PEACE FROM SIDOMULYO

By Nurdiyansah Dalidjo

Malang — From a distance, around 300 participants at the Village Hall of Sidomulyo Village, Batu City, Malang, East Java, looked like a sea of red and white. On Wednesday morning (2/7/2018), they were wearing red and white clothing during the Peace Village Declaration event.

The event committee intentionally selected red and white as a symbol of brotherhood and nationalism. Not only the clothing, but also the songs were played carrying the messages of peace. Even though the majority of the participants were Muslim women, there were some non-Muslim attendees. On that day, several government representatives were also present.

To the media, Imron Rosyadi Hamid, representative of Wahid Foundation, said that Sidomulyo was selected as a Peace Village because of the tolerant attitude of its residents towards differences. Women’s groups in the village also actively participate in the assistance program and share their experiences with other women's groups.

Among the active women’s groups, there is a women's group named the ‘School of Village Women’ (Sekolah Perempuan Desa [SPD]). This women’s community has been long established. In the declaration event, women from SPD shared their experiences with other participants on their experiences, developing  cooperative and various entrepreneurship training schemes.

Sidomulyo Village is the second village in the Greater Malang region and the ninth village in the program areas that have declared themselves as a Peace Village. According to Permata Ariani, a community organizer from Wahid Foundation, said that Sidomulyo Village has strong social bonds among its residents. So far, the potential for intolerance and radicalism is still at a low level. With this advantage, Puput, as she is also known, hoped that Sidomulyo is not just a place to foster tolerance and peace, but also is a village with economic self-reliance. “Every resident can respect each other's differences while developing businesses and economic activities,” she added.

During the declaration event, a number of assisted women exhibited their products such as various processed foods, beverages, souvenirs and handicrafts. There were also several business groups of women from Gunungsari Village and Tlekung Village who attended and exhibited their products. The two villages are also assisted by Wahid Foundation.

The women’s groups from the two villages previously received assistance and trainings starting from capital, production, and marketing from Wahid Foundation partnering with the local government. The women’s groups help each other in developing their businesses.

Sidomulyo Village is located on the slopes of Mount Arjuna and embraced by cool air and rather cold. Sidomulyo is inhabited by around 5000 people. From a distance, this village reveals its beautiful scenery. Silhouettes of mountains and hills create panoramas that can be appreciated by anyone. Another beautiful feature it offers is a colorful flower garden. Many of its residents work as flower farmers and participate in developing tourism industry in Batu City. The Village of Flowers, that is what Sidomulyo is also known as.

Wahid Foundation hopes that in the future, it is not only Sidomulyo’s natural attraction that brings in tourists, but also its peaceful and tolerant atmosphere, which can become an icon of this village.