Horizontal conflict between Muslims and Christians in Poso, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia in past years metamorphosed into a vertical conflict between extremist groups and the government. This has left a lasting impact on civil society. However, these conditions have not obstructed peacebuilding in the Poso regency. Multicultural religious education is one approach to building peace in the regency.
Several NGOs have continuously collaborated with local governments, religious leaders, educational institutions, youth figures, and women’s communities to build a peaceful Poso. NGOs involve religious teachers and students of various religions in inclusive education, training young people to be peace agents, and mentoring to build a peaceful life in diversity.
Peace and interfaith programs have inspired many religious teachers to present an inclusive multicultural learning model in many schools in Poso. They are implementing religious learning, extracurricular activities, socio-religious activities, and humanitarian solidarity programs responsive to peace practices in Poso’s post-conflict environment. Therefore, most schools in Poso have conducted religious education that is oriented towards strengthening religious, national, and cultural values responsive to peacebuilding in schools. Students bring a culture of peace into their families and communities where they live so that they become agents of peace in real-life dialogue between religious communities.
Students are taught about the teachings of their religions, which include non-violence and respect for the teachings of other religions on the principle of human equality as God’s creatures and citizens of the nation. Religious teachers educate inclusive, tolerant, and peaceful dialogue in schools and the Poso community.
Religious education is no longer exclusive, but has become an inclusive means responsive to peace. Every student from various religious backgrounds is given the same opportunity to believe and worship at school. They all participate in academic, extracurricular, socio-religious, and solidarity activities in the name of humanity. Religious education is used as an approach to eliminate negative stigma and promote non-violent attitudes towards people of other religions.
Multicultural religious education learning strategies implemented to support the development of religious peace in schools after the conflict include:
1. Responsive multicultural school policies. A principal in Poso has implemented a multicultural religious education policy that considers the Poso community’s social context, which has experienced religious conflict in the past. This policy plays a role in building awareness of the importance of living peacefully in diversity, especially between Muslim and Christian students as objects affected by the conflict. The main principle of this policy is equality in faith, worship, and humanity, regardless of religious and ethnic differences. The school motto, “Welcome diversity, goodbye uniformity,” reflects this policy.
2. Improving the multicultural competence of religious teachers. Schools in Poso continue to improve teachers’ multicultural competence through interfaith trainings that promote harmony between Christians and Muslims. Teachers from various religions are given equal opportunities to understand other religions by visiting places of worship and participating in interfaith activities. Teachers can teach moderate and inclusive religious values that strengthen tolerance, social cohesion, togetherness, synergy, and collaboration across religions in schools and the Poso community.
3. Formulation of inclusive multicultural learning objectives. Religious education objectives are formulated to foster multicultural understanding and awareness, both in spiritual and social aspects. Religious learning is directed to avoid using terms or themes that can trigger differences, stereotypes, and conflicts. Religious teachers encourage mutual respect and maintain harmony through real-life dialogue in universal social and humanitarian activities.
4. Integration of multicultural values into the curriculum. All schools in Poso integrate multicultural values such as mutual forgiveness, respect, compassion, tolerance, and cooperation in religious education materials. Learning is designed so that students understand the similarities and differences, especially between Islam and Christianity, so they can respect each other. This step creates a peaceful learning atmosphere and prevents students from intolerance that leads to violent conflict.
5. Contextual learning practices. Religious teachers link multicultural materials with the realities of the Poso area, which has been in conflict and building peace. Teachers use images, films, and videos reflecting religious diversity to encourage tolerance, peace, and non-violent attitudes in schools and communities. Students are involved in peace promotion activities at other schools. Students are directed to maintain each other’s security during religious rituals, active in humanitarian activities such as raising funds, food, and clothing for people of different religions affected by natural disasters.
6. Evaluation of multicultural learning outcomes. Learning evaluation involves an integrative assessment between cognitive aspects and socio-humanitarian practices, focusing on student involvement in interreligious and intercultural activities. Teachers assess students’ cognitive understanding through exam questions on religious, cultural, and national diversity themes. Furthermore, teachers assess students’ active roles in universal socio-religious and humanitarian activities that support peace in schools and the Poso community today.
Saepudin Mashuri
Saepudin Mashuriis an Associate Professor and dean for the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training at the State Islamic University of Datokarama Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. His studies focused on multicultural Islamic education, religious moderation, and cross-cultural studies. At his campus, he teaches bachelor, master, and doctoral students on multicultural religious education and moderate Islam studies. Collaborating with LeimenaInstituteInstitut, he educates cross-cultural religious literacy for religious teachers in Eastern Indonesia's elementary and junior-senior high schools. He is also a trainer for a religious moderation program to build religious harmony in Indonesia. He researches the development of peacebuilding in conflict areas such as Poso and multi-ethnic schools. He has published several research results related to his studies, such as Spiritual Base of Pesantren for Building Multicultural Awareness In Indonesia Context. Jurnal Ilmiah ISLAM FUTURA, Vol. 24. No. 1, February 2024, 1-20. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.22373/jiif.v24i1.17141. The building sustainable peace through multicultural religious education in the contemporary era of Poso, Indonesia. Cogent Education, 2024-12-31 DOI:10.1080/2331186X.2024.2389719
