Challenges of Applying Modern Mediation in Resolving Conflicts in Indonesia*
Peter
Suwarno, Department
of Language and Literature, Program for Southeast Asia Studies, Arizona
State University
As a diverse nation in transition to democracy, Indonesia has to deal
with various types of major internal conflicts that created a great challenge
for the government and NGOs to help solve. The ideal modern mediation
process requires a neutral third party intervention to facilitate peaceful
negotiation in order to achieve a long term, acceptable resolutions. This
paper describes issues and challenges of applying this type of mediation
in resolving Indonesian conflicts based on experience, interviews, and
observation as a mediation trainer in Indonesia.
The first major challenge is convincing the conflicting parties that mediation
is most suitable methods for dealing with hard-to-solve conflicts, instead
of the still frequently used methods of avoidance, musyawarah (deliberation
to reach consensus), coercion, and violence. The second challenge is facilitating
open communication between the disputants that are interested only in
quick, short-term resolution. The third issue is employing neutrality
in cases where the appointed mediators still tend to use their traditional
charismatic and paternalistic power to influence the mediation outcomes.
The fourth challenge for the mediators is how to empower the weaker disputants
for a fair negotiation to take place. Finally, an effective mediation
requires the mediators to have knowledge, experience and skills to prepare
the disputants before the negotiation on various skills, e.g. how to negotiate,
tolerate differences, manage stress, control anger, and even heal trauma.
These challenges appear to make mediation a lengthy and inefficient process
compared to other methods. Nevertheless, in this reform and democratization
era, mediation educates the people's awareness of and enhances their participation
in the democratic process and in the creation of a civil Indonesian society.
Peter
Suwarno obtained his masters degree in linguistics in 1988 and his
PhD in communication in 1991 from Ohio University. He has been teaching
Indonesian since he was a TA at Ohio University in 1986. He taught Southeast
Asian Literatures as an assistant professor at Arizona State University,
1993-1998. Now he is an associate professor and associate chair of the
Department of Languages and Literatures at the same university. His research
includes communications and linguistics, including his book "Javanese
Proverbs and Idiomatic Expression" (1999). He also directed an exchange
project with Indonesian Islamic Studies Institutes on conflict resolutions
sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cutulral Affairs of the US
Department of States.
See
also: "Dialog with
Dr. Suwarno" - Open Discussion hosted by the Yale Indonesian
Forum (YIF) - 4:15 P.M. Wednesday November 3
For current Yale SEAS Seminars and Events schedule, see: http://www.yale.edu/seas/Seminars.htm