Response Paper “Roles of Religions in Peace Building”

by Watini

The Title of Passage is Civil Society Engangement and Commnunal Violence which the Author is Tadjoeddin. This Passage publicated in Centre of Peace, (kind of Journal) Affair December 2004. He mentions many case for in Ambon and move to Poso. His writing is to reflect various hypotheses in the Context of Indonesia. He cites Ashutosh Varshney. Tajoeddin use theory from Varshney that is written in the book that the title is “Ethnic Conflict and Civil Society’India and Beyond”. The passage is publicated in Cambridge University  Press. In the passage, Varshney states that there is an integral link between the structure of civic life in a multi ethnic society, and the presence or absence of ethnic violence and so forth. To drawing the links, he describes that two interconnecd arguments are made. First, interenthnic and intraethnic networks of civic engangement play very different roles in ethnic conflict. Second, civic networks, both intraethnic and interethnic can also be broken down into two other  types: organized and quotidian. Varshney also claims many thing to describe all about violence and peace.

He describes sequence of theory. First, he clarifed three key term whose meaning are not self-evident (concepts). He differs “ethnic”, “ethnic conflict”, and “civil society”. The second, he mention deals with the puzzle that led him to to discover the relevance of civil society for ethnic conflict. Third, he summarizes how puzzle was resolved and present the arguments that can link ethnic conflict and civil society. The fourth, he presents empirical evidence in support of the argument made. Then the last he summarizes the implication of the project for studies of civil society and so forth. Tajoeddin reflects Varshney’s theory.

Tajoeddin describes civil society and communal violence that exist in Indonesia. He claims that the three aspects of Varshney can be combined to resolve violence that  he mention about hypothesis on hypotheses.  The three aspects are inter-communal civic engagement, self-policing and elite integration. He suggests that three mechanism have to work together to prevent communal violence. If this theory is applied in Indonesia in particular case like in Ambon case, it can be very helpful and decrease many victims and reduce the duration of conflict.

It is very surprised when author hear the behind the scene of conflict in Poso. As Rudi Fofid (Religion, Violence and Peace Building course, 28 September 2016 in UGM) said that there many provocation and it is allowed by many people. People do not check the news but people just do what they want with emotion. After the event, many people regret because fact of the news is nihil. For instance, the mosque is burned by Christian but the mosque still stand. It need researh before because as Rudi Fofid said that there are any director behind the event. Prevention of the violence can begin from people themselves. They have not to wait government to help them but they can begin militant with their little community. The people can think that they are victim. So they do something that can joint both Christian and Muslim. Then both of them realize together and think that they heve to be together. It can be joined with Tadjoeedin theory and Rudi Fofid theory. Rudi Fofid describes that conflict can stop with step of meeting-stopping-touching-dialogue-meditating-perception and after that vision-mission and action will happen.

In short, Tadjoeddin cites Varshney that to prevent conflict can use theory of combining three elements. The three elements are inter-communal civic engagement, self-policing and elite integration. To resolve conflict for instance Ambon ccase it can combine again with Rudi Fofid theory that are  of meeting-stopping-touching-dialogue-meditating-perception and after that vision-mission and action will happen.