Masariku Network, 20 Desember 2004
Communitty/Brotherhood Education
An Effort for Development of Education Model for Peace during Post Maluku
Conflict
Jack F. Manuputty
Preface
The social conflict that raged for about four years in Maluku has brought about tragic
destruction of the society on a massive scale. The conflict did not only destroy
buildings physically, including public facilities and settlements, but also structures,
moral values and social relationships. As a result, communities are conditioned to
experience prolonged trauma, and proceed in their lives in a segregated environment.
Ironically Communities are segregated by religion, i.e. Islam and Christianity, as the
conflict was triggered and sustained by religious issues, which are perceived as a
sensitive aspect in Maluku. Communities are not only segregated by place, but also
their minds. This has more and more highlighted the trend of religious segregation
which was observed since the colonial period. According to history, ever since the
introduction of revealed religions in Maluku, interfaith conflict has happened repeatedly
as a result of religious mission and the ruling authority at the time. In reality, a
permanent solution cannot be achieved by offering a cohesive tool considered as a
common interfaith value in Maluku. Interfaith tension finally dissolved when religion
was weaved into the local culture through an (ongoing) enculturation process. The fact
remains that religion per se has never truly endeavored to build an interfaith dialog. As
such, when a conflict is triggered by religious sentiments, conflict energy lying
dormant will spill over to cause a great disaster. It is unsurprisingly then that
segregation has unconsciously found its permanent form through conflict.
Based on this reality, all efforts to support the development of permanent and
measured inter-culture and interfaith education process in Maluku become imperative
to be supported.
The Challenge in Development of Curriculum for Peace Education in the
Province of Maluku
The direction of development of an Education Program For Peace in a Formal as well
as non formal nature, is how participants in education and the people could identify
their social resources, and to maximally develop it in order to balance the potency of
the social anomaly. Learning from historical experiences, the people of Maluku have
developed various social integrated models as a social resource in the development of
the society. Terms like Pela, Gandong, Masohi, Siwalima, are a part of the cultural
terminology that describe the form of social integration, which have existed for
hundreds of years. Several among the social integrated forms is meant, even formed
and institutionalized as part of the process in resolving conflicts among the society.
Because of this, Maluku has long been known as one of the symbols of harmony of
people among various religions and ethnics in Indonesia
When conflict broke out and rapidly spread to all of the Maluku area, various
questions appeared questioning the claim of Maluku as an icon of the form of
harmony in Indonesia
This question was not difficult to answer if we could identify the direction and strategy
of the Indonesian national development within the last several decades. The
centralization process and unification philosophy in conducting the national
development systematically has reduced the variety of local content in various
regions. This condition has systematically weakened the local cultural capacity to
maintain the social balance among the society. Maluku is no exception in receiving a
direct impact of this condition. Since the 1970's, the Maluku cultural system has
slowly been reduced. Especially when several national laws have been stipulated.
Without realizing it, this condition has weakened the local cultural structures that
have long been attested as a mechanism of security and cohesive instrumental of the
people of Maluku. The consequences of the social anomalic potency have obtained
space for development, in line with the growth of the people and drastic changes of
national political situation in the last 20 years. The religious livelihood among others in
one of the social segments that have develop under duress. Especially at the national
level where religion experienced being politicized which is worse as political objectives
of elite groups. The result could not have been avoided when various social conflicts
occurred among the people, at a time when Indonesia drastically entered the
reformation era, without the existence of any readiness of the people nor any
governance structure.
When culture or religion is under threat, how can we create dialog?
The Maluku conflict is an accumulation from a wrong national development strategy,
which among others put forward accumulation of development in the central
government but left the peripheral areas unattended. This condition has directly given
an impact to the national education world for a long period. Centralization of the
national education in all aspects has directly reduced the formal learning space,
towards the local characteristics of each region. Even though there have been efforts
to include local content in the national education curriculum system of 1989, however,
the implementation had not evenly spread due to various determining factors. To the
province of Maluku, the implementation of the local content in the 1989 national
curriculum had been constrained by the non readiness of Maluku to determine a
uniformity of a cultural model that could be adopted by all levels of education. The
effect was that the implementation of the local content had been limited only to local
art learning. In fact sometimes the local content was filled in learning the English
language.
