Wednesday Forum this week provides a topic “A New Trans-yanic Buddhism in the Making?” that will be articulated by the speaker, Prof. Asanga Tilakaratne. We invite you to join this forum. Some information about the forum can be read as follows.

Date: Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Time: 12.30 pm – 2.30 pm (free lunch)
Venue: Room 306, UGM Graduate School Teknika Utara, Pogung
Speaker: Prof. Asanga Tilakaratne

Abstract:

This paper examines the impact of globalization on religion. The particular emphasis in this study is on Buddhism, which has been confined to its localities for centuries and now has started traveling. Due to extensive physical encounters among various Buddhist traditions naturally there have been many interchanges of ideas, practices, techniques, methods and even ideas. It appears that a trans-yanic Buddhism, which goes beyond the traditional categories such as Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana, is in the making.

It has just been realized that CRCS has already run two periods of Competitive Research Grant Projects with a theme “Interpretations and Responses on Natural Disaster: The Integrative Studies of Science, Religion and Culture.”

The first period started at the end of 2008, and now the successful research grantees are going to report their researches. The second period is going to hold another workshop and selection for the 10 best proposals.

This grant has involved academicians, researchers, and NGO activists from every corner of Indonesia. Some of their proposals are done individually while the other proposals are done by groups.

When we talk about Islamic state, there are many interpretations related to that concept. According to Salem Ghandour, the guest speaker during the weekly Wednesday Forum on April 13, 2009, the ideas with regard to Islamic state in reference to the Qur’an and Hadith are narrow-minded. The Prophet Muhammad himself during his time did not claim of establishing an Islamic state. This narrow-mindedness is greatly influenced by Arabic countries, especially by the imams from al-Azhar in Egypt.

To show the differences between interpretations, Salem begun the forum by asking “what Islamic state is”? to two participants. The first participant answered that Islamic state is a state that holds Islamic law in its system. Substantially, Indonesia is an Islamic state, he said. The second participant emphasized more on governance that dominates pluralism under authority of Islamic state.

Ms. Karen Bryner, a PhD candidate from Columbia University, presented her field research during the first Wednesday Forum for the semester and of the year which was held on February 3, 2010 at 1:00 PM, while Nina M. Noor, a PhD student, acted as moderator.

In the forum, Ms. Bryner perceived the combination of Islamic revival and the growing middle class in generating a new market for Islamic education which is the elite urban Islamic schools. This combination happened in the 1990s when many middle-class Muslims spend their money in educating their children by sending them to a very expensive elementary school which charged much than that of a state university. These Islamic elementary schools, unlike many of the traditional Islamic education institutions, are not largely directly connected to the long established Islamic organizations such as NU and Muhammadiyah, but rather to independent foundations or franchises. Yet tensions between Islamic organizations are being played out, particularly among NU, Muhammadiyah and PKS, as individuals are fighting for real estate for this new market.

Dear CRCS & ICRS students, faculty and guests, We kindly invite you to participate in the CRCS & ICRS Wednesday Forum of this week. Wednesday forum will have KAREN BRYNER as the speaker who will talk about “New Trends in Elite Urban Islamic Schooling: A Case Study in Yogyakarta”. Some information about this forum can be read as follows.

Date: Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Time: 12.30 pm – 2.30 pm (free lunch)
Venue: Room 306, UGM Graduate School Teknika Utara, Pogung
Speaker: Karen Bryner

The conflict in Poso has caused segregation within its society which will be indicated with the existence of territories or boundaries based on certain religions. In relation with the segregation, Izak Y. M. Lattu, a CRCS alumnus who is currently working at Satya Wacana Christian University, said that the existence of the Youth Center in Poso is effective in building openness and peaceful relationship among the Poso youth. Through its implementation, positive impacts are expected to happen in the near future. Since its establishment, one of its positive impacts is bridging the segregation.