RELIGION, PUBLIC SPACE, AND CIVIL SOCIETY: Religious Social Movement to Realize Justice of The Surakarta Community

Abstract

Surakarta is an urban area that grows dynamically in line with demographic, economic, cultural, religious, and infrastructure developments leading to a smart city. People know Surakarta as a multicultural, multi-ethnic, cultural and religious city. Surakarta's public space becomes a bridge for religion to campaign for citizenship rights and social justice. How is the presence of religion in Surakarta's public sphere in promoting social justice? This research is a type of qualitative descriptive research, for data collection purposes, observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation are carried out. The analysis model s using interactive analysis. Because in the public space of Surakarta there are various kinds of pluralism, and democracy also society, for this reason the presence of religion is expected not to threaten these things. The growth of religious pluralism with contestation in the public sphere often triggers socio-religious conflicts. The presence of religion in the public sphere is expected to encourage the development of moderate religious discourses with discourse on pluralism, democracy, religious freedom, social justice, and peace amid the strengthening role of religion in socio-political life. Religion in Surakarta has so far been able to encourage social resilience by strengthening social networks, community participation, and enlivening cultural activities. Religion-based social nodes in Surakarta fight for the fulfillment of social justice such as the distribution of basic necessities, the distribution of entrepreneurship, and the fulfillment of the rights of citizens. Religion contributes to the formation of civil society in which religion is implemented as a social ethic that leads to the formation of social nodes that uphold the values of humanism, democracy, and social justice.