Asian Transformations in Action - Api-fellowships.org

26 PERSISTENT PROBLEMS, PROMISING SOLUTIONS AND BENEFICENCEFROM CHARITY TO SOCIAL INVESTMENTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE:A STUDY OF PHILANTHROPIC INSTITUTIONS IN INDONESIAJosie M. FernandezIntroductionThe word ‘philanthropy,’ derived from the Greek phillen(to love) and anthropos (human), means “the expressionof love to human beings.” Nadarajah (in Josie M. F.and Abdul Rahim 2002) defines philanthropy froma sociological perspective as an expression of oursympathetic/compassionate sense borne out of oursociability and directed at those in need of help. RobertL. Payton stresses the definition of philanthropy inthe sense of organizational or collective action, wherephilanthropy is not an individual action but a collectiveaction carried out by or through organizations orinstitutions (in Josie M. F and Abdul Rahim 2002). Itis seen as forms of social interventions to help eradicatepoverty, provide access to basic needs such as healthand education, promote global peace and security andconserve the environment. There is a growing belief thatgovernments alone cannot meet and sustain the needsof their people.This study shows that philanthropy in Indonesia isprofoundly driven by religion, cosmological practices,community sustainability and political changes. Thecase studies in this paper underscore the fact that thephilanthropic activities of a society reflect the cultural,social, economic and political conditions of particularperiods. The religious constructions of philanthropyhave a powerful resonance that manifest themselves inthe patterns of giving.Islamic philanthropy was introduced in Indonesia withthe advent of Islam in the Malay Archipelago in the15 th century. Islam places great importance on caringfor others through various forms of giving such as zakat,which is obligatory, and infak, sedekah and wakaf, whichare voluntary. Through Islamic philanthropy, Muslimshelp the poor and the needy meet their religiousobligations (Bamualim et al. 2006).Since the arrival of Islam in Indonesia, mosques andpesantrens (traditional Islamic schools) have practicedIslamic philanthropy. The mosques and pesantrensbecame centers for education and dakwah (Islamicpropagation) (Bamualim et al. 2006). It was, however,not institutionalized until the early 20 th centurywhen Muhammadiyah, an Islamic social organizationfounded in 1912, established a zakat collection centerto raise funds and disburse them to the poor. Today,Muhammadiyah runs thousands of schools, dozens ofuniversities and hospitals and hundreds of orphanagesthrough grassroots support. However, due to inadequateresources, Muhammadiyah also accepts governmentsubsidies (Bamualim et al. 2006).The move to institutionalize Islamic philanthropy was intandem with developments taking place throughout theIslamic world at that time. It was a response by Muslimcommunities towards the development of scienceand technology, secularization and modernization.It was an acknowledgement of the inadequacies ofIslamic institutions in responding to the challengesof modernity. The Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII)Yogyakarta established Badan Wakaf UII in 1948to respond to these challenges. The Pondok ModernGontor pesantren established in 1926 has kept pacewith modernity but the growth of institutionalizedphilanthropy for social change has been slow. Islamicphilanthropy has remained largely traditional andtherefore charity oriented (i.e., providing services to thepoor and the needy) (Bamualim et al. 2006).Catholic philanthropy began to take root in Indonesiain the 1800s. Elements of charity, social investment andsocial justice shaped Catholic philanthropy. Schools,hospitals and orphanages were built and managedthrough donations from Catholics. With democracyand human rights as the fundamentals of social justice,the Catholic Church became an active participant inthe struggle for independence from colonial rule inIndonesia (Yayasan Kehati and INRISE 2006).Likewise, philanthropic giving has long been a part ofHinduism, which came to Indonesia around the 2ndcentury. The Pania Fund in Indonesia, made up ofcollections from Hindu temples, is used for the needsof the poor. The Saraswati Foundation underscores theneed for education of youth.Buddhism reached the shores of Indonesia during therule of Sriwijaya. Dana, the Buddhist form of giving,is practiced through support for the poor. For example,Asian Transformations in ActionThe Work of the 2006/2007 API Fellows