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.