted in severe damage to the palace buildings. In order to move that we recorded a female leader named Ratu Balitar, consort of King Paku Buwana I, which gave important suggestions. Her advice is the move of the city also characterized by the icons changed too, the icons changed from kapusakan (weaponry or grandeur) to kapujanggan (scholarly or literary). Her Suggestions submitted to her grandson who then ascended the throne as King Paku Buwana II. Kapujanggan is a value that is highly valued in the palace and the public, but the cultural transformation of society is not as easy as changing the town icons.
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City of the Education and Movement To initiate the icon changes an institution which administers the library and museum named Radya Pustaka immediately stood in this city. General and vocational schools was established. Various majors opened up to the related specifically to the Java language in the palace. King Paku Buwana IV ordered to bring the Muslim religious leader (Ulama) to Surakarta in 1750. One and a half centuries later a high-level madrasa named Mamba'ul Ulum was built in 1905 on the orders of King Paku Buwana X. From that understandable the madrasa curriculum is designed to produce graduates qualified graduate-level as Muslim religious leader (Ulama). Until the 1980's the graduates are still entrusted with important positions at the national level as Minister of Religious Affairs, the chairman of the Indonesian Ulama Council, members of the House of Representatives and the Supreme Advisory Council. The secondary and higher education institutions are specifically concerned with the musicians and the arts with a variety of majors establish in this city since long. A provinciallevel cultural centre was also built. Art became one of the symbiosis with the distribution of livelihood and interests of its citizens. Residents of this town are encouraged to become more creative, because their facilities are supported, urged in natural limitations, and encounter its people with diverse ideas from the nations ongoing since hundreds ago. Surakarta is also known as one of the central ideological movement. Several important national organization standing in this city, for example is the Islamic Trade Federation (Sarikat Dagang Islam) in 1911, Indonesia Raya Party in 1935, and the Indonesian Journalists Association in 1946. Civil society organizations like Chinese, Arabic, and Banjar also establish in this city since before the independence of the Republic of Indonesia until the early days of independence. The number of civil society organizations to increase sharply after the 1998 reform period. All that leaves traces of ideological are important to note. In 2009 the population of the solo city reached 598,968 inhabitants. During the day 2 millions people work around the city. Nearly 1.5 million people are migrant workers from other cities. The total of the population was recorded 438,421 people as a Muslims, 80,379 people as a Catholics, 72,682 people as a Protestants, 3,926 people as a Buddhists, 3,199 people as a Hindus, and Confucianism as much as 361 people. The local beliefs as much as

80 streams. The number of houses of worship in the city of Surakarta in 2009 is 780 pieces, consisting of 582 mosques, 185 churches, 4 temples, 7 monasteries, and 2 pagodas. Houses of worship that has not received Building Permit (IMB) are: 327 pieces of mosques, 52 pieces of churches, 1 pieces of temple, 2 pieces of monasteries, and 2 pieces of pagodas.