Significant changes have happened in the national education curriculum in 2003.
These changes have been promoted by accumulation of changes that have happened
in the society, since Indonesia entered the reformation era. Especially after the
downfall of the New Order Regime that have been in power for more than 30 years, in
1998. The demand of changes coming from the people through demonstration of
students and NGOs which have liquidated the frozen authoritarian system and the
opening of the portal for democracy in Indonesia. This condition has directly
influenced changes in various aspects of livelihood in Indonesia, especially regarding
revolutionary changes of the governance system, from a centralistic-authoritarian
character, to become decentralist-democratic. The condition of the above changes in
turn has seeped into the education world, therefore giving different colors than before.
At this locus, it seems that the national education world is starting to consider in
applying the "community based education" concept. Prof.Dr. Abdul Malik Fadjar,
MSc. (former minister for National Education) in this case had observed the presence
of a positive indication in applying this concept. He stressed that community based
education has the basic platform to strengthen the education system of the people
through a series of agenda, which are: First, to mobilize the local resources and from
outside in order to increase the role of the people to take a larger role in the planning,
implementation, evaluation in the conduct of education in all lanes, job careers, the
type and unit of the people. Second, to stimulate changes of attitude and perception
of the people towards a feeling of ownership of the schools, by also being responsible
through partnerships, tolerance and the willingness to accept a social-cultural variety.
Third, support the people to take a clear role in education, especially parents in
decentralization policy packages. Fourth, to urge the role of the people in developing
institutional innovation to supplement, stress the role of the school, increase quality,
and relevancy, education management efficiency as well as open larger opportunities
for school for the sake of the compulsory learning program for the 9 year basic
education, medium education and higher education (in excerpts of Abu-Duhou, 2002).
Realizing the very difficult challenge of the education world in the regional autonomy
era and globalization era, it seems that the concept of "community based education"
which is also parallel to the "school based management concept", at least gives a
cool breeze to the national education system to always could adapt to the dynamic
development of the people which is ever becoming complex and filled with various
challenges (in Ahmad El Chunaedy "To refresh the National Education System, April
2002).
The opening of the autonomy space through the National Education System Law of
2003, gives a wide possibility in decentralizing the formulation of curriculum for "local
characteristics based education". The tragedy is that the large opportunity had not
been immediately responded by the education world in Maluku, sue to the breaking
up of the humanity conflict since January 1999 until the end of 2003. The destroyed
infrastructures, social segregation, the high level of poverty, the uneven spread of
schools and teachers, the weakening of the regional budget capacity, are parts of the
post conflict problems that have intertwined the education world in Maluku until now.
Several problematic situations constraining the education world in Maluku in the post
humanity conflict period are briefly elaborated as follows.
One important aspect that I want to mention here is an effort to develop a quality of
education in order to promote multicultural and interfaith mutual understanding and
tolerance, is also depend on political or economic tendency.
The Situation of the Post Conflict of Education Problematic in Maluku.
The humanity conflict for four years has had a wide impact to the development of the
education world in Maluku. The impact of the conflict of the education world covers
three main sectors.
1. Segregation
The segregation condition of the people of Maluku based on religion actually is not a
new phenomenon. The colonial government has given significant contribution to give
birth to the religious segregation condition in order to easily control the colonialized
people. Since then it was easy to identify geographic areas of villages of Moslems as
well as Christians in Maluku. In further developments, the segregation condition
liquidated, especially to people living in the centers of government administration. The
liquidation of the segregation situation also was compelled through the entry of waves
of immigrants from outside Maluku, as well as mobilization of the people in the
economic sector.
The social de-segregation was then destroyed totally at the same time of the Maluku
social conflict which was triggered by the fuse of religion, between Moslems and
Christians. The latest data gathering that we conducted shows as much as 1,050,764
/ 88% people of the total 1,288,813 population of Maluku living in segregation based
on the distinction of religion. Especially for the city of Ambon in the post conflict, with
an area of 377 km2, and the number of population of 206,210 people, and level of
density of 574 people /km2, the Moslem and Christian community lived separately.
