Indonesian Fellows mapped out a peacebuilding plan by discussing how to unite stakeholders in achieving coexistence and harmony for all
The Fellows who contributed to this discussion are either Indonesian or work in the country. They participated in the 2023 Asia Peace Innovators Forum from June 14-18, 2023 at Salzburg Global Seminar.
There are several current conflicts in Indonesia, including the autonomy of Papua, interreligious and interethnic tensions, disputes over resources and land, and growing extremism. While all these issues are pressing, Fellows decided to focus on the interreligious and interethnic conflicts in their discussion on peacebuilding in Indonesia.
These conflicts have been ongoing for decades and sometimes lead to outbursts of fighting between religious or ethnic groups, such as several cases of Christian-Muslim fighting, which can result in large-scale casualties. The tensions between groups have been exacerbated by changing balances of populations, especially through migration, leading certain minority groups to feel threatened.
“There is no escalation of conflict or violence, but there is also an absence of the meaningful participation of different minority groups,” commented a Fellow on the current state of conflict in Indonesia. Others added that the majority group’s interests often outweigh those of the minority. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, making Islam the majority religious group in the country. As this can restrict the ability of other religions to express themselves, one Fellow noted that it is “typical of Indonesian conflict where a majority rejects that a minority can express their religious belief”.
While Indonesia has strong institutions for freedom of religion, the society is still conservative and the Indonesian constitution only respects religious freedom for six officially recognized religions, whereas you can be punished for practicing other religions.
This interreligious and interethnic conflict is a horizontal conflict between different parts of civil society with broad stakeholders. A Fellow rhetorically asked, “What do the stakeholders need? Dialogue,” which resulted in unanimous agreement from the group. They established that no one should be left behind in this dialogue, and all stakeholders should be involved in any peacemaking process from the beginning.
Fellows identified five key stakeholders in the interreligious and interethnic conflict, as well as each group’s needs before peace can be achieved. The government wants to ensure its own political power as well as long-term peace and tolerance. Civil society needs equal rights and the protection of democracy, whereas businesses and corporations need a stable business environment. Academia wants to undertake impactful research. Lastly, religious and cultural organizations need recognition and protection for different ethnicities and religions.
“To have a situation where we change the harmony from only pushing the minority to follow the majority, into accepting the coexistence of different religions in society”, Fellows issued five key recommendations. These include strengthening the functions of governments and non-governmental institutions, increasing the effectiveness of resource allocation and usage, providing more equal access to resources for civil society, ensuring freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief, and investing in the education of future generations.
The main long-term objective that applies to all stakeholder groups is peaceful coexistence and harmony for all. A key phrase was enthusiastically agreed upon: “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika”, translating to “unity in diversity”, which is also the official national motto of Indonesia.
Indonesia has the potential to step up and act as a role model for other countries, especially in the way that different cultures and identities can live together peacefully. According to a Fellow, “Indonesia can be an example to the rest of the Muslim world for how a Muslim country can be tolerant towards minorities… How can Indonesians project themselves as a role model for the rest of the world?” While the interreligious and interethnic conflicts in Indonesia present significant challenges, they also offer an opportunity for the country to rise above division and embrace its diversity.
