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.