Interfaith Forums

Political struggle have been experienced by the people of this city in various forms. The issue of ethnicity and social disparities are most salient. The religion issue began to emerged last two decades. The latest issue is a riot of May 1998. The widespread damage is concern inviting religious leaders, so that they strengthen the dialogue forums among religious believers. It was felt important to complete the democratization movement and promotion of human rights since the 1980s. Interfaith forums in Solo initiated in 1980s by the students of Sebelas Maret University (UNS) with the icons is DIAN (Inter-Faith Dialogue). After 1998 the forum involving senior and society that formed at the Instigation of Wong Solo (PWS). The forum was formed by representatives of religious institutions by name Forkub (Inter-religious Communication Forum). The figures incorporated in Forkub currently active in FKUB (Forum for Religious Harmony) supported by the Government of Surakarta City and offices in one of the city government offices. While in February 1999 was born too FSHKB (Forum for Conscience and Togetherness Nation) which is more focused on ideas with a broader membership. DIAN, Forkub, and FSHKB not formally institutionalized. Some members of FSHKB then make FPLAG (Forum for Peace and Interfaith Group) which later became LPLAG (Institute for Peace and Interfaith Group) and operationalized as an NGO. While some NGOs are also formed with various forms of interfaith forums and focus, such as Insan Emas, Forkhagama, Sobat, Putra Ibu Pertiwi, and the Institute of Sangga Bhuana. Related to this topic, it is due to (a) assumptions about peace and justice, (b) some experience of peacemaking in Indonesia, and (c) strategies to identify "non-peace" root causes. Peace is a situation without violence, relationships restored and fair. The peace makes people can feel the situation in safe, convenient, and free to do the activities, work, and actively develop themselves to mutual acceptance, respect, work together, be yourself and live together. The town is supposed to advance peace is the city that have a conflict resolution
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mechanism, including the handling of religions-based violence. A good conflict handling mechanism is capable of handling the reach a latent, open, or manifest conflict. Justice refers to equality of opportunity and treatment for all people in accordance with their dignity as citizens, the citizens and members of an association or organization. Justice is in two loci, namely restorative justice and criminal justice. Restorative justice is a kind of justice which is concerned with the vindication of victims, providing restitution, healing, and affirmation for the promotion of rights fulfillment. Criminal justice is the justice that takes into account the violators, so the players must perform for compensation, apology, pay a fine to the state, restricted his freedom by the state, or serving a sentence for deterrence. Peacemaking tradition in Indonesia that can be performed or facilitated by LPLAG are as follows. Sometimes the various step taken to one case for more stakeholders to reach or achieve depth review of the issues being negotiated.
(a) Community leaders arbitrate between the parties for their conflictual issue in

completed. If it does not produce a satisfactory agreement of the parties, then LPLAG may repeat the pattern that was more mediative.
(b) Community leaders assist the parties to negotiate their problem. (c) One of the parties reported to the police and the police facilitated mediation or

arbitration. If the conflict contain violence or disrupt the community, the community leaders reported to the police.
(d) Created tiered meeting of the stakeholders who are not directly involved in the

conflict up to the parties directly involved in conflict, and vise versa.

(e) Conducted a large meeting involving informal leaders in an atmosphere of tradition

and then there's resolution. In this pattern there is also sometimes the speeches from respected leaders from several backgrounds.
(f) Held a meeting of community representatives who have complaints with the officials

who take care of the problem complained.

(g) If the conflict involves public service, then the public can consult the NGOs or civil

society organization to get advocacy from the delivery of complaints to the proposal for a new public policy.

(h) If a conflict occurs among the workers, then the three-party commission to facilitate

the mediation or arbitration. The commission consists of representatives of labor unions, corporations, and government.
(i) If a conflict occurs within the scope of the household, between husband and wife, then

each may appoint a family to act as mediator or arbitrator.

(j) If a conflict occurs among the students, it can be done case conference attended by

students, parents, teachers and school committees.

(k) If the conflict involves a widespread problem, then some circles (clergy, community

leaders, academics, intellectuals, and NGO activists) may convene a multistakeholder meeting. To identify the root causes of lack of peace ("non-peace" root causes), it can be done following several strategies.
(a) Participatory Social Analysis. In this analysis conducted some reviews: historical,

social structures in society, values, governance, land use, responses, and the future.
(b) Participatory Urban Appraisal. Participants are asked to draw a map of the village

where they live, perform a search area where they lived, described the social map, identify a venn diagram that describes the intersection of social structures in society, making changes and trends table, and perform analysis with tree problems.
(c) Results from the first and second activity considered further in consultation meetings,

focused group discussion and followed up with seminars or workshops involving stakeholders from the broader religious leaders, community leaders, academics and representatives of city government. In the early days of the establishment of the interfaith forum, LPLAG see some of the following aspects to be important factors in interfaith brigdebuilding in Surakarta, the collective knowledge, leader, network, identity, values and demographic aspects.
(a) The main strength which is owned by the public is collective knowledge, but which

have a direct impact on the empowerment of communities in managing the conflict would subside, but increased with increasingly strict conflict clash of interests and values.