Until now there are only two regions remaining as a place for Moslems and Christians
to live together.
In reality the social segregation not only crept in physical-geographic areas, but also
was harmonized through personal Codification in public spaces. This situation could
be identified through the language and terminology being used. The post conflict has
created new terminology showing a sharp coding form having personal characteristics
(or exclusive collectivity). During the era before the conflict, there were uniform terms
when used in the public. In the public livelihood, the use of general terms is Bung
(adult men) and Usi (adult women). This developed as a "cultural" aspect of the
people of Maluku (especially for Ambon and Lease). This has long been a part of the
awareness of the people of Maluku regarding their public space. However, this
condition changed when the Maluku conflict ended. People started using technical
terms that referred to the primordial village or religion. In the Islam village or
community, the people use the term Ente (second singular person) and Ana (first
person singular), also Harrim or Caca (girls). On the other hand in the Christian
community such changes have not happened. People still used the word Usi (adult
women) and Bung (adult men) just like the situation before the conflict.
The segregation condition above directly gave impact to the education world in
Maluku. Schools in all levels have been divided based on the differences in religions;
this has caused an imbalance of the distribution of teachers, as well as to widen the
social gap among students.
2. Destruction of Infrastructures
During the conflict, it had been noted as many as 100/ 6.17% of elementary schools
were destroyed. 23/ 7.74% of junior high school buildings were destroyed. 11/ 5.95%
of high schools, 2/ 25% of Schools for Higher learning especially universities,
considering the category of students accepted as well as the output produced before
the conflict, the destruction of 2 universities in Maluku with as many as 80% of the
students have experienced serious disturbances in the process of conducting
educational activities. This is in respect to the only state university on Maluku with a
capacity to receive 12,000 students.
The destruction of the education infrastructures has had a direct impact in the
capacity in receiving students in schools. In several schools, the learning process has
been conducted, moving from one public facility to the other which had not been
destroyed. Educational activities were also conducted in emergency schools built by
the people as well as NGOs working in Maluku. Even so, often times the educational
activities have experienced paralysis for undetermined periods when escalation of
conflict occurred. This condition was felt very much influencing the resistance of the
students as well as teachers in their efforts in conducting and following the education
processes.
3. The Low Standard of Living as well as the Increase of Poverty
The data published by UNSFIR (United Nations Support Facility For Indonesian
Recovery) in the year 2001 stating that the number of poor people in Maluku and
North Maluku is in the amount of 1,013,900 people or 46.1% of the total population of
Maluku and North Maluku, as described in table 1.
Table 1. Expenditure per Capita and Poverty, 1999
|
|
|
|
|
|
District & City |
Expenditure Per
Capita Total
(Rpx1000/Mo) |
Poverty |
Food (%total) |
Amount (000) |
Level of Poverty |
Southeast
Maluku |
101.3 |
72.2 |
172.3 |
59.2 |
Central Maluku |
91.9 |
74.4 |
454.5 |
64.5 |
Ambon City |
174.7 |
63.4 |
42.9 |
13.0 |
North Maluku |
105.5 |
64.4 |
244.8 |
36.2 |
Halmahera |
96.1 |
76.5 |
99.4 |
56.5 |
Total |
110.4 |
68.8 |
1013.9 |
46.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: Indonesia National Development Report 2001. Data provided by CBS based
on Susenas.
The unfortunate reality is the fact that the level of poverty is categorized as worse in 2
district, The district of Central Maluku and East Maluku, before being bloomed
/extended; more than 50% of the population are categorized as poor people.
The level of poverty also could be analyzed through comparison between the Gross
Regional Domestic Product per Capita with The Minimum Physical Demand (KFM).
