Why peace education is urgent for Indonesia

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.