BRIDGING HARMONY IN PLURALISTIC SOCIETY

OF INDONESIA

Human being is obviously need other people to live as a communal group as a

nature of human being, and throughout time and space civilization is moving into
a best shape of its age. None can deny that the civilization is moving forward and
a homogenous society then transforms into a heterogeneous society as a demand
of globalization. Vast growing communication and transpiration technology has
pushed people to move faster from one continent to other, bought their ideas,
culture, lifestyle and ideology which then resulted on the changing composition in
a society. They then become more plural then before and turn into heterogeneous
society. On the other hand, pluralistic society could also trigger societal frictions,
and even could ended up with rontal and massive mass conflict as we have seen in
the last ten in Indonesia. Thus the diversity could not have only positive impacts
but also could trigger societal conflict due different understandings, different
needs of every individual and groups in terms of their culture, politic, economic,
belief and ideology. Hence, the biggest challenge of a plural society is whether or
not the community is able to accommodate and meet every need and how could
people live their life harmoniously in a society which every individual and groups
has their own tone, ambition and force of their ideology, let say religion for
instance?.

In the present context, the basic needs are always attached tightly to the problems
of religion (as the new value) that is capable of breaking down the existence of a
plural society.
In the present context of Indonesian society, religion has become a basic need of
most individual and groups, and religion as well has become one of political
power in to date Indonesian political system, and surprisingly almost basic needs
are closely embedded with religion, and every problem could be easily detoured
into religious arena.
Although it’s true, but it couldn’t say so, but when religion turns into disaster,
we will admit, that the conflict between plural society now is always resting on
the legs of religion, and when we talk about "us "and" them "the true religion is
always a part that could not be separated again. So religious as meaning that
originally transformed 'uncluttered' transformed into a variable determinant of the
explosion of a conflict in the community or 'caused a chaos'. But when we are able
to read it in a more inclusively, then problems or conflicts that caused or was
based on religion, has another crutch to maintain its existence, namely that it is an
entity.

in the local context of Papua, it could said that Papua probably a best example of
most complexity and interplay aspects of religions and other basic needs of life.
Religion could be distinguished through entity of a person's ethnicity, as a minor
stigma given publicly by that straight hair and white skin is' Islam "while frizzy
hair and dark skin is " Christian ". This also extends to the context of the state
where Islam is identical to Indonesian, and Christian is closely identical to
Papuan. So it would be very vulnerable to those who do not understand the culture
like this, wanted to come and live in Papua.

It is said not without reason, although it could not be used as a reason for conflict
in Papua for the past decade. But in this case the State along with essentially says
"Unity in Diversity" is understood by the Founding Father of this country as a
philosophy of unifying lifetime diverse in Indonesia, but when reading [Abdullah:
2012], he stated that this concept is divisive among Indonesia's own society, since
in Abdullah interpretation admits that "national unity is a concept that imposes
different human into one, and instead of appreciating the differences that exist in a
real diversity".

State's presence in every aspect of community life is a requirement that should be

met without considering what reciprocal. When the prism of the current reality,
then we could find the real plural life in the community life of Papua. Even with
all the stigma that is addressed to the people of Papua, but the people who live in
Papua, be able to demonstrate the level of tolerance and is able to accommodate
all forms of differences among them.

As a portrait of a similar life experience could be found in the village of Wonorejo

located in the southern part of Jayapura city. The village is mostly inhabited by
migrants through a transmigration project , which firstly opened in 199. The
village contains nearly 400 families of various ethnics and religions from all over
Indonesia. Not only migrants from outside Papua, but also add a local villagers
that contributed to the diverse life in the village. Harmony is shown publicly at
Wonorejo, and not a false shadow of showing mutual tolerance between them.
They were able to achieve mutual acceptance between them. When we link this
experience into a literature, then that becomes the key to the sustainability of their
diverse life is trust and honesty in their horizontal relationship. Communication
was able to find space in their lives, so that not only minimize the appearance of a
conflict, but is able to give birth to the concept of mutual acceptance between
them.

Wonorejo in addition, there is also a place that has been echoed by [Iribaram:
2012] "One Furnace Three Stone", as a symbol of people's lives Onim Peninsula
in Fak-Fak were able to accommodate different religious values, namely the
power of government, and the recognition of local customs. It is capable
metamorphosed into real strength is not just wishful thinking. The basic values
that is able to be taken from the portrait Onim public life, is to optimize local
knowledge sources into a mode of national wisdom, with well knit relationship
between all aspects of community life, and able to bring the virtues of a policy.

By reflecting on some of religious life experiences in bridging harmonious life

with the diversity of society, in which they are able to implement a model of
conflict resolution in a pluralistic society above, then could I describe some of the
things that is able to knit harmony between conflicts plural society in an analogy.
"When I was an architect, then I will build a dream house using the 7 (seven)
constituent components. First, the value of honesty and mutual trust become the
basic foundation of the building. This could be interpreted as a form of good
relationships among the people community, will not wake slick without honesty
and mutual trust among members of the community who have a religious
background and distinct entities.
Secondly, on the walls of the building will I use affection which is the fruit of
religion all around the World. In addition, the basis of a family relationship is the
affection between them. In addition, the affection was able to nullify distrust and
learn to accept others in the warmth. Third, tolerance as the main door that leads
everyone into the dream house of every single individual. It is also a manifestation
of the basic values of the State which provides the freedom to embrace and
execute the appropriate trust that was followed. Of course inside there are values
of tolerance taught by the State to all citizens.

Fourth, there are spaces in the house is the real form of the need for
communication every person to determine and think of all the solutions for all
problems which arising between communication them. And able to be an
instrument that maintains harmony in the lives of its people. In the fourth basic
precepts State Indonesia also mentioned "Populist led by the Consultative
representative wisdom" it is hinted that in order to achieving a wisdom in public
life, it takes a signify of couldn’t Consultative good communication.

Fifth, in a beautiful house would need a pretty decoration, this entry will become
the property of local wisdom. In this case, I personally agree with that presented
by Eck, in [Ali-Fauzy: 2014; 60] that pluralism is a dynamic process that involves
people in the deepest differences. It deepest wisdom of a society is the culture,
and not necessarily known by others. So it should be able to be explained by the
beautiful and able to provide a contribution to the virtues of a policy, and the local
wisdom of a society requires the Sixth elements of the components of this dream
house, which is acceptance. As a real substance that each person requires
acceptance by their kind. If the quote delivered by Michael Ignatief in [Al-Fauzy1:
2014] Human Rights, will not be able to be global if it is not rooted at the local

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level. It annunciate that in any level, someone needs recognition and acceptance
of others in order to establish what belonging to them. In this case, all forms of
community life requires acceptance of others. This is similar to the sturdy pillars
of the building.

Seventh, the last one is the roof of the building in the form of love. Love is able to
be a decisive instrument and neutralizer of any form of conflict. Love, also is an
existence of God who created human in diversity. When you see the roof
constructed is generally triangular or pyramid, has a corner that leads to the top, in
the philosophy could be said that all of forms of love on this earth has estuary
attributed to the Owners of Everything (God the Almighty).

When we build a house (the construction of society) with regard these 7

constituent elements above, it is almost certain that any kind of conflict could be
minimized the appearance. Or could no longer my analogy when seven of these
elements is the embodiment of the tone, then it should be pronounced in
accordance with its parts, in order to creating a soft symphony that is capable of
cooling down the hearts of listeners, and as a result is the harmony of life that
could not be inevitable.