Days 14-16

Another group pic!

For the past couple of days and throughout our cultural immersion here in Indonesia, we have been meeting with various religious representatives and figures. Since our program is focused on religious pluralism and democracy, issues and questions around these topics are constantly brought to the table. Although these topics are discussed, I feel that the religious representatives and political figures have stuck to very diplomatic and somewhat safe responses during our discussions about religious pluralism and democracy. It seems to me that it has not been until today, that we have received actual, genuine responses from the student activists. 

It was refreshing to hear from them because it seemed to me that I was actually receiving first-hand responses from regular people, who do not necessarily have to provide careful and diplomatic responses.
Beyond this experience, I am very pleased with the landscapes of Jogja, from the Mirape volcano, to the mountains, and the beautiful Borobodur Temple. 

I have been enjoying learning, talking, and seeing more about Indonesia, but my learning experience is not over yet. I am very excited for the American learning experience! TOMORROW!

--Theresa Mejia, Lehigh University

 

Over the past few days, we have met with various political leaders and religious groups, most of which spoke of tolerance in Indonesia. All of the presentations and people we spoke with were very interesting, however, I felt as though our conversations were very surface level, or for lack of a better word, superficial. This morning's discussions were very different: the student activists that were invited to come speak with us represented a variety of different backgrounds and beliefs, and did not simply repeat what we have heard about Indonesian tolerance. Some of the members of the USIPP committee here were quick to clarify that the student activists were not representatives of their entire religion, but I found it refreshing to hear the point of view of students that were not necessarily in accordance with the political and religious leaders we have spoken to. It was the first time where I felt we had a genuine discussion about the idea of Indonesian democracy and asked the hard questions about how religion impacts democracy.
 

Another one of our speakers this morning, the daughter of an important democratic political figure, gave us her perspective of Indonesian democracy "not heading in the right direction". Personally, I feel as though Indonesia has made great strides incorporating religion into a democracy, and I am honestly surprised that it works. Our speaker noted that tolerance is deeply ingrained into Indonesian culture, which plays a major role in how pluralism still exists in an Islamic majority nation.
 

Something I thought was funny/interesting about the conversations was that our speakers/Indonesian students were quick to jump to things like "in god we trust" on American money or the phrase "god bless America" to prove that Indonesian and American societies are similar in their integration of religion into politics. In reality, these references to god have become more like a tradition with a specific history (sometimes not even directly related to religion) than proof of a blurring between church and state. If anything, most Americans would most likely view the phrase "in god we trust" with nationalistic fervor rather than relate it to religion's role in American politics. I am not trying to deny the obvious role religion plays in many pertinent issues like abortion or marriage rights, however, I do not think it is a fair comparison whatsoever with the role of religion in Indonesian society.
 

In my opinion, No matter how you look at it, Indonesia is not, and cannot, be a secular state (as one of our speakers argued) or compared to the American Constitution as long as panca sila and the Indonesian constitution stipulates that the belief in one god as a prerequisite to national identity.

--Ellie McGuire, Lehigh University

 

We've had a really exciting few days here in Indonesia! I’ve been having stomach issues the past few days—just eating rice and bland foods for a while. Anyway to update on the past few days, we have been meeting with many different religious organizations and important persons. For the majority of this trip, I’ve felt that much of the discussion was a little bit timid but overall really helpful in my understanding of pluralism and democracy here. However, today was a very different look at this society; we met with a group of student activists from a variety of faiths as well as Alyssa Wahib, who was the daughter of a former president. 

I found it absolutely fascinating to speak with these people and to hear of their opinions, which at times, contrasted with the general information we were told by others representing the same constituency. Their responses were candid and it was uplifting to hear them speak without any pretenses or careful wording. It was also interesting to hear the opinions of people that didn’t tell us that they were happy with the status of Indonesia today. From what I’ve learned and experienced in Indonesia, it seems there are three apparent factors effecting the establishment of a democratic society ; the population themselves have not been fully democratized as individuals, religion plays such a forceful role in elections and governmental decisions (as it does in America to an extent but in a much more vaulting manner here), and perhaps the newness of democracy to the country. 

I’m so glad that I came to Indonesia and decided to take this trip because it has really changed my perspective on democracy as a whole and how it can function even in a place with such a devout religious background. It was also humbling to meet so many different kinds of people; some who came from nothing and made something of themselves, others born into power and responsibility. I can’t express my gratitude to this place for opening my eyes to a rich culture I had previously brushed off and knew almost nothing about. I can’t wait to go home and share this experience with others. My favorite thing we did here in Indonesia was visit the Village of Singlar and I am really moved by my experiences there. Next time I have a problem I’m going to remember that I don’t live next to an active volcano! Anyway, time to pack for America! Ta ta for now!

--Shannon Cassidy, Lehigh University