It is not a simple task to maintain harmony between different ethnic groups and religious believers. Indonesia has recorded numerous incidents related to ethnic groups and religions. Maintaining peace among diversity is a daily struggle. Hence Harmony Award for Sarmi Regency is a perfect example of maintaining harmony among diversity.
Indonesia is a country built on the basis of diversity. It consists of hundreds of ethnic groups with different habits and cultures. The nation also officially acknowledges six official religions. However, it also acknowledges hundred of cultural beliefs.
All the differences make the perfect fuel to dispute. It becomes the government’s hard work to minimize or, even better, eliminate all disputes in society.
The Origin of Harmony Award
Maintaining peace and order in a society built on the basis of diversity is not a simple task. Even it is still difficult for the government, which has all the legal tools to maintain order. Hence The Ministry of Religion created Harmony Award.
There are two categories for this award. For each category, The Ministry of Religions has its own judging criteria.
1. First Category
The first category is especially given for cities or regions in Indonesia that are most successful in maintaining peace among diverse societies. The first category has three criteria to find the winning city or region:
- The first criterion is based on the research result conducted by The Ministry of Religions. The research shows the harmony index among the inhabitants of the city or region.
- The second criterion is the existing diversity management to maintain harmony. For this criterion, the ministry will use news research to determine the city with the highest score.
- The third and final criterion is based on if there is any intolerance incident or case happening in the city. The ministry will look into all the news related to diversity and intolerance. Of course, the city with an intolerance case will not get any sco
2. The Second Category
The second category is given to forum within society that has an important role in maintaining peace.
However, the ministry will also look into news indicating tolerance and inter-religion harmony in the city. This will certainly give extra credit points to the city, just like how the ministry picked the city for Harmony Award 2021.
Winning Harmony Award for Sarmi Regency
The latest city awarded with Harmony Award is Sarmi Regency in West Papua. The ministry has observed the regency, and it obtains high scores in maintaining inter-religion harmony.
Receiving the award is the Acting Regent of Sarmi Regency, Markus Oktovianus Mansnembra. He stated that the inter-religion harmony in Sarmi Regency is due to the community’s hard work, the regency government, religious leaders, and other local agencies. These parties relentlessly work hard to ensure religious harmony among the people of Sarmi Regency.
Markus Oktovianus Mansnembra conveyed his gratefulness for receiving the award. On behalf of the people of Sarmi Regency, he feels honored to receive an award as guardian of inter-religious harmony. Moreover, this is the first time this regency receiving Harmony Award.
The award certainly inspires them to keep up the hard work. And to stay committed to maintaining peace and harmony within the people of the Sarmi Regency.
Markus added that receiving the award is not the end of the journey. They will keep on working to maintain the harmony between different religions in Sarmi Regency. The award only shows they are on the right path of hard work.
He also shared his hopes that inter-religious harmony can be maintained. So the entire Papua can be in a peaceful state and free from intolerance. If the people of Sarmi Regency could do it, it should not be a problem for other people in Papua.
Handing over Harmony Award for Sarmi Regency was Klemens Taran as Acting Head of the Papua Regional Office for the Ministry of Religions. The event itself took place on Friday in Jayapura.
