The publication of this module began with the concerns of members, young friends, and volunteers of SP Kinasih about the reality of religious, gender, and sexual diversity that occurs in Indonesia, especially Yogyakarta, which has not been fully placed as part of a crucial issue in theological discourse.
So in 2020, SP Kinasih together with young people from various religious, belief, ethnic, educational, sexual, and gender backgrounds conducted feminist research entitled “Strengthening the Narrative of Freedom of Religion and Belief (KBB) from a Feminist Perspective among Young People Across Faiths: An Initial Study” – Strengthening the Narrative of Freedom of Religion/Belief (KBB).
This research aims to capture the knowledge, practices, and voices of young people about gender justice and diversity, pluralism, and media literacy that influences their beliefs. In addition, this research tries to find common ground between the issue of KBB and gender equality and existence. This research also formulates the terminology of KBB with a sovereignty framework, namely individual sovereignty to fight for rights and carry out obligations for what is believed. In this framework, religion is interpreted as a path to a better life, not a goal, but a spirituality that continues to grow.
The results of the research found that young people have an ambiguous attitude towards the teachings of their beliefs with the realities they face, such as human rights and human rights issues, religious or non-religious. It also produced a portrait of the range of young people’s positions towards religious authorities, human rights violations in KBB experienced by young people, and the hope of diversity amidst the aggressive flow of fundamentalism.
The process of compiling the KLF module went through stages of discussion and workshops several times, involving young people from various backgrounds, the SP Kinasih network, and SP Kinasih members. The KLF module that had been compiled was dismantled and improved, both through discussions and class trials conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic. The trial of the module targeting young people received responses from hundreds of young people, although in the end it only took 35 (thirty-five) participants. From this module test, there were many experiences that became input for improving the KLF module.
In the final stage, this module has been disseminated in a dissemination workshop and refinement of the KLF module in front of several religious figures, gender diversity activists, trainers, journalists, academics, and young people of Sahabat Kinasih, diversity activists, and KLF alumni. There are extraordinary expectations from the participants who attended for KLF in the midst of a paradoxical world that cannot be ignored. The paradox of life that is progressing in various fields, but it is increasingly easy to find various forms of injustice that occur in various spaces of life, economy, social, culture, politics, and religion.
This module is of course far from perfect so that it still needs trials, improvements and completeness here and there. This module will also continue to be refined with comprehensive handouts, and developed into thematic modules based on the chapters in this module with complete module building, accompanied by reading materials and handouts that are also comprehensive. So that in the future this KLF module will continue to grow, be renewed, and of course easy to use by anyone, and be applied in various circles
To access this module, please click the link here