Title: Ethnic Religious Conflict in Post-Decentralization Policy: Formulating a Sensitive of Ethnic Religious Conflict –Based Policy

General Description
Within the last seven years, ethnic religious conflicts have occurred in several parts of Indonesia. Ethnic, cultural and religious diversity in Indonesia is the advantage of the multicultural dynamic within the society. However, it has also possibilities of conflict tensions and structural differentiation; those are the triggers of increasing violence within conflict. Conflict with violence has weakened cultural bonds as well as efforts for democratisation process at the local level.
Given the fact that the future of development process in Indonesia not only directed to overcome obstacles of development, but also to figure out a comprehend understanding of vulnerabilities within society. This involves considerations to cultural and religious diversity, and conflict tendency. More specifically, ethnic and religious development policies need to be directed to resolve conflict problems that provide an understanding of the root, trigger and actual conflicts.
In fact, social policies that recently have been enacted seem to be insensitive to conflict potentials. The insensitive characters of social policies are sometimes ignites to actualise conflict more deteriorated. Social policy plan-making tends to be dominated by the major interests of the ethnic-religious majority. The potentials conflicts may also manifest when the government tried to interfere public religious affairs, as well as the tendency to politicise the issue of ethnicity and religions. Decentralisation and local autonomy that have been implemented for the last six years in Indonesia, have provided a political space for growing civil-society participatory. On the other hand, these practices also followed by the tendency of growing local politics of identity marked by ethnic and religious sentiments. Consequently, the local government policies are sometime influenced by a monolitic power that ignores the sensitity of cultural differences; and thus disregard civil rights, especially that aims to the protection of the minority groups. For instance, there are some local regulations address to benefitted to the majority only. Another feature of the practice of monolitic power evidenced by discriminatory policies against ethnic and religious differences. Such policies potentially ignite conflicts or tensions between ethnic or religious groups. Indeed, it also contributes to the process of abolishing the local mechanism to overcome conflict which also means to weaken the process of democracy at the grassroot level.
Therefore, this research aims to explore a cultural sensitive-based policy addressed to resolve ethnic and religious conflicts. The method of this research relies on its participatory action which involves stakeholders in order to formulate related-policy. A participatory process within the process of formulating local policy, is expected to be a suitable approach of conflict prevention.
Aims of the Study
1. To examine a cultural sensitive based policy as an alternative approach to prevent ethnic and religious conflict in Indonesia that involves the role of multi-stakeholders.
2. To analyse the process of local policy formulation responding to accommodate the interests of a multicultural society.
3. To provide an alternative of conflict resolution and conflict prevention through the engagement of local policies based on cultural sensitivity within development process.
Research Method
In general, this reseach will apply a qualitative based research that includes a fieldwork (observatory activities), as well as peace-development and conflict analysis.
Research Significance to Indonesia
1. It will provide an alternative approach of conflict prevention through policy formulation that is useful for the policy-making in Indonesia.
2. It will provide a useful reference for the development based on the efforts of peace building, especially in the post-conflict regions.



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