A Vast, Diverse and Philanthropic Archipelago

By Amanda Coffin

Spanning over 17,000 islands and 5,000 kilometres, the Republic of Indonesia is home to more than 237 million people.  Its citizens are ethnically, linguistically and religiously diverse.  The country’s motto reflects its pluriformity:  Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, or Unity in Diversity.  Especially amongst its south-east Asian neighbours, Indonesia is also regarded as a very poor nation, with many of its citizens seeking work overseas to survive.  Thus, two recently-published books may come as surprises to readers who perceive Indonesia as an aid recipient rather than as a philanthropic innovator.

The two books, From Charity to Social Investments and Social Justice: Philanthropy in Indonesia, by Josie Fernandez and Creating Welfare for the Community with Zakat: Potentials and Reality in Indonesia, edited by Hamid Abidin Kurniawati, complement each other as they provide readers with a startling view of current programmes and future possibilities.

Josie Fernandez is a Malaysian researcher, writer and consultant, and a founding director of Philanthropy Asia.  She is also the sister of Irene Fernandez, activist and co-founder of Tenaganita, an NGO defending the rights of migrant workers and women.  In 2007, Josie, with the sponsorship of Nippon Foundation Fellowship, spent seven months in Indonesia exploring several initiatives in social philanthropy.  Her book evolved from this research project.

In the book’s foreword, Tatsuya Tanami, the Nippon Foundation’s Executive Director, makes a distinction that is fundamental to the book as a whole:

At my foundation, we believe that philanthropy is not charity.  It is the provision of opportunity.

Indeed, this is not a book about foreign foundations or governments proffering aid to address short-term needs and acute crises.  Ms. Fernandez devotes the entire book to illustrative examples of Indonesians boosting themselves and their communities.  The author begins by examining the many cultural and religious influences feeding this “horizontal philanthropy.”  Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity all have long traditions of social responsibility and giving.  Beyond that, many of the ethnic groups of Indonesia have deeply ingrained traditions of neighbourly cooperation.  The opening chapters make it very clear that the country’s pluriformity has proven fertile ground for a rich mesh of social support.

Expanding upon the charity vs. philanthropy concept, Ms. Fernandez discusses Social Justice Philanthropy (SJP), noting that “social services do not eradicate the root causes of social injustice.”  While traditional charity provides immediate relief for the symptoms, SJP focuses on long-term needs and ways to alleviate the social injustice at the problem’s core.  A charity will build a homeless shelter, whilst the SJP organisation lobbies for changes to public policy and law.  The Indonesian programmes she cites in the book all meet her definition of SJP organisations.

The examples Ms. Fernandez presents are truly stunning.  The Eco Pesantren Daarut Tauhid (EP) is a community farming initiative in Bandung, Java.  “The principles guiding the transformation of this village are rooted in Islamic and sustainable development values.”  Does this sound like a fundamentalist commune?  Far from it.  “It is designed to be self-sustaining in food and energy and produce zero waste…” When asked why they had joined EP, members responded, “There is unity between religion and agriculture,” and “We have freedom to think and speak. We are encouraged to innovate.”  The participants in EP have regained their livelihoods after the government’s destruction of the clove trade had left them destitute.

Yayasan Wisnu (YW) is based in Seminyak Kuta, on Bali.  It is developing sustainable tourism in one of Indonesia’s most popular holiday destinations.  YW currently focuses on four Balinese villages, which it is promoting as eco-tourism destinations.  Visitors can participate in the local hydro-power projects, coffee farming, and the making of local salak wine.  The four communities share water, and YW encourages barter and trade between them.

The author devotes one chapter to examples of corporate social responsibility (CSR) philanthropy in Indonesia.  Here, too, her examples are diverse and affirming.  The Sinarmas conglomerate not only commits itself to “good governance, respect for the environment, human rights, fair labour practices, consumer protection and community and social development,” but it also sponsors a foundation which runs several education projects throughout Java.  The Como Shambala Estate is an idyllic eco-resort in Ubud, Bali, which observes stringent environmental guidelines in its own operation but also runs the Bali Hati Foundation, promoting the education and social welfare of the Balinese people.  These and Fernandez’ other examples deserve further attention and emulation, as they are certainly sterling examples of community philanthropy at its best.

Indonesia is, of course, the most populous Muslim nation in the world.  One of the five pillars of Islam is the offering of zakat, or the donation of surplus wealth to the poor and needy.  Although the Q’uran does not specify a percentage, many Muslims traditionally offer 2.5% of their annual incomes.  Both Josie Fernandez and Hamid Abidin Kurniawati, editor of Creating Welfare for the Community with Zakat note that the collection and distribution of zakat funds in Indonesia account for an enormous sum of money and staggering potential for change.

Kurniawati’s book, published in 2008 by Piramedia in Depok, West Java, is a treasure trove of numbers and data that he and his researchers collected in ten selected Indonesian cities:  Medan and  Padang (Sumatra), Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, and Surabaya (Java), Balikpapan and Pontianak (Kalimantan), Makassar and Manado (Sulawesi).   In these ten locations, they interviewed a total of 2000 Muslims.

Each respondent completed a questionnaire of 29 questions, beginning with basic demographic information:  age, gender, ethnic group, education, occupation, size of family, income, etc.  Later questions pertained to zakat:  Does your situation require you to give zakat?  If so, do you give, and if so, how much?  To whom or what organisation do you give (i.e. to needy individuals, the neighborhood mosque, an official collection agency)?  And finally, how do you feel the zakat monies are best used and distributed?

The book presents colorful charts and graphs showing the questionnaire’s sometimes surprising results – who’s giving, how much, from where, and to whom.  The reader must remember, of course, that the survey included only 2000 respondents and so can hardly be seen as a precise representation of zakat in Indonesia, but the numbers, if nothing else, beg endless new questions.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the book is the discussion of how the zakat funds should best be used. The Q’uran  specifies eight potential recipients for the money, including the poor and needy, slaves, travelers, and those struggling in debt.  Some contemporary Muslims are interested in directing zakat collections to social justice initiatives which will benefit Muslim communities at large.  The survey asked respondents if zakat might be used to support programmes for women’s empowerment, child protection, nature conservation, labour protection, etc.

That question and the response of Indonesian Muslims to it shine a light on people who are examining their religious practices, opening their eyes to the needs around them, and exploring the monumental philanthropic potential of their tradition.◊

Tweet This Post