Indonesia\'s pluralistic garden will not be beautiful without harmony. In order to protect it, Wawan Gunawan, 40, has been diligently building inter-religious dialogue for two decades.
By
Tatang Mulyana Sinaga
·5 minutes read
KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA
Wawan Gunawan
Indonesia\'s pluralistic garden will not be beautiful without harmony. In order to protect it, Wawan Gunawan, 40, has been diligently building inter-religious dialogue for two decades. Together with his colleagues, he has moved to sow the seeds of diversity for a tolerant generation.
The dialogue is built through cooperation among religious and cultural communities. It starts with getting to know each other, discussing and understanding each other. "There is no inter-religious dialogue without dialogue among friends. If they are friendly, they will not be offended to ask about religious relations,” said Wawan in Bandung, West Java, Monday (7/9/2020).
Since 2005, Wawan has joined the Inter-Religious Cooperation Network (Jakatarub). However, several years earlier, he had participated in several discussion forums and tolerance movements.
Jakatarub presents theological discussions and campaigns for the tolerance movement. Two of them are the Bandung Ocean of Peace and Chinese New Year Night Tour. At the Bandung Ocean of Peace 2012, for example, film screenings and book reviews on tolerance were held.
There is no inter-religious dialogue without dialogue among friends. If they are friendly, they will not be offended to ask about religious relations
The goal is to reduce the rise of religious intolerance. Setara Institute\'s research in 2011-2012 shows West Java ranked first among regions with the most cases of intolerance in Indonesia.
"The concept of the activity is adjusted to the creativity of the participants. There are those who make comics, memes and campaigns on Car Free Day. I only take care of it,” said Wawan, who is currently serving at the Jakatarub Presidium.
The Chinese New Year Night Tour is held almost every year. Interfaith youth are invited to visit a number of temples in Bandung. The majority of the participants are young people.
Through this tour, participants can get to know more about the tradition of Chinese citizens. This indicates that for a long time the people of Bandung have lived harmoniously in diversity.
Wawan has also advocated for community groups in West Java whose houses of worship were closed. He builds dialogue to avoid horizontal conflict. "One of them is taking steps in case of conflict in the closure of places of worship. Violence must be avoided," he said.
Nearly all Jakatarub activities involve the youth. Wawan realizes that the youth are an important asset to safeguard future harmony. "The breath of the young people is still long. I\'m only talking about substance. Regarding expression and creativity, they have their own way," he said.
The father of three children believes that one day the youth will have a strategic role in society. Therefore, they need insight into tolerance in order to move actively to maintain a harmonious social life.
Wawan said Jakatarub hosted about 175 activities with the theme of tolerance and dialogue among religions and cultures per year. The youth becomes the driving force for these activities.
Not infrequently, it is the youth community that opens the way to have a partnership with Jakatarub. Jakatarub actively partners with dozens of religious institutions, cultural communities, non-governmental organizations and educational institutions.
Wawan\'s awareness of preserving diversity was not born instantly. He has stories from childhood, adolescence, to adulthood, which become mental experiences to be grateful for the diversity in his life.
Wawan was born to a Muslim family in Bandung. The majority of residents in his neighborhood in Kiaracondong, Bandung, are also Muslim. “However, my father often took me to the house of his Christian friend. They are good friends," he said.
Since the age of five, Wawan\'s parents often invited him to visit his grandfather\'s house in Parung, Bogor regency. There, he mingled with Chinese citizens. "Even Chinese dodol is a child\'s favorite food there during Idul Fitri. The relationship with Chinese citizens is very close,” he said.
After graduating from senior high school in 1998, Wawan and a number of his colleagues in Bandung formed the Student Care Community. This community is engaged in collecting donations to send drop-out children to school.
One of the regular donors was an elderly person named Neli Prayogo. She was Catholic, but she never looked at religion and ethnicity when giving charity. "From Bu (Mrs.) Neli, I learn to understand pluralism. Give help without regarding differences," he said.
Wawan then studied at the Department of Islamic Propagation Communication, Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University (UIN), Bandung, in 1999. On campus, he held discussions on inter-religious and cultural studies.
Three years later, he joined the Association for Anti-Discrimination on Religions, Customs and Beliefs (Pakuan). One of the activities in this association is to give advocacy for communities of “penghayat kepercayaan” (believers of unofficial religions).
BPIP award
If it is not tolerant, it means it moves towards destruction.
Through various concrete steps, Jakatarub was selected as an Icon of the Pancasila Achievement 2020 from the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP). For Wawan, the award is not for an individual, but for all parties who work together with Jakatarub. "This becomes a hope to continue to join hands and build a peaceful Indonesia. Differences are strength, not the unity breaker,” he said.
Indonesia has more than 1,000 ethnic groups as well as various religions and beliefs. This diversity is a social capital in building the nation. However, tolerance is needed to tighten it. "If it is not tolerant, it means it moves towards destruction. This country must be maintained by passing on harmony to the next generation," he said.
On the long road to building interreligious and cultural dialogues, the intolerant undermining has never been extinguished. So, the fire of tolerance must also continue to turn on so that harmony is maintained.
Wawan Gunawan
Born: Bandung, 9 May 1980
Education: S-2 Degree, Religious Studies at Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University (UIN), Bandung (graduated in 2012)