KFM was purposely selected because it was valued to be more human compared to
the use of The Regional Minimum Wage. The results of comparison shows the reality
that even though there is an evidence of the Regional Gross Domestic Product Per
Capita between 1995 until 1999, however the number of Regional Gross Domestic
Product is still small compared to the value of KFM (see table 2). The KFM value an
1995 has achieved an amount Rp. 5.041 (CSIS, XXII, 1994), with the occurrence of the
economic arises and the violence in Maluku, it is estimated that the value has
become greater.
Table 2. Comparison of the Regional Gross Domestic Product Per Capita and the
Minimum Physical Needs (KFM)
|
|
|
|
RGDP Per Capita Maluku |
KFM Maluku Per /day |
1995 |
Rp. 1.554.479 |
Rp. 5.041 |
1999 |
Rp. 1.752.070 |
|
The data on table 1 and 2 above shows that the actual average population of Maluku
is unable to fulfill the daily minimum Physical Needs. This is fact from the shown
accumulation of the KFM values of The Maluku people/month which is greater than
the expenditure per capita of population/month. Meanwhile 68.8% from the total
expenditure per capita of the people is allocated for fulfilling the need of food.
Poverty that has occurred in Maluku also resulted in the backward and low quality of
life. One of the measurement units used for measuring the label of quality of life of the
people is the human development index. By calculating and comparing the level of life
expectancy, level of illiteracy, the school participation level and level o expenditure per
capita The HDI of Maluku is obtained in the year 1998 and to the amount of 67.2. This
figure has experienced drastic decline in 2002 becoming 37.4. The HDI Scale of the
national level in 2002 is 68.2. If the figure of expenditure per capita of the people is
observed, which is one of the indicators of HDI, there will be a drastic decline during
the period of 1998 to 1999. The figure of expenditure per capita of Maluku in 1998 is
576.9, which has decreased drastically to the figure 110.4 at the same time with the
breaking up of The Maluku conflict in 1999. There in the year 2002 a small increase
occurred to become 175.9. Meanwhile in 2002 the figure for expenditure per capita on
the national level was 567.1 (Source, UNDP and BPS Maluku).
The low quality and standard of living of the people as well as the spreading of poverty
and backwardness in Maluku gave a direct impact to the capacity of the people to find
education. The education data of Maluku showed that 99.16% of the population in the
ages of 7 -12 years are in Basic Elementary School. The ages between 13-15 years
as much as 71.82% of the population goes to junior high school. As much as 71.82%
of the population between the ages of 16 -18 years go to high school. If these data
were connected to the 9 Year Compulsory School Program as stipulated in The
National Education System Law, it will be seen that 28.8% of students are unable to
continue education, from Elementary School to the Junior High School. The breaking
of this education process of children and the increase of poverty has increased child
labor in the informal sector during Post Conflict in Maluku.
One of the main questions here is how the people can fully participate in all effort to
develop the quality of education if they still trapped under the poverty line?
4. Efforts to Build Education for Peace in Maluku
Post Conflict Education is seen as one of the main sectors, which is expected to give
maximal contribution in the efforts to build peace in Maluku. In Connection between
the social segregation condition that occurred, the curriculum education contents as
well as the education process is expected to promote the meaning of plurality and
social integration. So far not much effort has been conducted to the formed education
in Maluku. One of the constraints being faced is because of the limited capacity of
teachers to design Peace Curriculum Models based on the local content / wisdom.
Besides that the capacity of funding by The Regional Government for Education is still
very limited, because the concentration of funding is still directed to rebuilding the
infrastructure destroyed during the conflict. Even so, the Ambon City Government in
Cooperation with Faculty of Teaching and Educational Science of the university of
Pattimura and Unicef have taken the initiative to formulate a peace education model in
the education curriculum in The City Of Ambon, by involving various stake holders of
education in Maluku The design process for the peace education models has been
conducted since the year 2003. Finally the Maluku local culture content based peace
education model was presented in a seminar in Ambon at the end of last month.
Based on the model and syllabus of peace education, plans are set for publishing
teachers guide books, which later had been used widely in all junior high schools in
the city of Ambon.
