Utilization of Local Wisdom and Custom Symbols to Build Peace in Ambon

Abstract

In addition to natural disasters, one form of disaster that occurs in urban areas is a disaster caused by social conflict.  Ambon is one example of a plural community that has experienced several horizontal conflicts, especially in 1999-2001. The stereotypical view of a religious group against another group, usually followed by the emergence of hostilities, attempts to attack each other, kill each other, burn each other houses of worship, and so on. Although the situation in Ambon is quite peaceful today, but the latent potential for further conflicts is still very likely. Efforts to revive local wisdom and an inventory of customary symbols began. The Customary Symbols owned by the Indigenous People have a strong emotional value for the Ambonese community. This is considered capable of reducing conflict. The problems that exist, are those who at the time of conflict are still children and they are presently very likely to still experience trauma; the existence of segregation of religion-based settlements as one of the post-conflict resolution efforts; as well as the widespread understanding of local wisdom values by young people because of the lack of cultivation of these values by parents to their children, enabling this condition to be a potential for continued conflict. Means for the transfer of knowledge about sustainable local wisdom and conservation of indigenous symbols are needed to overcome this problem. This can also be used as a means to build peace. Public space as a meeting point and cross cutting affiliation and conservation of custom symbols becomes important to establish resilience to the possibility of further conflict