As a diverse country consisting some religions, even with about 89% Moslem population as the biggest in the world, Indonesia is somehow prone to any civilization frictions and conflicts in the name of religions. Some facts or religion conflicts, radicalizations, religion humiliation, and even terrorism are imminent in Indonesia. These symptoms are back clashing with the nature of the religions as the faith for peaceful life; despite the diversity or any frictions. Thus, it is urgent to take affirmative action to search the common ground amidst the religious diversity.
The symptoms related to any religious diversity should be accommodated by anyone, especially for those who have influence in society like senior citizens, religious leaders, scholars, and also the Academics; the process will be underneath interfaith dialogue to search the common ground and mutual understanding. We the members of this project would like to propose the interfaith dialogue forum, being named as The MICO (Malang Interfaith Community) by accommodating those parties in order to search the common ground within the religious diversity.
The forum is intended to be the media for those parties in order to promote the importance of postmodern life and mindset within the diverse society e.g. respecting the other religions, like what happen in such diverse country: Indonesia. As this is a continuing program, the project will involve some parties, including the Student Government at campuses in Malang (including students’ religion-based organizations or communities), Interfaith Forum by Religious Affair Department, and religious leaders for each session.
The importance of peaceful resolution of differences and disputes becomes even more evident when we look at the reality. While poverty, illiteracy, disease, and injustice still present the most difficult challenges to humanity, we are also presented with the fact that violent conflicts and even wars continue to be the most devastating source of human suffering (Syamsudin, 2012).
The importance of conducting interfaith dialogue is to help the people with whom we are talking to understand each other by producing better mutual understanding among the believers of different religions (Chowdury, 2008). The other justification why interfaith dialogue is this is in line with the United Nations commitment to promote understanding within religious diversity through its UN World Interfaith Harmony Week; when it is annual agenda in every first week of February.
The other justification why the interfaith dialogue is urgent to be conducted in Indonesia is that we need more specific assembly forum. Through this independent forum, and by involving the various religious communities, society will put more respect as a commitment in eradicating the religious crisis occurring in Indonesia lately.
If then there is not any affirmative action in order to uphold the religious crisis in Indonesia, the society will be kept left behind due to social clashes. The degradation of social morality caused by the religious disputes will then degrade the value of the religions themselves, the development of the nations, and also the peaceful life on Earth.
We are applying academic approach in establishing this forum as we are now focusing on the academicians, we can say them as scholars, as the contributors and also participants. We believe they are the significant affluent society so far as we scoop down in Malang. In addition, this project is also underneath the supervision of Forum Kerukunan Umat Beragama (FKUB) of Department of Religious Affairs in Malang.
We are applying academic approach in establishing this forum as we are now focusing on the academicians, we can say them as scholars, as the contributors and also participants. We believe they are the significant affluent society so far as we scoop down in Malang. In addition, this project is also underneath the supervision of Forum Kerukunan Umat Beragama (FKUB) of Department of Religious Affairs in Malang.
Project Initiative
The project was established at first by some alumni or American sponsored program, in cooperation with the student's government of campuses in Malang. For further information about the initiators, please see the Pilot Projects.
See also our projects for further information about this project.
See also our projects for further information about this project.
