Asian Transformations in Action - Api-fellowships.org

28CIRCLES OF POWER AND COUNTERBALANCESsocial injustice.” (Saidi 2006)In Indonesia, the emergence of social justice philanthropycan be traced to religious philanthropy based on Islamand Christianity (i.e., missionary work). Before theMuhammadiyah, it was the Christian missionarymovement that built schools, hospitals and orphanagesin many Indonesian cities. Muhammadiyah emulatedthis Christian expression of philanthropy. However,dakwah and missionary forms of philanthropic activitiesat the turn of the 20 th century did not respond to thecauses of poverty and alienation (Bamualim et al.2006).It was the development of civil society organizations(CSOs) in the 1970s that brought a shift from traditionalphilanthropy to social justice philanthropy. Poverty,marginalization, environmental degradation, violationsof labor and human rights, gender discrimination andlimited democratization and restrictions on citizenscreated the space for advocacy. However, advocacyCSOs in Indonesia are generally not recipients oftraditional philanthropy.Institutions such as Eco Pesantren Darut Tauhid,Dompet Dhuafa Republika Foundation, the IndonesianBiodiversity Foundation (Kehati), Yayasan Wisnu, andTransparency International Indonesia are pursuingthe goals of social justice philanthropy through theiractivities. The programs of these philanthropy-relatedorganizations reflect their efforts to find solutions tothe deep-rooted problems of Indonesia today, suchas poverty, environmental degradation, lack of accessto education and health, redistribution of resources,corruption and peoples’ empowerment throughparticipation. The diverse programmatic activitiesof these institutions are set to transform Indonesiansocieties in urban and rural areas.Indeed, social justice philanthropy is a battleground fora range of issues that impacted Indonesian society duringthe twenty years of the New Order Regime (1968-1998).The struggles for freedom, people’s participation andempowerment stifled by the oppression of the Suhartoera began to influence the development of philanthropyin the 1990s. The financial crisis of 1997 precipitated thefall of Suharto in 1998 and resulted in the birth of “anawakening era for CSOs.” A new spirit of philanthropywas triggered by creating “a momentum for a societywhich has enjoyed a long tradition of philanthropicgiving to move from spontaneous giving to one basedin understanding the need for more sustainable effortsto help others to help themselves” (Bamualim et al.2006).The Case StudiesThe following case studies, developed through keyinformant interviews, focus group discussions, andreview of secondary materials, underscore the twomajor trends of philanthropy in Indonesia discussedabove. The strategies engaged by the organizations toinstitutionalize giving towards social justice are basedon factors of religion, culture, community, borderlessgiving, growth of corporate social responsibilityconcerns and civil society advocacy.Category 1: The pluriformity of philanthropyOne of the significant findings of the study is thepluriformity of philanthropy in Indonesia. It is thispluriformity that has constructed an ethos that enablesIndonesians to embrace philanthropic orientations basedon religions: Islam, Christianity, Hindu, Buddhism andcosmological practices. In 2007, Indonesia celebrated60 years of independence from Dutch colonial rule“on the heels of national polemic on issues concerningliberalism, pluralism and secularism” (Jakarta Post,February, 2007).Several CSO leaders interviewed for the study expressedthat the pluralism Indonesia is proud of is under threat.However, the following case studies mirror the diversityand pluralism of Indonesia. The featured institutionsuse a mix of strategies to develop their institutionalcapacity to sustain their philanthropic work. These arederiving resources from religious giving, communitycontributions, volunteerism, corporate contributions,and transnational giving.• Eco Pesantren Daarut TauhidThe Eco Pesantren (EP), established in 2006 byAbdullah Gymnastiar (the founder of Daarut Tauhid),is a model for the social transformation of villagesplagued by persistent problems of poverty, inequalities,environmental destruction, politics and corruption.Located in Cigugur Girang Village, Parongpong,Bandung, EP is “science in action.”Dr. Budi Faisal, an architect cum academic cumgovernment officer trained in Indonesia, the US andAustralia, is leading the team that is transformingthe model into a reality. The principles guiding thetransformation of this village are rooted in Islamic andsustainable development values.The financial resources for the building of the EP arewakaf contributions. Wakaf are the earliest forms ofIslamic philanthropic endowments. Wakaf can comeAsian Transformations in ActionThe Work of the 2006/2007 API Fellows