Dr Birgit Braeuchler1, Dr Priyambudi Sulistiyanto2, Dr Birgit Braeuchler1, Dr Priyambudi Sulistiyanto2, Dr Najib Azca3, Mr Rumekso Setyadi4, Ms Ade Siti Barokah5, Ms Maulida Raviola5, Ms Ayu Diasti Rahmawati3
1Monash University, , Australia, 2Flinders University, , Australia, 3Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 4Syarikat, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 5The Asia Foundation, Jakarta, Indonesia
Panel organisers: Dr Birgit Braeuchler and Dr Priyambudi Sulistiyanto
Chair: Dr Najib Azca
Overview:
A decade ago, a group of scholars and activists put together the first volume on grassroots reconciliation in Indonesia (Reconciling Indonesia. Grassroots Agency for Peace, 2009). Given the refusal of political powerholders back then to systematically deal with the past, we were in search of grassroots initiatives to build peace and restore social relations, with regards to past mass violence such as 1965/66 and more recent post-Suharto violence. This panel seeks to revisit reconciliation debates and initiatives, again with a focus on the grassroots. Although our focus is on Indonesia, we are also keen to include contributions on initiatives in Timor-Leste or between the two countries. We would like to invite contributions that address one or more of the following questions: What longer-term impact did previous reconciliation initiatives have? How have recent social and political developments (e.g. increasing radicalisation, polarisation, populism) impacted on reconciliation? Has it led to new initiatives or rather led to regress? What role do performative means play in contemporary reconciliation initiatives? What achievements were made in the field of human rights and what impact did this have on broader issues of reconciliation and the search for sustainable peace, in particular with regard to grassroots agency?