TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, urges the religious leaders to handle intergroup conflicts up to the grassroots level. The president is aware that conflicts are prone to emerge from this level.
“Previously, President Jokowi invited religious leaders and public figures to build a sense of togetherness and calmness among the grassroots level,” said Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) head Henriette Tabita Lebang on Tuesday, May 16.
Henriette says that Jokowi views the reach into the grassroots level as one of the most effective ways of preventing conflicts. Conflicts usually spark from differences of opinions amongst the people.
Meanwhile, the government would be able to utilize the National Awakening Day that is annually celebrated on May 20th. Henriette said that the celebration is a perfect momentum to hold a large scale event that can connect groups from different religions and traditions to create the togetherness.
“Through that process, we hope that a social reconciliation could be reached among the diverse groups of society. We should not be stuck in polarization,” Henriette concluded.
ISTMAN M.P.