Why peace education is urgent for Indonesia

Anton Sudarisman, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan

As the impacts of bomb attacks and sectarian conflicts linger, more and more Indonesians are aware of a culture of violence in our society. It is startling to realize that the permissiveness of society has allowed this culture to flourish. Why is it that violent and inhumane acts are screened daily on television? Deep in our hearts, we are crying for a solution, or at least the consolation of a better future. How could this happen to us?

One explanation is that we do not educate children, and adults even, on peace and how to achieve it. Our young generation are quick to catch on to trends and changes in society, but we, older people, are slow to teach them how to deal with these changes.

The result is that many children are brought up in ignorance, or submission to cultural gaps. Religious, racial and other social issues divide them -- and, in such divisions, are the roots of violence and terrorism.

Some of us consider that tolerance and communitarianism are ingrained features of Indonesian life. However, the traditional mantras of gotong royong (working together for a common cause), or musyawarah (consensus for a common purpose) are losing their power, with social and financial pressures persuading many of us to rely on individual interests or support from primordial groupings. But, such groupings may inflame extremism or radicalism, leading to social conflicts.

It is within this social fragility that peace education has become urgent. While, in many parts of the world, peace education has been accepted as a component of mainstream education, we have to admit that peace education is a new concept here. It is, of course, better late than never.

Peace education is concerned with helping learners develop an awareness of the processes and skills that are necessary for achieving understanding, tolerance, and good-will. It is believed that by recognizing and valuing differences, we can build a peaceful and sustainable society.

To be successful, peace education needs to address relevant societal issues. Based on my observations, there are currently at least three major areas that require special attention in peace education programs here, namely cultural diversity, religious values and peace-building skills.

Cultural diversity is a crucial area to encompass because Indonesia's past has been marked by various cultural conflicts. In addition, our lives today are more exposed to other cultures than ever before -- locally and globally. This topic should be addressed particularly in multiethnic parts of Indonesia, where cultural encounters are common, and clashes based on racial sentiments, such as past violence in Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Ambon, Solo, Poso, Sumbawa, and so on, may have been prevented had cultural values been addressed. In this context, peace education is expected to sew the seeds of tolerance among dominant and minority cultures.

Although religion is a delicate issue, it is believed that recognizing various religious identities is a key to sustaining peace within our community. For this, society should be encouraged to understand at least the basic values of all religions and traditional beliefs practiced here. Of course, such knowledge would not be used to attack others, as it frequently happens with religious zealots.

On the contrary, peace education can lead different people of different faiths to find common ground. In a peace education session, for instance, school students can be asked to share with other classmates how their religions teach them to handle public issues, such as poverty, violence, crimes, injustice, terrorism, and so on.

Another essential element of peace education is peace-building skills, which are essential to equip community members with the practical competence to handle conflict. These skills include a systematic approach to identifying potential conflict, and how sustainable resolutions can be achieved. In a school context, for instance, students may be guided to identify possible conflicts among their peers, and find practical solutions to prevent brawls, bullying, interschool rivalries, drug dealing at school, and so on.

In fact, there are countless other issues that can be discussed in peace education sessions. It should also be noted that peace education is a process, with each group and each session bringing to it their particular issues.

As peace education is so critical to build a sustainable society, the government, educational institutions, as well as community groups have to put it on their agenda. Commitment by the central government, for instance, can be shown by integrating peace education into the curricula of all levels of education.

Meanwhile, local governments can adopt it in the local contents of school curricula, with case studies tailored to meet local conditions. At the same time, other community groups can initiate peace education sessions for specific groups, such as religious leaders, public officials, community leaders, women's associations, and so on. As a non-profit center for community involvement in building peace in Indonesia, our organization is also more than happy to share our commitments with individuals or organizations interested in peace education.

Indeed, peace education might not answer all problems that our community is now facing. However, it can at least open the arms of our young generations to embrace a positive attitude toward others, to build a more peaceful society.

The writer is managing partner of International Learning Services in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, and coordinator of the Indonesian Peace Education Center. He can be reached at antondaris@telkom.net.