Human (Relational) Dignity: Perspectives of Followers of Indigenous Religions of Indonesia

Abstract

Religion and dignity are a two-sided coin for followers of Indigenous Religions in Indonesia. Dignity is the relationally inherent worth in both human and non-human beings. To give and receive dignity, one ought to be religious, which is to engage in interpersonal relationships with all beings, human and non-human. This article draws on data from two decades of engagement with followers of Indigenous Religions through extensive fieldwork, activism, and community service. It explores the distinctive worldviews and practices of Indonesian Indigenous Peoples, which many have maintained in the face of external incursions by governments, corporations, and missionaries, and internal encroachments from within their communities. Their worldviews spring from interrelational cosmology, which posits that relational dignity is a religious norm. This cosmology is institutionalized with adat (customary) systems that enact and reproduce relational dignity. The article concludes with a call to better understand and recognize Indigenous Religions by expanding the definition of religion to include the notion of relational dignity when considering how scholars and policymakers conceptualize and implement policies on freedom of religion or belief.

The Role of Education on Human Dignity: Fostering Peace and Diminishing Violence

“…Conversely, realised dignity, as a second dimension of human dignity, reflects the degree to which such dignity is manifested or actualised for a given individual (Kleindienst 2017;Kleindienst and Tomšič 2022). Realised dignity is relational to the dignity of those whom human beings relate to and share life for co-existence, co-creating, and mutual advancement (Maarif 2023). It should be noted that even if every human is endowed with initial dignity, it does not inherently follow that they also experience realised dignity (Kleindienst 2017(Kleindienst , 2022.…”

Protection of Human Rights of Women in the Registration of Believers’ Marriage

“…97/Law-VII/2016 2016) approved their application for religious recognition. [2] After the Constitutional Court approved the petition by a creed group in 2017, some indigenous people have changed their occupational identity from one of the "government" religions to the beliefs. Indigenous Indonesians, who share shared experiences with people in other countries (Barclay and Steele 2020; McNally 2019, 2020; Shrubsole 2019; Wenger 2009), continue to fight for the recognition of their dignity and religious or religious freedom (FoRB) of the Indonesian nation.…”

“…Both decisions clarify and strengthen the constitutional norms of the (more) inclusive FoRB, as stated in Articles 28 and 29 of the Indonesian Constitution. [2] The problem of the penghayat kepercayaan in Indonesia is still in the reconsideration phase, so the issue of the registration of marriages mainly relating to penghayat women is still not much discussed. In Rachel Sieder's statement, indigenous women's organizations in Latin America have shown the racially unequal impact of this implementation gap.…”