Building Bridges of Tolerance: UNU Jogja and Indika Foundation Foster Dialogue on Diversity Through ‘2R: Ruang+Riung’

Yogyakarta, Indonesia – Nahdlatul Ulama University (UNU) Jogja held a talk show titled “2R: Ruang+Riung” at The Forum, 3rd Floor of UNU Jogja, on Saturday, October 11. The event served as a platform for discussion and dialogue on diversity, tolerance, and peace, featuring Safira Rizky Mayla Aziz, Program Officer at Indika Foundation, and Hidar Amaruddin, Lecturer at the Faculty of Education, UNU Jogja, moderated by Riva Listyani, an Elementary School Teacher Education student at UNU Jogja.

“This event, attended by students, lecturers, and practitioners, aims to equip participants with practical dialogue skills and a deeper understanding of diversity. Participants are expected to leave with the principle ‘hard on ideas, soft on people’ as a guide for interaction and peace practices,” explained Hidar Amaruddin, speaker and event coordinator.

In the first session, Safira Rizky invited participants to explore diversity on campus and in society through an interactive “Agree vs Disagree” game using the Menti.com platform. She also explained the distinction between forum internum (inner belief) and forum externum (public expression), as well as the difference between dialogue and debate.

“Dialogue differs from debate because dialogue aims to transform differences into understanding. I hope we continue to cultivate open-mindedness, open-heartedness, and open-will attitudes in dealing with differences,” she said.

The second session, titled “Literature as a Bridge Weaving Diversity and Peace,” was led by Hidar Amaruddin. In this discussion, Hidar explained how literature can serve as a medium to address sensitive issues fairly. He discussed several notable works, including Maryam by Okky Madasari, Bumi Manusia (This Earth of Mankind) by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, and Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk by Ahmad Tohari. He also introduced the 4C approach—Context, Care, Craft, and Courage—as a framework for reading literature: to understand social-historical contexts, uphold human dignity, express ideas clearly, and bravely engage with difficult themes.

This talk show was part of the “2R: Ruang+Riung” Forum series organized by UNU Jogja in collaboration with Indika Foundation, the Institute for Research and Studies of Peradah (LKPP), Duta Wacana Christian University (UKDW), and Srikandi Lintas Iman (Srili). The event was dedicated to showcasing and celebrating peace initiatives, particularly those led by women. [Latifah]