In the case of Demak, for example, religion contributes in the long term through the existence of pilgrimage sites that become a new source of blessings for the community, which has lost income due to relocation and abrasion.
In this situation, the Muslim communities of the North Coast of Java and Bekasi use the religious dimension in environmental adaptation efforts and utilize religion as a coping mechanism for the stress caused by relocation.
This was revealed in the Wednesday Forum with title "Making Sense of Religion in Adaptation Processes: Narrating Muslims’ Responses to Coastal Abrasion on the North Coast of Java" at Room 307, 3rd Floor, SPs Building on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, featuring speakers who also presented their latest findings, Dr. Aliyuna Prastiti, an Alumni of Inter Religious Studies (IRS) S3, who is currently a lecturer in International Relations at Padjadjaran University.
In line with Dr. Aliyuna, the Head of the ALB (Religion and Cross-Cultural Studies) Master's Program, Dr. Samsul Maarif, also stated that religion and the environment are important to continue to be discussed and evaluated. "Both are so close to us and their impacts are felt in our daily lives, both directly and indirectly," he said.
"At this point, both the ALB and IRS programs are striving to bring environmental or ecological issues into the academic realm of religious studies as one way to find solutions to the physical, psychological, and diversity issues we face," he added.
The Wednesday Forum has been organized by the ALB and IRS Master's Programs of the Graduate School (SPs) UGM every Wednesday afternoon since 2006, and can be attended by postgraduate students, alumni, academics, and the general public.
The Wednesday Forum also provides a space for students to learn from experts and activists whose ideas may not be heard in regular classes. Additionally, it can also be a space for the ALB and IRS communities as well as the broader academic community to learn more about various religious topics from academics, both from Indonesia and globally.
This event is also able to be accessed at the CRCS UGM Youtube channel.
This activity is also an implementation of SDGs Number 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities focusing on Adaptability and SDGs Number 4 on Quality Education.
Data: Lina Pary
Author: Arni Wistriatun
Editor: Ana Anggraini
Photo: Prodi Document