Millennial “New Styles” Understand Diversity

EXPOSE.CO.ID –

There was great hope when the Minister of Religion launched a religious literacy series for teenagers, entitled Believing to Appreciate and Celebrate Diversity. The introduction of various religions and beliefs in Indonesia to the younger generation can reduce prejudice and suspicion. After understanding diversity, it is necessary to examine the various similarities that unite differences into a harmonious society.

“I feel that the timing of these two books is very timely. Because we really lack reading material that can explain and generate religious awareness to come to an understanding that this diversity is His will, “said Minister of Religion Lukman Hakim Saifuddin in the launch of a book published by Expose, UNDP, and PPIM UIN Syarif Hidayatullah at the Library Auditorium National, Jakarta, Monday 28/1/2019.

Furthermore, the Minister of Religion said that respecting people of other religions does not diminish one’s faith. In fact, showing mutual respect is a form of religious practice that promotes the good of society.

For Lukman, “even though this book is specifically for teenagers, he considers this book to be very important for adults so that it can create tolerant souls and respect diversity.

A Touch of Virtual Reality on Books

In his speech, Prof. Jamhari, PPIM Steering Committee said, “this book was published because there is a worrying tendency that today’s teenagers are easily exposed to radicalism.” This is increasingly dangerous for Indonesian religious life, which has long been tolerant and upholds the values ​​of diversity. To answer that anxiety, PPIM and UNDP created a Convey (Countering Violent Extremism in Youth) Program. And for book writing and publishing, collaborate with Expose Publisher (Mizan Group).

Through these two popular books, at least Convey wants to plant a “tree of diversity” for Generation Y, or the millennial generation. This typical generation is usually very gadget friendly. Therefore, this book uses gadgets to attract the attention of young people. This book is equipped with a virtual reality application, with the name VR UID 360. This application contains six houses of worship for religions in Indonesia which can be downloaded on Google Playstore for free. When using this app, you can watch 360-degree photos and videos for an immersive three-dimensional experience. What’s more, when you wear the VR glasses, you feel like you are in a certain house of worship that you choose.

At the time of launching this book, Minister of Religion Lukman did not want to miss the sensation of enjoying the UID 360 application by wearing his VR glasses. “That’s right, I can see all the contents of the house of worship in 360,” he said happily.

Light, Popular, and Colorful

Overall, the packaging of this book is deliberately made light, popular, attractive, and easy to understand. The presentation is casual in nature by adopting the Wiki How concept, so it feels light and straight to the essence of the discussion. Uniquely, this book uses a narrative approach by “involving” the character of each religious adherent, so that the reader feels as if he is meeting the teenage figures of each religious adherent. For example, it is reflected in the sentence “Hello, my name is Zahra Aini, I am Francis, I am Ida Ayu … We are all different, but we never differentiate. Because, we are all Indonesians… ”These two books are very colorful because they are decorated with colorful photos, illustrations, and infographics but are still easy on the eyes and invite your appetite to read them.

Indonesian Diversity Symphony

When reading these two books, we will find the magic of Indonesia’s pluralism in the opening pages of Meyakini Menghargai. We are presented with many facts that all sum up how miraculous Indonesia is. Imagine, Europe is a landmass, but they are “divided” into 50 countries. In other parts, they live on one vast land, with one language, one religion, but continue to fight and fight to this day. The Middle East is one example. Interestingly, compared to Europe and the Middle East, Indonesia’s pluralism is more complex, but this country persists and there is almost no threat of serious disintegration.

This means that diversity or plurality is not a divider, but a unifier. Like an orchestra, this plurality creates a beautiful symphony, which can be enjoyed together. That is the big message to be conveyed by these two books which are packaged in an attractive and popular manner.

This book is an oasis for all religions: one book for all religions. A religious adherent not only knows his religion but also knows other religions and beliefs. Only by knowing other religions will a sense of empathy and mutual respect emerge. It is our hope that the ideals of #MeyakiniMenghargai will be achieved in Indonesia’s Diversity.

Regards RELIGION