Reflecting on Multicultural Relation in Community Outreach Program

Natadjaja, Listia (2017) Reflecting on Multicultural Relation in Community Outreach Program. In: 6th Asia-Pasific Regional Conference on Service-Learning, 02-06-2017 - 02-06-2017, Surabaya - Indonesia.

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Abstract

Community Outreach Program (COP) is one of Service-Learning programs in Petra Christian University involving many students from Petra and abroad. Becoming a field supervisor in (COP) in 2010 and 2016 made me aware of multicultural relations arose among students and the community. Eventhough COP program mostly focuses on improving the welfare of the population like lack of education, less income, inadequate sanitation, etc., there are always multiple process of cultural learning. This paper is based on my experiences and personal reflections, supported by data through reflection review, field observation, informal interview and interaction with students and the community. For students, being in the multicultural environment are not just give different experiences but also life learning in interacting with society that lives in a peaceful and simple way. For society, they mostly feel the impact of phisical program and the unforgetable moment interacting with foreign students that might not be imagined before. This multicultural relations have some positive impacts on students at the moment of COP and after. In the multicultural relations, I find that students still carry identity as citizens of their country of origin, not only as students of a particular university. It makes this multicultural relations remain on a corridor that respects the culture, beliefs, and attitudes among them.

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