Self-Governing and Social Parity as Social Conflict Resolution

 

By: Azhari Setiawan, Center for Social, Politics, and Islamic Thoughts (CESIST)

 

Social conflict is a threat and also source of vulnerability for national security and stability. Mely Caballero-Anthony and Alistair D.B. Cook wrote a book entitled, “Non-Traditional Security in Asia” which elaborates nine sources of threat and/or vulnerability for national security. These nine issues which are called as Non-Traditional Issues lead up to trigger a social conflict. That is why health, food, water, natural disasters, internal (communal) conflict, forced migration, energy, and etc. could lead certain societies up to a social conflict.

The social conflict itself could be divided by four types, which are: 1) resource-based conflict; 2) Conflict over governance and authority; 3) Ideological conflicts; and 4) Identity conflicts.

In Indonesia, there are plenty of social conflicts with various types. We also have number of sullen history about social conflicts. The multiplicity of patterns of social conflicts in Indonesia increases the human costs of conflicts and violent threats. The human insecurities, from poverty and human deprivation, mass population displacement, worsening human rights abuses, marginalization, migrations causes the social conflict. We could say that, high number of social conflict is a consequence for state’s failure on strengthening its law enforcement and securitizing its society as the referent object. The elites’ businesses on bureaucratic and struggling political power have forgotten some vital aspects about stabilizing the social conflict potentials.

Raymond W. Mack stated that, the social conflicts are so common and deplored because: 1) social organization exists; 2) social conflict ensues; and 3) social conflict is, at least some extend, deprecated. This is like a vicious cycle and government must develop more legitimate, accountable, and capable national institutions that provide security for the citizens if we still an effective social intervention on preventing the social conflicts is needed. This means that, a society needs an established social order.

Social order could be formulated by focusing on the institutional aspects and/or societal aspects. Matthew Hoddie and Caroline on "Institution-Building and the Resolution of Civil Wars" offered an alternative approach and solution in dealing with cases of conflicts. Institutionalism according Hoddie and Hartzell can provide a prescription for stability after conflicts. The focus of the neoliberal institutionalist focus on the use of the institution as an instrument for creating and managing peace. The process of the institution consists of the negotiation and formation of a power-sharing institutions that produce two main functions in the resolution, namely: 1) the establishment of the institution as a base formation of the new political order; and 2) the encouragement of new norms peace cooperation and increase the cost of conflicts recurrence occurred.

By strengthening the institutional aspects of the government within the society, we could gain two payoffs at once: 1) the state’s or government’s legitimacy by restoring the state’s authority and 2) stability and security within the society. The both must be managed by three steps, which are: 1) verification mechanisms as a function of political communication between the groups; 2) iterative interaction as an early attempt the formation of shared norms; 3) enforcement potential, as a function of sanctions for those who violate the collective agreement. Basically, cooperation terinsitusionalisasi well not only able to prevent conflicts but also can reduce the potential consequence of the anarchic international environment. Institutions provide a mechanism that increases the tendency of mutual behavior between units. A mutual behavior between units is a sign of reciprocal securitizing measures.

Besides that, we also need a self-governing mentality in our society. Self-governing society puts education seriously in the very first place. Voltaire said, "Books dissipate ignorance, the custodian and safeguard of well-policed states." Hamza Yusuf, an Islamic Philosopher who also concerns with the social conflict issues stated that, this is a difficult sentence and is easy to misunderstand upon first glance. However, if we read carefully and properly, one will understand that he is saying that well-policed states are the result of ignorance. Truly educated people are self-governing. The Prophet's city, Medina, was a self-governing state. Medina and Prophet Mohammad didn't need to have a police force because he had transformed the people around him to have an internalized morality; hence, they could walk freely, and that is because "Iqra," the command to read, was revealed to them. The transformation occurred from that. By this idea, I personally believe that an adequate education could be an answer for social conflict resolutions.

An adequate economic and social development programs are also urged to strengthen the social conflict resolution agenda because social disparity by economy often become a conflict source or potential even in some cases, it could cause a separatism movements and also terrorism. As we know, poverty is a source of political instability and criminal violence. Government must strike these motivations to avoid the conflict is triggered. An equitable distribution of income is a precondition of a stable society in term of economic (dis)parity.

A self-governing mentality and social parity will constitute an established social order. Of course, this is not a “waving hand” works. It needs high level concern and comprehensive bottom-up and top-down social action and strategies. These strategies are urged to get an understanding of social conflict distributions, forms, and its impacts.

BERITA TERKAIT

Pembangunan Infrastruktur Demi Tingkatkan Kualitas Hidup Masyarakat Papua

  Oleh : Damier Kobogau, Mahasiswa Papua tinggal di Surabaya   Pemerintah terus berkomitmen membangun Papua melalui berbagai pembangunan infrastruktur…

Pembangunan Fasilitas Pendukung Salah Satu Kunci Kesuksesan IKN

  Oleh : Rivka Mayangsari, Peneliti di Lembaga Studi dan Informasi Strategis Indonesia   Pembangunan IKN merupakan sebuah keputusan sejarah…

Presiden Terpilih Perlu Bebaskan Ekonomi dari Jebakan Pertumbuhan 5% dengan Energi Nuklir Bersih

    Oleh: Dr. Kurtubi, Ketua Kaukus Nuklir Parlemen 2014 – 2019, Alumnus UI Bencana Alam yang banyak terjadi didunia…

BERITA LAINNYA DI Opini

Pembangunan Infrastruktur Demi Tingkatkan Kualitas Hidup Masyarakat Papua

  Oleh : Damier Kobogau, Mahasiswa Papua tinggal di Surabaya   Pemerintah terus berkomitmen membangun Papua melalui berbagai pembangunan infrastruktur…

Pembangunan Fasilitas Pendukung Salah Satu Kunci Kesuksesan IKN

  Oleh : Rivka Mayangsari, Peneliti di Lembaga Studi dan Informasi Strategis Indonesia   Pembangunan IKN merupakan sebuah keputusan sejarah…

Presiden Terpilih Perlu Bebaskan Ekonomi dari Jebakan Pertumbuhan 5% dengan Energi Nuklir Bersih

    Oleh: Dr. Kurtubi, Ketua Kaukus Nuklir Parlemen 2014 – 2019, Alumnus UI Bencana Alam yang banyak terjadi didunia…