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The Role of Art in Fostering Democratization in Indonesia (A Case Study of the 1965–1966 Massacre in Indonesia)
The Role of Art in Fostering Democratization in Indonesia (A Case Study of the 1965–1966 Massacre in Indonesia)
Anastasia Jessica Adinda S.
Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University
Lecturer
This study investigates the capacity of art to stimulate social change, particularly in terms of promoting democratization. Despite skepticism about art's transformative capacity to transform the sociopolitical landscape, its importance lies in its ability to stimulate dialogue and reflection.
By delving into the case study of the 1965–1966 massacre in Indonesia, this research examines how visual art serves as a medium to confront political tragedies, evoke empathy, and prompt audiences to acknowledge their ethical obligations. Through visual representations of historical trauma, art provides a space for collective memory and critique, highlights the experiences of victims, and challenges societal norms.
This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how cultural expressions may encourage social and political change by looking into the function of art in democratization processes. It emphasizes the role of art as a catalyst for awareness, empathy, and accountability in resolving historical injustices and strengthening democratic principles.
This study sheds light on the complex relationships between art, collective memory, social epistemology, and activism in negotiating contested historical narratives and promoting a more inclusive and democratic society by focusing on the Indonesian context.
Keywords: Art, democratization, Indonesia, 1965, massacre
The Popes and the Patriarch: Tep Vong, a Cambodian example for building democracy through religious leadership in an international context
The Popes and the Patriarch: Tep Vong, a Cambodian example for building democracy through religious leadership in an international context
Will Conquer
Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh
Community Leader
The Internationalization of Democracy would not be possible without the internationalization of its leaders. Internationalization, which requires contact and exchanges beyond national borders, can be played out by various actors, not only political leaders, and in various forms of diplomacy. Since 1979, Cambodia has relied on its leading religious figures, not only the non-violent leader Maha Gosananda, but particularly the Supreme Patriarch of Khmer Buddhists, Tep Vong (1932-2024), to defend it on the international scene as it struggled to return to democracy after the fall of the Khmers Rouges. (Harris 152) Tep Vong’s long-lasting relationship with the Catholic Church as seen through his regular collaboration with various Popes, from John Paul II to Francis, can be studied in their larger historical context to understand their significance for a nation as isolated as Cambodia after the Vietnamese occupation. (Yang 69)
Not only was this leadership important on the international scene, it was also decisive to progressively foster democracy inside Cambodia. Tep Vong had to govern his own sangha community as a small democracy, allowing for a new generation to emerge while struggling to balance their thirst for freedom and the necessity for peace and stability to secure the lasting return of democracy. (Marston 227)
While the political leadership of Cambodia has been well studied, the relevance of its religious leadership has sometimes been overlooked, and a more in-depth analysis would be helpful to understand the possible role of religious leadership in the democratization of Cambodia, and Asia as a whole.
Keywords: Leadership, Religion, Democracy
Photo taken from Religions for Peace, url = https://www.rfp.org/leadership_member/h-h-samdech-tep-vong/
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