Paper ini mendiskusikan World Social Forum atau WSF sebagai konsolidasi gerakan social baru yang berpengaruh luas di hampir seluruh belahan dunia, mulai negara-negara maju, berkembang hingga terbelakang. Kendati demikian, tulisan ini menunjukkan bahwa solidaritas dan konsolidasi yang menghendaki tata dunia baru yang lebih adil tersebut kesulitan untuk membangun pemahaman bersama atas karakter ketertindasan, struktur ketidakadilan, dan budaya politik bersama karena perbedaan posisi elemen-elemen gerakan tersebut secara geopolitik, geoekonomis dan peradaban cultural.
This thesis examines the role of Indonesian Islamic boarding schools' (pesantren) engagement in the socio-economic issues of their communities. In undertaking such initiatives, pesantren are moving beyond their core business of Islamic education and propagation. This thesis shows that these pesantren have made significant contributions to the prosperity and welfare of their neighbouring communities. By discussing case studies of four pesantren, this thesis will analyse the ways pesantren have engaged with their communities. It will also examine local contexts and factors that have shaped the form of their engagement, further impact on their standing as educational and da'wah institutions, and their relationships with government and non-government organisations which offer support and partnership. This thesis also highlights why there are pesantren which have undertaken significant engagement activities with their neighbouring communities, while others have not. This study is placed within the growing scholarly interest in analysing Islamic organisations as non-state actors in the provision of welfare services and as development agencies at grass roots level in contemporary Indonesia. Despite differing forms of pesantren's community engagement, I argue that propagating Islam through good deeds in the public interest is the driving force for their engagement. Furthermore, I argue that the more significant their engagement, the greater the religious authority they hold within their communities. As a result, their capacity as Islamising agents in the community is enhanced.
There has been much progress achieved by development in all aspects of human life. However, it is the fact that many layers of the society are left behind the development progress for various reasons. In addition to government's role, the role of non-state actors like Islamic philanthropic organisations in addressing the problem looks more significant in recent times. Previous studies have explored various aspects of Islamic philanthropic movement, especially in Indonesia. This article focuses on forms of program and mobilization strategy of resources and public participation. Data in this article was collected through a fieldwork on the philanthropic activities of Lazis Muhammadiyah in Kalasan, Sleman, DIY. This Lazismu conducted various empowerment programs, such as house rebuilding, building food stall for those who need a job, education for children through scholarship and parenting in orphanage. This study finds that creating a room of participation for the program beneficiaries and the people around them is the key for effectiveness and efficiency of a philanthropic movement. Participation can be pushed from the stage of planning, executing, and maintaining an empowerment program.The synergy between organisational missions and community solidarity makes the mobilisation of resources and public participation relatively easier.
Although religious diversity is legally supported in Indonesia, incidents of attacks on religious minorities and anxiety towards the practice of religious pluralism have continued to plague the country. This paper will analyse factors limiting the practice of religious diversity in post-Suharto Indonesia with a focus on two types of important grass-roots religious institutions. The first type is religious philanthropic organizations, which provide social services for natural disaster victims and the poor. The second type of religious institution is traditional Islamic schools known as pesantren salaf, one of most the important educational institutions for Islamic scholars. This paper will show that increased religiosity has contributed to the growth of socially-engaged religious organizations being used to address social problems, but these religious institutions are naturally developing their operational links within their own religious affiliations and communication beyond their religion is restricted because of mutual anxiety. This paper will also examine the challenge presented by traditional Islamic educational institutions. In order to protect Islam from secularism, these institutions are promoting theologically conservative Islamic teachings that curtail the practice of religious diversity at the grassroots level. Our case studies show that religious education has unintentionally limited the development of religious diversity in Indonesia.
This research investigates the strategies implemented by higher education institutions in Indonesia to enhance the career sustainability of their graduates while exploring potential strengthening opportunities that need attention. The study is motivated by several significant changes, such as the expansion of a flexible job market and the uncertainty of the transition for graduates from the educational environment to the workforce. The research was conducted at eight universities in four cities from July to October 2021. The selection of these cities aimed to encompass the geographical diversity of Indonesia and represent the educational centers in each region. Data were collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGD) involving each university's students, alumni, and career development unit managers. Three main findings emerged regarding the efforts made by the universities, including curriculum adjustments by adding entrepreneurship courses, establishing or developing career development units, and expanding networks of partners to benefit students and alumni. However, institutional capacity, human resource availability, networks, and local contexts also influenced the selection and dynamics of the applied strategies. Consequently, the achieved outcomes varied and could not be measured with uniform parameters. This research argues that policy interventions to enhance the career sustainability of university graduates should consider this complexity. Therefore, we recommend policymakers get involved in implementing independent learning and independent Campuses to understand the diverse initial conditions of universities.
