Celebrating Difference

Imagination leads someone from A to Z and organization takes us from one place to another, adds relationship, establishes communication and even be able to realize the imagination. This is what the writer felt in Multicultural and Interfaith Dialogue training  held by Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta with a theme "Connecting Soul, Celebrating Diversity" on August 23-25, 2019. The training gathered young people from various regions in Indonesia and even abroad (India and Timor Leste) to meet, to connect souls, and to share ideas among differences.

Before leaving Bengkulu, the writer implanted the principle to add knowledge and relationship. Various seminars and even informal discussions about differences had been ever attended by the writer, but there was so different when attending this Stube-HEMAT training, even it is still remembered in memory until now. The egalitarian sense of Stube-HEMAT work team was represented in this training and  became a valuable base for the participants. There was no differences in status so that each participant had the right to receive the same service during the training, even they stayed and had meal with the participants, this is so special.

In the beginning of the training, the writer felt pessimistic to adapt to the differences, because people usually tend to seek 'safe' position with people they had already known or had connection with their previous activities. This time the writer chose to merge with other participants, not even with Mutiara, one of the delegation from Bengkulu from the same ethnic group. We were rarely interacting each other during activities. Besides pessimist, the writer was also doubtful of being able to gain new knowledge and experience due to English language barrier. From the beginning of the introduction, English was used and it can be imagined how the next agenda. Something occurred in mind why in the past people (read: ancestors) had ambitions to reach heaven and build towers of Babel? As a result, God disrupted their work and this became the origin of human languages. Thankfully, the Stube-HEMAT team prepared a translator.

In the midst of limitation and pessimism, the authors found the advantage to understand the material, how the material was delivered twice, using English and Indonesian! Well, although in English the writer only got a few words, but the Indonesian translation made them clearer. As the result, the writer dared to ask about the introduction of Stube-HEMAT and the Student Christian Movement of India (SCMI) even with halting English.

Sharing activity in small groups to discuss the diversity of each participant became a challenge when the writer joined a group with Santhi and Rebecca, both from India. The writer dared to talked with Rebecca, tried to keep asking because if Rebecca had a chance to ask, the writer might not understand. The writer started to ask about her origin, life in India, opinion about Indonesia and many things, even though the writer's gave response only "yes, good, no, really and of course". The writer also asked about Mahatma Gandhi to her and unexpectedly, she left and returned with Rupee and showed a picture of Mahatma Gandhi and gave it to the writer as a reminder.

In the second day, Wening Fikriyati, from Srikandi Lintas Iman explained the material casually through a simulation of diversity through simple matters. No less interesting was the cultural parade that present participants' performances using their unique traditional clothes. Indonesia indeed is so rich and blessed by the Almighty with diversity. So it makes no sense if there are people who doubt and destroy diversity, after 74 years of independence and hundreds of years the heroes fighting for it.

On the third day, a worship was held at GKJ Kemadang pepanthan Planjan. This church service was interesting and special because it used three languages, namely Javanese, Indonesian and English. This was an extraordinary worship experience and during the trip to church I saw Mutia, a Moslem participant, held a Christian bible without feeling awkwardly and she interacted with Rebecca. It was the first time in the writer’s life directly see harmony, usually it is only through social media.

Started from this training, the writer thought of an idea to respond the differences, namely to celebrate the differences themselves. The writer thinks that difference is absolute, so should we continue to live in conflict and not be united? It is not only present and the future need unity and collaboration. Indeed life becomes valuable if harmony occurs, diversity is based on mutual acceptance with appreciation. Not all differences can be uniformed and indeed can not be in uniformity. Therefore, through differences every human being learn from one to another. So, we must leave conflict and enemies in the name of differences and build collaboration for the common good. From this training the writer has idea of empowering youth church to be a 'role-model' of unity, and this must be echoed and manifested. Hopefully, soon this can be realized starting from church.

Finally, the writer acknowledged that the experience of three days of learning and dialogue about diversity with Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta, has succeeded in connecting souls and feelings among differences from each participant to celebrate the differences. Thank you Stube-HEMAT and happy celebrating the difference! (Yedija Manullang)