STRENGTHENING RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES AND INTERFAITH COMMUNICATION IN BUILDING SOCIAL HARMONY: PEACE AND CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION

Edy Saputra; Sutrisno Sutrisno; Rahmy Zulmaulida; Julia Noviani; Ega Gradini; Joni Harnedi; Nurul Hikmah; Rizka Utami

doi:10.35316/assidanah.v7i2.369-386

Authors

Edy Saputra Program Studi Tadris Matematika, Fakultas Tarbiyah, Institut Agama Islam Negeri Takengon, Aceh Tengah 24519, Indonesia
Sutrisno Sutrisno Program Studi Hukum dan Tata Negara, Fakultas Syariah, Da'wah, dan Ushuluddin, Institut Agama Islam Negeri Takengon, Aceh Tengah 24519, Indonesia
Rahmy Zulmaulida Program Studi Tadris Matematika, Fakultas Tarbiyah dan Ilmu Keguruan, Universitas Islam Negeri Sultanah Nahrasiyah, Lhokseumawe 24352, Indonesia
Julia Noviani Program Studi Tadris Matematika, Fakultas Tarbiyah, Institut Agama Islam Negeri Takengon, Aceh Tengah 24519, Indonesia
Ega Gradini Program Studi Tadris Matematika, Fakultas Tarbiyah, Institut Agama Islam Negeri Takengon, Aceh Tengah 24519, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4183-527X
Joni Harnedi Program Akidah dan Filsafat Islam, Fakultas Ushuluddin dan Studi Agama, Universitas Islam Negeri Imam Bonjol, Padang 25586, Indonesia
Nurul Hikmah Program Studi Bimbingan Konseling Islam, Fakultas Ushuluddin, Adab, dan Dakwah, Universitas Islam Negeri Sultanah Nahrasiyah, Lhokseumawe 24352, Indonesia
Rizka Utami Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Arab, Fakultas Tarbiyah, Institut Agama Islam Negeri Takengon, Aceh Tengah 24519, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35316/assidanah.v7i2.369-386

Keywords:

Interfaith Communication, Peace and Conflict, Religious Attitude, Social Harmony

Abstract

Indonesia's religiously plural districts have periodically experienced tensions rooted in administrative procedures and misunderstandings in interfaith relations. This service activity aimed to identify forms of religious attitudes and communication patterns in Aceh Tengah and Aceh Singkil communities, as well as surface participatory strategies for sustaining social harmony. Using a Participatory Action Research (PAR) cycle, the program included Training of Trainers (ToT), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), participatory mapping, community education, and iterative monitoring and evaluation conducted with teachers, students, religious leaders, FKUB members, and local officials. The service showed that Aceh Tengah exhibited strong tolerance supported by inclusive Gayo cultural norms, open deliberative communication, and proactive engagement between the government and the FKUB. Aceh Singkil faced recurrent challenges related to worship-permit arrangements, yet communities maintained mutual respect and associative ties that helped de-escalate issues. The program empowered local stakeholders to act as agents of tolerance and clarified bottom-up feedback channels within existing top-down procedures, generating practical improvements and guidance for replication. In conclusion, collaborative, bottom-up communication institutionalized through government, interfaith forums, and community partnerships was essential to manage diversity and sustain harmony; the PAR-based approach provided a practical model and transferable lessons for similar plural settings across Indonesia.

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