Devices of Oblivion: How Islamic Schools Rescue ‘Orphaned’ Children from Traumatic Experiences in Aceh (Indonesia)

Abstract

Since the peace agreement has put an end to the 30-year-long civil conflict in the province of Aceh in Indonesia, poverty, parental loss, lack of opportunities and an old tradition have caused a growing number of Acehnese girls and boys to spend between three and ten years in residential Koranic schools [dayah or pesantren]. There, they process their experience of the conflict, be it direct or indirect. In this article, thanks to ethnographical data, the author explores this labour of transformation. An idea of resilience which is culturally based in local societies is analysed. Key issues are the difference between personal and social resilience, plus the transformations that a resilient process enhances in the very culture from which it stems. The dayah have proved very effective structures in facing the needs of the poorest Acehnese children. Nevertheless, the author argues, they tend to shape the children according to a general model that can create exclusion and crystallize pre-existing psychic suffering. This paper indicates that different visions of trauma and memory characterize different parts of the same society, and that selecting one or another is a political choice that is embedded in international policies.

Research Trends on Natural Hazards, Disasters, Risk Reduction and Climate Change in Indonesia: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Some lower numbers of papers examine community-based DRR which is strongly related to community preparedness (Adiyoso and Kanegae, 2013;Birkmann et al, 2015;Hidayati, 2012;James, 2008;Kusumasari and Alam, 2012), and others examine how children are affected psychologically from continuous exposures to hazards and disasters (Du et al, 2012;Lawler and Patel, 2012;Taylor and Peace, 2015;Vignato, 2012), and on emergency management at the local or national level (Esteban et al, 2013;Kusumasari and Alam, 2012;Djalante et al, 255 2012).…”

“…The study finds that there are the majority of publications are related to volcanic eruption, dominated by the study of 205 volcanoes in Java such (almost half) as Merapi (Verstappen, 1988;Lavigne, 1999;Voight et al, 2000;Andreastuti et al, 2000;Charbonnier and Gertisser, 2008;Gertisser et al, 2012), Semeru (Siswowidjoyo et al, 1997;Carn, 1999;Thouret et al, 2007;Solikhin et al, 2012), Kelud (Lubis, 2014;Nakada et al, 2016) or Ijen (Heikens et al, 2005;Trunk and Bernard, 2008;van Hinsberg et al, 2010). The other hazard that receives many studies is related to examination of earthquakes (more than 30%), how they happened, and methods to assess the impacts.…”

Narratives of Uncertainty: The Affective Force of Child-Trafficking Rumors in Postdisaster Aceh, Indonesia

“…Children are seen as the future of the nation (Spyer :201), which matches the symbolism of the pervasive image of society being to its leaders what children are to their parents—an innocent and immature group in need of guidance (Shiraishi ). In Aceh, children, and especially orphans, enjoy a special place in society because of their important position in Islam, which is exemplified by Aceh's long tradition of caring for orphans both in terms of (Islamic) education and through gifts in the form of money or food (see Vignato ). The story of Acehnese children being taken away from the province, in this context, could thus be understood as articulating the fear of the future of the (Acehnese) nation itself being under threat.…”

PESANTREN DAN PENGEMBANGAN KURIKULUM KEWIRAUSAHAAN: Kajian Pesantren Roudahtul Khuffadz Sorong Papua Barat

“…Mereka memberikan gambaran tentang pesantren dengan konteks di tahun 1980 sampai 1990 dimana pesantren berperan sebagai pendukung pertumbuhan dan perkembangan pendidikan Indonesia. Adapun pesantren sebagai kajian, juga dilakukan oleh para sarjana yang berasal dari perguruan tinggi luar negeri seperti Van Bruinessen (1995), Lukens-Bull (2001), Pohl (2006), Sementara itu, penelitian yang mutakhir tentang pesantren dijalankan antara lain Raihani (2012), Saniotis (2012), Izfanna dan Hisyam (2012), Vignato (2012), Hamdi dan Smith (2012). Dari kelima penelitian tersebut berkisar kepada multikulturalisme, inovasi pesantren dalam hal pengelolaan lingkungan, peran pesantren dalam penyelesaian konflik dan bencana, pendidikan karakter.…”