(b) The rapid social and political changes can not be separated from the traces of the old

ideologies. People of each group is important to always be involved.

(c) Strengthening of the network is required to overcome the main problems of a plural

society, namely their difficulties to build common ground beyond the economic interest.
(d) The difference of social identity of ethnic groups, religion and social class are stand

out. Therefore this city needs multicultural appreciation and mainstreaming of minority groups into interfaith activities.
(e) The diversity of values in society is a necessity. Relations between residents often

built on common values. Interfaith initiatives dont required the homogenous values, but rather encourage people to build democratic virtue which is understood, recognized and formulated in a participatory manner, so that more citizens feel ownership and values that can be refreshed its form and validity in the community.
(f) The proportion of younger people in Surakarta is quite high. In 2009 the population

aged 24 years and under to reach 49.82% and a 34-year-old down to reach 57.75%. The population of this town who worked in the year 2008 reached 251,101 people or by 48.01% of the total population and poverty levels reached 103,725 people or 17.32%. There are 29,199 poor households in this city. In that situation the relevance of interfaith forums with welfare issues is very important.

LPLAG is concerned to promote actively non-violent behavior, restore intercommunity relationships, and build a just social relations. The strategy is to assist stakeholders at three levels: community, religious leaders and government. Community-level programs focused on empowerment for peace and community development. The program for the religious leaders more focused on conflict transformation, non-violent movements, and harmony among religious believers. For government-level policy advocacy focused on response to religion-based violence, civil and political rights, and economic, social, and cultural rights. The activities are workshops, training, seminars and mentoring. Regularly organized activities that bring together the three levels was to strengthen the integration program.

Four years LPLAG programs executed simultaneously with the momentum that is building the city of Surakarta himself to be a meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition (MICE) city. From that experiences the participants noted the following expectations.
(a) There is an increasing capacity to perform conflict analysis for communities better

able to respond intelligently to the early symptoms of that damage multicultural harmony and wealth.
(b) Bridging to communicate with groups separated by the conflict through direct

meetings, meetings in custom shades, shuttle diplomacy, and mediation by functions.

(c) Strengthening youth groups to drive change for society as a creative, evocative of

knowledge and critical awareness of society, participatory, expand networks, articulating expectations and community considerations, and organize local resources .
(d) Empowerment of communities to reduce vulnerability due to unemployment, poverty,

backwardness and juvenile delinquency order to utilize the momentum of urban development.

Closing To develop interfaith bridgebuilding in Surakarta, then the next necessary initiative pioneered collective narration to pioneer as much as possible the meeting point of ideas that plural citizens, improve the relevance of religious practice in the social and cultural context, ensure the sustainability of local wisdom, maintain and sustain the integrity of multicultural community, manage ecological knowledge which has been-separated by the local authorities of each district in the vicinity. Collective narration was needed because of religion-based tensions are still a potential challenge in an effort to build social integration.

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About the Author Mohammad Dian Nafi is the director of Pesantren Al-Muayyad Windan Solo. He holds Master Degree from State University of Jakarta in education of the history. He is a lecturer at Nahdlatul Ulama University of Surakarta since 1998, columnist at the newspaper since 1999, and a trainer in FPLAG since 2004. He has mediation experiences in Solo, Ambon, Sulawesi, North Maluku, Central Kalimantan, Madura, Papua and Aceh. He had participated the Emergency Management Training (EMT) in Africa University in Zimbabwe, Education in Religion for Community Education Consultation by Ecumenical Formation (EEF) in Agia Napa Cyprus, Asia Africa People Forum (AAPF) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Indonesia Pesantren Program (IPP) by the Institute for Training and Development (ITD) in Amherst Massachusetts, USA, Art and Spirituality Gathering in Fort Canning Centre Singapore, Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI), Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) in Harrisonburg Virginia, USA, and Speaking Tour in Victoria, Australia by Uniting Trough Faith (UTF), Melbourne. He had published several books on religion, reconciliation (as a co-writer) and education.