Interfaith
peacebuilding is possible everywhere, but it will be effective only with
making a link between religious teaching about peace and locality such as
value, history and culture for reaching the core aim: free from physical and
psychological oppression.
Making a link
between religious teaching and locality is tricky. The basic need of this
effort is how to dig our depth understanding about peace not exclusively only
for their adherent, but also inclusively for broader community from different
religion, culture or tribe. After that, we can make a bridge to connect every
religion for committing peace as their daily activity. The locality plays
important role in this phase because the goal peacebuilding always depends on
the situation and problem there. The locality drives how interfaith
peacebuilding should be directed, what are the areas they can solve and finally
how to make better life in that area.
Interfaith
peacebuilding in Papua and Kaduna, Nigeria gives the clear explanation about
it. The first effort is how religious teaching can be seen as peace teaching
not only for their followers but also for whole people in the world with
different religion, races or tribe. In Papua, Christian defines peace as divine
call; Islam gives the concept of Islam
rahmatan lil ‘alamien, which embraces all of people with same or different
religion; Hindu believes that peace is a root of every human life of happiness.
In Kaduna, both of Muslim and Christian leader finally recognized that they
have a call for making peace on their own land after meeting together at State
House.
After making one
understanding about peace, the real challenge has existed in front of them from
locality side. This locality challenge contains theological, economical and
socio-political treatments. The first, theological treatments arose because actors
who concern for interfaith peacebuilding must face the reality that not all of
their adherents are ready for interfaith peacebuilding. It is an internal
effort how to convince their brother and sister by theological reason to
support and be active in peacebuilding together with others from different
religion.
The second, economical
challenge exists when their institution has no money or support for their
effort. Peacebuilding needs many supporting system such as money and facilities
for funding and running their daily activities. The problem in Kaduna, Nigeria
is so clear that they need many supports from others, including from state or
overseas institutions. There is no doubt that the save condition from this
treatments will guarantee and increase the power of their effort.
The third,
socio and political treatments rise as rational consequences for every
peacebuilding’s effort. The aim for interfaith peacebuilding is not only a
condition which is absence from violence, but also free from physical and
psychological oppression. It is more political when they have to decide their
position vis a vis state. According
the problem in Papua, the violence is not only between each religion, but also
between people and state. Many policies from state discriminate and marginalize
the indigenous Papuan people. It affects many socio and political problems. Those
conditions require the alignments of interfaith peacebuilding actor to the
society without being trapped into political issue such as the independence of
Papua.
Interfaith peacebuilding has a bright future
as a powerful group for making peace wherever and whenever. It will be
successful when they can bridge the internal understanding about their
religious teaching as one understanding, and also capable to connect their
movement with locality sides they have.
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Thanks for your comment. God bless you always. :)