Promoting peace education in the month of Ramadhan

Promoting peace education in the month of Ramadhan

Muhamad Ali, Lecturer, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN),
Jakarta

muhamad@hawaii.edu

In the month of Ramadhan and school holidays, Muslim educators
in Indonesia usually develop different and creative kinds of
education. For example, pesantren has come to mean not only
Islamic boarding schools where students stayed for several years
to learn "traditional Islamic sciences" in a traditional way, but
also to hear a more modern meaning, involving modern technologies
such as the Internet and visual media in a relatively short
period of time, such as pesantren kilat (short-term pesantren).

The phenomenon is certainly positive, but it is more urgent
today than in the past that Muslim educators must figure out how
to conduct a more effective and relevant kind of education for
children, women and adults in the context of diversity. They need
to look to peace education that is still lacking in our system of
education.

As Indonesia is a multi-religious and multi-cultural country,
tensions and conflicts are more likely to occur again and again
despite all the political efforts to contain and solve social
conflicts. Unfortunately, a kind of education that exists in
Indonesia is largely exclusive in the sense that education is
conducted on the basis of a particular religion or ethnicity. On
the other hand, national education has put too much emphasis on
unity and similarities, while neglecting diversities. National
education has become a hegemonic education.

Peace education is highly important to educate students about
how to deal with differences. One of the reasons why differences
become conflicts easily is that people lack the skills to solve
differences through non-violent means; people are conditioned to
pursue a limited range of choices in dealing with differences.

One example that can be carried out by high-school educators
is a week-long education program at a camp site. Students learn
about conflict and how to deal with it. The program will open up
their minds about conflict so they know how to deal with it
properly.

Students interact with people who have a different way of
life, faith, or thinking and learn to respect differences.
Students would learn that conflict can occur anytime. They would
understand that conflicts can grow quickly unless they are able
to solve them in a rational manner. They also would understand
conflicts can be solved through dialog instead of violence.

Peacekeeping, peacemaking and peace building constitute
gradual efforts to establish a more permanent peace. To stop a
conflict when it has already happened, to enforce law and order,
and to conduct a socio-economic rehabilitation would not be
effective without conducting peace education.

The main objective is to establish a culture of peace. Peace
education is a process to shift from a violence paradigm to a
culture of peace, to develop a critical comprehension about the
roots of conflicts and violence and to empower the students to
take necessary personal and social action accordingly.

Peace education is part of the institutionalization of non-
violence in all aspects of life in all segments of society. Peace
pedagogy, as many would call it, has three educational
directions. The first is prevention of violence that emphasizes
peacekeeping strategies and maintains safety and calmness. The
second would be the programs of conflict resolution using
techniques of peacebuilding. And the third is building
consciousness about peace loving. There pedagogical directions
will move society from violent mindset to non-violent paradigm.

To reach such directions, peace educators should employ
participatory, active, and critical approaches and use democratic
and inclusive methods. In Indonesia, the subjects may include
inter-religious and inter-ethnic relationship. Educators could
also teach such topics as alternatives to violence, liberation
theology, conflict resolution methods, cooperation discipline,
pluralism, multiculturalism, negotiation and mediation skills.
The curricula can be called "peaceable classroom", which is used
in many countries.

Students can also be taught the histories of conflict and
peace; to understand why and how conflicts occur in the past, to
learn something from such histories. For example, discrimination
history, peace figures, conflict in mass media, and peace
movements.

Although the subjects are relatively serious, students would
enjoy peace educational programs if the teaching methods used are
engaging. The subjects could be introduced through a number of
games, which manage to draw their attention.

Thus far peace education has had networks that link activists
around the world, one of which is the Peace Education Commission
that has worked since 1970. This commission has publications and
peace programs that can be accessed. There are also Educators for
Social Responsibility and Teachers for Peace.

The month of Ramadhan is one of the best moments for educators
to implement educational strategies. Muslims in particular and
Indonesians in general need to take advantage of this peaceful
month to engage in peace programs. Our young generations are the
future leaders that will hopefully bring our country into a
peaceful place to live.

The writer is Ph.D student in History, University of Hawaii at
Manoa, and a fellow of the East-West Center, Hawaii.