Other Efforts conducted by the government in the city of Ambon is the holding of a
joint education process, through several schools that have been determined as pilot
projects, implementing the peace education model. So far a decision has been made
to determine 6 schools from the basic education level until high school, that must
conduct the process of education by involving educational staff as well as students
from the communities of Islam and Christians in the city of Ambon. The selection
towards 6 schools as pilot projects was based on geographic location of the school
area that could be accessed easily by the Moslem and Christian Community. It is
expected that this model will be extended to various other school, while adopted by
the government the Maluku Province to be applied to all district in Maluku.
5. Main Reason on the Importance in developing a community/ brotherhood
education model:
1. The Collapse of the education world in Maluku, specifically in the city of Ambon, as
a result of conflicts among groups.
2. Uneven spreading of access to education facilities, due to settlement segregation.
3. Unavailability of the number of teachers balance tone settlement area.
4. Destruction of cultural social values of the people of Maluku.
5. The students as human resource assets of the region, experienced remorse
individually as a child of Maluku as well as to a wider society.
Based on these 5 above reasons, the process formulating a community/ brotherhood
education models is divided into 3 objectives:
1. To realize an education world structure, specifically in the city of Ambon, of quality
by national and International Quality Standards.
2. Empower the facilities and optimize the main role of the education world as a
media for reconciliation.
3. To develop the identity of participating students as a child of Maluku/Ambon, based
on local social cultural values (as Brothers and Sisters)
By considering the direction of The Concept For School Based Management
"Education based Community", which is the basic philosophy in formulating the 2003
National education System Laws, therefore the formulation of the
community/brotherhood education model rely on the involvement and responsibilities
of 4 relevant elements. They are: The Regional Government, Teachers and Students,
School Committee & Parents, as well the school Administrative staff. In Connection to
this, The Regional Government acts as a facilitator. The School Committee has the
role in School Development Planning, determining The Strategic Policy. Meanwhile
the teachers play the role as Curriculum Manager, Mediator, Facilitator and Evaluator.
In order to obtain an adequate community / brotherhood education module for, 2 study
phases are needed. They are:
A study regarding the local wisdom from the concept of brotherhood of Maluku, and
cognitive study to formulate a concept of brotherhood to become a reference in
preparing curriculum. The result of the study formulation is then elaborated further, to
integrate the character of brotherhood with cognitive pattern of children in Ambon. The
further process is formulation of methodology, modules and education subjects of
brotherhood. In the last phase module based workshops are need, before the learning
process for the education based modules for brotherhood are held. In order to support
implementation of this brotherhood education, capacity building in institutional
management is held through various training of school based management for the
school Committee as well as the school Headmaster. Besides that the development
of Curriculum Management Capacity by teachers is conducted through a demand
analysis process and professional fidelity of teachers.
Until now the process in formulating brotherhood education has reached the model
dissemination phase, which is conducted through seminars in the month of
September 2004.
Efforts to build Peace Education in Maluku - Post Conflict, of course are not only
conducted through formal education channels. Various society groups driven by
international NGO's also try to build various peace learning models followed by the
two communities that have been in conflict throughout this time.
This Efforts, specifically involve the segment of women, children, young people, as
vulnerable groups becoming actors and at the same time Victims of Conflicts.
In the end of 2003 for example an institution of interfaith in Maluku has been
established, focusing on the program direction to build a Center of Pluralism Study to
People in Post conflict. The learning process is conducted through thematic
discussion regarding pluralistic issues conducted by various segments of people. The
methodology approach is conducted by adopting a coffee shop conversation, which
has become a narrative character of the citizen of Ambon. The young people then are
requested to write and publish routinely the new perspectives regarding plurality
obtained through joint process.
Various processes built, of course needs integrated from all sectors. This is due to
the long term needed by peace education, which cannot stand alone. Therefore the
creation of conducive space and assurance of security is one of the main
prerequisites that must be available for sustaining the education process. Because of
this, and in a more conducive situation, the education sectors in Maluku have
obtained a momentum that is very meaningful in accelerating themselves as
reformation agents for the people of Maluku. And due to this, support by all parties is
needed, that gives serious attention towards the development of Peace Education.
MASARIKU NETWORK AMBON
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