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University and CSO Partnership s in Enha n cing C apacity of Communit ies to Promote Democratic Governance. Sri Mastuti Ambo Masse Ramsiah Tasruddin. Organize of Presentation. Indonesia Map. Islam in Indonesia.
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University and CSO Partnerships in Enhancing Capacity of Communities to Promote Democratic Governance • Sri Mastuti • Ambo Masse • RamsiahTasruddin
Islam in Indonesia • Islam is the majority religion in Indonesia, around 203 million (88%) of a total population of 250 million. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. • Islam came to Indonesia in peace through initially through traders, and its introduction took a “cultural” approach. • Islam in Indonesia is overwhelmingly moderate in nature, and is in general highly tolerant. • There are many large and small Islamic civil society organizations, including several of the world’s oldest and largest Islamic CSOs.
SOUTH SULAWESI PROVINCE • Population just over 8,000,000 (2010) • Average annual population growth rate: 1.17%, slightly lower than national average of 1.49% • 13% of the population live below the national poverty line • Economy based mainly on agriculture, fisheries, trade, some manufacturing • Services are also important; the provincial capital, Makassar, is a major regional center for services and transportation • Ecologically diverse (coastal zones, irrigated rice plains, mountainous areas, offshore islands, etc.) • Ethnically diverse; population mainly Muslim, with a large Christian population in the northern highlands (TanaToraja)
ALAUDDIN ISLAMIC STATE UNIVERSITY • AlauddinIslamic State Institute was established in Makassar, South Sulawesi, in 1965 by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. • In 2005, it was “upgraded” to become an Islamic State University in response to increasing needs of the Muslim community. • An Islamic State Institute is focused mainly on religious studies, whereas an Islamic State University offers both religious and other fields of study including medicine, engineering, computer science etc. • Having become an Islamic State University, itis more inclusive and has attracted a much larger number of students. • It currently has about 16,000students (mainly undergraduate, but also some post-graduate) in 7 faculties (Tarbiyah/Education, Science & technology, health, Adab and Humaniora, Dakwah & communication, Ushuluddin/Philospohy), Syariah /Law).
The University Triple Mandate “Tridharma” Research Community Service Teaching (outreach, engagement)
Reasons for the Changes • Research has not yet been used to overcome the problems that exist in communities. • Outreach conducted only through service learning and “routine” religious lectures, for example during Friday prayers. • Community service is not sustainable, so it cannot respond to the needs in the community. • The current approach only reaches a tiny number of communities.
Reasons for the Changes Research doesn’t apply to respond the need of community. Beside that result of research from field college workis not used as material for teaching. Society often saw the institute/university as “Santa Claus” – a source of gifts/charity • The community outreach approach is still based on what is determined by the university, while the community has not been involved in a participatory manner.
Reflection and NewMomentum In 2011 with the support of the SILE Project,AlauddinIslamic State University reflected on its current approach to university-community outreach. The results: • Current outreach approaches to date made communities dependent on the University, itself becoming overburdened with the increasing number of requests for support of capital goods or other material assistance. • Lack of interest of lecturers and students in performing community service. Community service was more regarded as simply a prerequisite for graduation, and lecturers were not well rewarded.
Reflection and New Momentum • Activities do not touch the empowerment of the community in order to promote democratic governance. • The potential that exists in the University to contribute to the empowerment of the community has not been managed optimally because it is still split between teaching, research and service. • The University has not cooperated formally with CSOs (though many lecturers are very involved in their personal capacity).
Learning from University Outreach Experience • Community service directly carried by university to the university’s community. • Community service conducted by university community frequently involved the third party. • Community service conducted by involving the community around the university to pro-actively engage and work together with the university in community service activities
The new approach of AlauddinIslamic State University to Community Outreach • Developing community service by engaging CSOs in planning and implementation • Creating a working group partnership whose members consist of faculty members and representatives of selected CSOs, both large and small, secular and religious-oriented. • Each working group is assisting selected communities chosen to represent the diversity of the province’s ecology, settlement types (urban, rural, accessible, isolated, etc.), ethnicity and other factors. • This process is supported by the SILE Project, a joint activity of Indonesia and Canada to promote strengthening of democratic governance values and practices in society.
Groups of CSOs • Religious organizations : • MPM Muhammadiyah and DDI • Secular organizations: • LAPAR, LPM Jeneponto,Kopel • Women’s organizations : • FPMP, Aisyiah, Muslimat
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION : ASSESSMENT Area of Assessment • BorongBulo, Paranglompoa, Botolempangan, Gowa regency • MacciniBaji, Manggala, Gowa regency • Ujungbulu, Rumbia, Jeneponto regency • Pappalluang, Bangkala Barat, Jeneponto regency • Tamangapa, Manggala, Makassar City • Lette, Mariso, Makassar city • Cambaya, Ujung Tanah, Makassar city Makassar city GowaRegency JenepontoRegency
The Strengths of Working Groups • Collaboration between the two types of institutions each having their own strengths (universities in theory and CSOs in praxis and experience): they can learn from each other • Working group partnerships model democratic governance (e.g. equality, transparency, accountability, participation) • Division of management roles to facilitate the implementation of responsibility but all involved and support each other • Working groups perform community service in the spirit of integrating teaching, learning, and outreach/engagement
The Strengths of Working Groups • The commitment and spirit of creativity led to the establishment of the working groups in accordance with the potential of each member. • Community service is undergoing a transformation in the direction of encouraging democratic governance (participatory planning and budgeting issues, conflict resolution, monitoring of public services, and civic education).
Working Together • All working group members are involved in the planning and implementation of activities. • Working groups do pre-assessment to analize power relations in the communities, identify key actors and develop core groups. • Working groups work with communities (core groups: farmers, cultural leaders, religious leaders, women, youth, etc.) doing asset mapping through observation, reviewing secondary data, FGDs and in-depth interviews. • Planning together for program/activities will be done in the communities to promote democratic governance.
MEETING THE CHALLENGES • In managing time to work and meet each other, we keep flexibility to maximize the opportunities for each member to meet and communicate with one another. • Human resources of working groups are able to provide effective assistance in the community through a number of capacity building activities for group members supported by SILE, for example by sending members to take short courses and diploma programs in development leadership at the Coady Institute and the Mindanao Peace Institute in the Philippines. • Training on RBM, ABCD, gender analysis, civic education, facilitating public forums, etc.
SOME LESSONS LEARNED • Ways of changing the paradigm in community empowerment from “traditional” models to mobilizing assets needs more time and creativity • Integration of teaching, research, and service needs to be accompanied by adjustments in the organizational structure of the university and inter-sectoral coordination. SILE assist the university to develop university community outreach model, increased capacity of CSOs and communities to promote democratic governance through community driven for development, and assist the Ministry of Religious Affair to develop new policy as umbrella for the new approach. • Attention to community service should be improved, strengthened and adequately rewarded so that the university can contribute directly to the development and improvement of people's welfare.
