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Snapshot
USAID and partners
promote harmony and
brotherhood through the
use of musical traditions
Peace Strikes a Chord in Maluku
Photo: USAID/SERASI
Some of the student participants playing
the totobuang, hadrat, and sawat during
a training session in Ambon, Central
Maluku, Indonesia.
“I hope that cultural activities
like these can continue in the
future so that we can also
pass it on to our next
generation!”
Granada, a 16-year-old
program participant
The violent conflict between Muslims and Christians that started in
the late 1990s in many provinces of the East Indonesian islands of
Maluku has eroded the traditional values of harmony, brotherhood
(pela gandong), and tolerance in many communities. Although the
conflict itself ended in 2002, over time, it has impacted not only
adults’ views of one another but also influenced the interaction
among the next generation of youth in the area. There remains a
need to continue to rehabilitate communities, rebuild trust, and
inspire a sense of accord among youth by utilizing existing tools
and limited resources.
One USAID grantee, Lakpesdam NU, is working hard to make use
of such resources by promoting the traditional music of Maluku as
a means to educate citizens about the need to continue to
preserve and build peace in the province.
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 musical
instruments to sing religious praises called salawat.
Through the USAID-funded SERASI project – which supports
Indonesia’s continuing evolution into a peaceful, just and
democratic nation – Lakpesdam NU is bringing together youth
from both religious communities to learn about Maluku’s rich
musical culture and the diversity of traditions behind it, all while
honing their musical skills.
“The program aims to 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,” said Hilda Rollobessy Lakpesdam NU’s Director.
The 24-day program currently has 50 participants, ages 10-17,
and trains them to play traditional musical instruments, capping off
in regular musical performances for various community events
including weddings and religious ceremonies.
“I [have] learned more about the Malukan culture as a whole and
developed new friendships,” said Granada, a 16-year-old program
participant 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.”
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