Response Paper “Ritual, Art and Peacebuilding”
Watini
The
title of this passage is “The Oxford Handbook of Religion, Conflict and
Peacebuilding” which is edited by Atalia Omer, R. Scott Appleby and David
Little and the author of ‘Ritual, Art and Peacebuilding is Lisa Schirch. It is
published in Oxford University Presss, New York, 2015. Schirch explain that types
and functions of ritual. There are formal and informal. The functions of ritual
are that formal ritual have a set of protocols that must be followed in order
for them to feel authentic to those participating in them. Another function is
to reinforce current values, beliefs and social practices within a community
such as singing hymns or songs with religious content. The example of formal
ritual is Hindu prayer or and informal ritual is a group of young neo-Nazi men
that can perform a punk music dance. Nowadays, religion use ritual to embody unity
and wholeness among members. In Islam fasting in Ramadhan is ritual. Schirch
explain the root of the world “religion” is ligar
, the connneective issue binding muscle and bone that means connecting or
reconnecting. Durkheim refers to this as “ Collective Effervescence” or people
have religious experiences in collective social gatherings (p. 518). Schirch
describes that religion and peacebuilding have a task to overcome the similar
concepts of “sin” and “violence”. Religion and peacebuilding can heal sin and
violence but religious ritual;s ability is not all-inclusive. Sometimes members
of religious community against other community as what they perceive in some
doctrin (p. 519).
Religious
leader can motivate members in peacebuilding efforts because of their religious
value. For instance indigenous religion claims that they have relationship
among whatever around them. If the neighborhood around them is broken, they can
broken. Peacbuilding requires a belief that human can create and design
societties that are more peaceful. Some example that religious rituals are as
trauma healing: Cambodia have rituals that it is walking meditation. Walking
with Buddhist monks creayed reconciliation. In Mozambique there are healing and
purification rituals. One of Mozambiquan community is a purification ceremony
for a nine-year-old boy who had been kijdnapped by Renam Schirch o soldiers. In
Argentina and Iraq there are public memorials as ritualized spaces for
reconciliation (p. 521-524). Schirch also states that violence have impact that
is trauma on the brain. If we will give helping to healing trauma, we have to
have understanding individual psyshological victim. It causes that
peacebuilding have challenges. Of course after violence the victim have trauma.
“Trauma have impacts the brain so drastically because it is an experience that
impacts people’s beliefs, emotions, and senses and obstructs rational thought. Thus,
we have to struggle to sense what they need. Peacebuilding cannot just use
rational, direct methods but people who concern in peacebuilding have to be
highly emotionally and sensually engaged (526-527).
There
are ways that ritual have space in peacebuilding. a). Ritual takes place in a
unique space with symbols that create a sense of meaning for what is happening.
Ritual spaces, marked by specific times, locations, symbols, tastes, smells and
sounds can create a special “oasis for peace”. It means that victims of
violence in conflict can find respite from conflict’s destruction. Creating a
ritual space may help people feel more comfortable and open in a peacebuilding
process. Peacebuilding rituals provide opportunities for people to interact
physically and emotionally with each other that they can sing, dance, joke,
drink and laugh with each other (p. 529). b). Ritual communicates hrough
symbols, emotions and using all the senses (taste, touch, hearing, seeing and
smelling). Ritual and rationally are not opposites. Ritual can lend itself to
cross-cultural communication. It means that how a diverse people but they can
still communicate through symbols they can interpret. Same with rituals,
emotional stories art and media can give impact on people so it can be an
effective complement to more direct peacebuilding when direct methood of
communication are not possible to do (p. 533). Finally, ritual can create a
constructive pathway for expressing conflict between groups.
It
can be applied in Indonesia. Indonesia also have many rituals to do so it can
contribute in peacebuilding. As Schirch mention in her explanation about
indigenous religion. Indigenous religion have different ways in ritual and
concept so they can heal trauma to victim’s violence. For instance, Susila
Budhi Dharma (SUBUD) have rituals that they submit to God with maditation.
SUBUD is established by Bapak Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo. He come from
Semarang. SUBUD is recognize as organization in Jakarta in 1947. Goverment
of Indonesia just recognize six
religion. Thus they have own ways that SUBUD is not religion. It is also
suitable with other indigenous religion that they concern in nature. They see nature not as a noun but
nature around them is a subject. If the nature is broken so they will be broken
too. In indigeneous religion that feel very close with nature, they have so
many rituals. Before planting season, they have rituals, one month after
planting they have rituals. They do rituals in community, author means in
group. Thus, they can do interaction with other physically and they can laugh,
joke and have a conversation together. Finally, ritual can create a
constructive pathway for expressing conflict between groups.