Central Maluku, Indonesia ― June 30, 2010 ― The past conflict in Maluku has eroded the traditional values of harmony and brotherhood (pela gandong) and tolerance in many communities. Over time this has impacted not only adults view of one-another but has also influenced the interaction among the next generation of people in the Malukus—youth. There remains a need to continue to rehabilitate communities, rebuild trust, and inspire a sense of harmony among youth utilizing existing tools and limited resources. One SERASI grantee is working hard to make use of one such traditional resource—native music—that reflects centuries old traditions and the value of harmony amidst diversity in Maluku. This musical heritage has long been expressed through the Christian community’s totobuang, an instrument of small, horizontally-laid gongs that function melodically. The Muslim community has traditionally used percussion, flutes, and horn-like hadrat and sawat musical instruments performed in a salawat (musical compositions) to sing religious praises. These two musical forms are usually played as a backdrop to the lenso (handkerchief—dance) in the Christian community and the sawat dance in the Muslim community, respectively.

USAID/SERASI grantee LAKPESDAM NU is implementing a program in Central Maluku aimed to help rebuild trust and break down barriers between different religious groups. LAKPESDAM NU traditionally focuses on designing and implementing research programs in education, advocacy, and human resource empowerment, but has gotten into the spirit of the SERASI program in working to promote the traditional music of Maluku as a means to educate citizens about the need to continue to preserve, and build, peace in the province.

“The program aims to bring together youth from the Muslim and Christian communities, combine the traditions of totobuang and salawat, and compel participants to appreciate each other’s cultural heritage at an early age, establishing tolerance for diversity,” says Hilda Rollobessy, LAKPESDAM NU’s Director. “There are currently 50 participants, ages 10-17 years in our 24-day program that trains participants to play traditional musical instruments. Participants and audience will ultimately re-discover and learn more about the richness of Maluku’s culture, appreciating its values of harmony and brotherhood.”

“I learn more about the Malukan culture as a whole and develop new friendships,” says Granada, a 16 year-old high school student, participant and dancer from the village of Tial, in the predominantly Muslim Batu Merah region of Ambon. “My friends and I hope to get invitations to perform at bigger events because we want to introduce outsiders to Maluku’s culture so they can see that we now live harmoniously and peacefully.”

SERASI is a USAID funded project focused on creating stable, democratic communities. It is implemented by International Relief and Development.