DEVELOPING INTERRELIGIOUS UNDERSTANDING AND PEACEBUILDING AMONG LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS THROUGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM IN THE MOSLEM COMMUNITY

Bustan, Linda and Vidyarini, Titi Nur and Lim, Resmana and Adiasih, Priskila (2015) DEVELOPING INTERRELIGIOUS UNDERSTANDING AND PEACEBUILDING AMONG LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS THROUGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM IN THE MOSLEM COMMUNITY. In: 5th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Service-Learning (5th APRCSL), 27-05-2015 - 29-05-2015, New Taipei - Taiwan.

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Abstract

Differences between religion and ethnicities can be problematic without any effort to understand. Without understanding about the issues, conflict and violence could emerge. Thus, an activity which introduce those different groups to each other is needed, in order for them to have mutual understanding and able to live together in peace. One of the way to provide peace education is through cross cutting affiliation in the society, such as through Community Outreach Program (COP) provided by Petra Christian University. COP 2013 is a service learning program for international students in a Moslem populated Petungroto Village in Kediri, East Java Province. In COP, the students from seven countries lived for a month with the local villagers. They help developing the local community through education and public facilities. COP can be a tool to actualize inter-religious understanding and enable an interfaith dialogue among the participant of the program. Stereotyping based on different religions and ethnicities happened in COP. According to Swidler, interfaith dialogue happens in three areas which are practical, spiritual, and cognitive. Utilizing qualitative approach with data collection through focus group discussion, interview and field notes, the researchers focus on some key problems such as the process of international and local students in overcoming the conflict arise from different religion and ethnicities during COP, and the process of peacebuilding through understanding among the students. The research produces several findings. First, the conflict was overcome through the adaptation process of the students. The students adapted through accepting the local traditions and participating in the local activities, such as attending religious ceremony and preparing food for breaking the fasting. Second, dialogues about religious aspects took place among the students. This is a form of effort to comprehend the different religious values. Third, the mental preparation from training prior to joining the COP, enabled the students to cope with the problems.

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