Article : Humanizing Education in Sundaland: Integrating Religious Values and Global Citizenship for a Better Future

SURAT PENGANTAR ARTIKEL  

Nomor: 03/SP/AR/I/2026  

Kepada Yth.  

Panitia Seleksi Artikel Ilmiah  

Program Kompetisi Akademik Internasional  

di Tempat  

Dengan hormat,  

Melalui surat ini, saya mengajukan artikel ilmiah berjudul “Humanizing Education in Sundaland: Integrating Religious Values & Global Citizenship for a Better Future” sebagai bentuk kontribusi akademik dalam forum ilmiah yang Bapak/Ibu selenggarakan.  

Artikel ini membahas bagaimana pendidikan di Sundaland dapat dimanusiakan melalui integrasi nilai-nilai religius dengan kewargaan global. Fokus utama tulisan ini adalah pada upaya membangun generasi yang berkarakter, beretika, serta memiliki kesadaran lintas budaya dan tanggung jawab global. Dengan pendekatan yang menggabungkan kearifan lokal dan perspektif universal, artikel ini diharapkan mampu memberikan gagasan segar bagi dunia pendidikan yang berkelanjutan.  

Saya berharap artikel ini dapat memberikan kontribusi positif terhadap pengembangan wacana akademik, sekaligus memperkuat nilai-nilai kemanusiaan dalam pendidikan modern.  

Demikian surat pengantar ini saya sampaikan. Atas perhatian dan kesempatan yang diberikan, saya ucapkan terima kasih.  

Hormat saya,  

Dayeuhkolot, 9 Januari 2026  

A. Rohmandar  

(TTD)  

                                                            Terlampir :                                      Humanizing Education in Sundaland: Integrating Religious Values and Global Citizenship for a Better Future

                                                                    Oleh : Asep Rohmandar            085861563087

Sundaland Researchers Society

Email: rasep7029@gmail.com

ORCID: belum dibuat 

                                                              Abstract

This paper examines the integration of religious values and global citizenship education within the unique sociocultural context of Sundaland—the biogeographic region encompassing Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, southern Thailand, and the Philippines. As nations in this region navigate rapid modernization, increasing pluralism, and global interconnectedness while maintaining diverse religious traditions, education systems face the challenge of fostering both cultural rootedness and cosmopolitan awareness. This study explores how Sundaland's rich tapestry of Islamic, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, and indigenous spiritual traditions can be harmonized with global citizenship competencies to create humanizing educational frameworks. Through contextual analysis, examination of regional educational practices, and engagement with both local wisdom and global pedagogical scholarship, this research demonstrates how Sundaland can develop distinctive models of values-based education that honor religious diversity while preparing students for global engagement. The paper argues that Sundaland's historical experience with pluralism and syncretism positions the region uniquely to contribute innovative approaches to humanizing education for the 21st century.

Keywords: Sundaland, humanizing education, religious pluralism, global citizenship education, Southeast Asian pedagogy, multicultural education, Islamic education, values education

1. Introduction

Sundaland, the vast biogeographic region that emerged as a land bridge during ice ages and now comprises maritime and mainland Southeast Asia, represents one of the world's most culturally and religiously diverse regions. With over 600 million people, Sundaland encompasses Indonesia (the world's largest Muslim-majority nation), Malaysia, Singapore (a multicultural city-state), Brunei, the Muslim-majority regions of southern Thailand, and the predominantly Catholic Philippines, alongside significant Buddhist, Hindu, Confucian, and indigenous communities throughout the region.

This extraordinary diversity creates both opportunities and challenges for education. Sundaland societies have historically practiced forms of religious syncretism and pluralistic coexistence, exemplified by concepts such as Indonesia's Pancasila (five principles), Malaysia's rukun negara (national principles), and the Philippines' tradition of bayanihan (communal unity). Yet contemporary pressures—including religious conservatism, ethnic tensions, inequality, and the homogenizing forces of globalization—threaten these traditions of tolerance and create urgent needs for educational approaches that can foster social cohesion while preparing youth for an interconnected world (Hefner, 2011).

1.1 The Sundaland Context: Historical and Contemporary Dimensions

The Sundaland region has served as a crossroads of civilizations for millennia. Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished from the 2nd century CE, leaving architectural and philosophical legacies in sites like Borobudur and Angkor. Islam arrived through peaceful trade and Sufi teachings from the 13th century, blending with existing spiritual traditions to create distinctive Southeast Asian Islamic cultures characterized by moderation and cultural accommodation (Ricklefs, 2012). Colonial encounters brought Christianity and Western education systems, while Chinese merchants and migrants introduced Confucian and Daoist traditions.

This historical layering created what anthropologist Clifford Geertz termed "thick" cultural contexts where multiple religious and philosophical systems coexist and interpenetrate (Geertz, 1973). Contemporary Sundaland societies continue to exhibit this religious complexity: Indonesian kejawen blends Islamic, Hindu, and indigenous Javanese elements; Malaysian cultural identity integrates Islamic, Malay, Chinese, and Indian influences; Philippine Catholicism incorporates pre-colonial animistic practices; and Singaporean secularism manages Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Daoist communities. Gambar 1 (Copilot AI, Januari 2026)  : Hubungan Konsep Humanizing Education in Sundaland: Integrating Religious Values and Global Citizenship for a Better Future. 

1.2 Contemporary Educational Challenges

Education systems across Sundaland face multiple interconnected challenges:

a. Religious Pluralism and Social Cohesion: How can education honor diverse religious identities while fostering national unity and preventing communal conflict? Recent incidents of religious intolerance in Indonesia, Malaysia, and southern Thailand highlight the urgency of this question (Liow, 2016).

b. Modernization and Traditional Values: Rapid economic development and technological change create tensions between traditional religious values and modern secular education. How can schools prepare students for global economies while maintaining cultural and spiritual groundings?

c. Global Competitiveness and Local Identity: Sundaland nations aspire to economic competitiveness requiring globally mobile citizens, yet fear cultural homogenization and loss of distinctive identities. Education must balance these competing demands.

d. Inequality and Access: Despite economic growth, significant educational inequalities persist between urban and rural areas, ethnic majorities and minorities, and socioeconomic classes. Humanizing education must address these structural injustices.

1.3 Research Objectives

This paper aims to:

1. Analyze the distinctive features of Sundaland's religious and cultural landscape relevant to education

2. Examine existing educational approaches to religious values and citizenship in Sundaland nations

3. Explore how global citizenship education can be contextualized for Sundaland

4. Propose integrative frameworks that synthesize religious values, local wisdom, and global citizenship

5. Identify pedagogical strategies appropriate for Sundaland's pluralistic contexts

6. Discuss policy implications and implementation pathways

2. Theoretical Framework: Contextualizing Humanizing Education in Sundaland

2.1 Humanizing Pedagogy and Decolonial Perspectives

While Paulo Freire's pedagogy of humanization provides foundational concepts, its application to Sundaland requires critical contextualization. Freire's work emerged from Latin American contexts of colonialism and oppression, offering insights relevant to postcolonial Southeast Asia while requiring adaptation to local cultural logics (Freire, 1970). Southeast Asian scholars have critiqued Western-centric educational theories for failing to account for non-Western epistemologies and communal ontologies prevalent in the region (Marginson & Sawir, 2011).  Dimana Modelnya dapat digambarkan sebagai berikut ini. Gambar 2 (Copilot AI, Januari 2026) : Model Simulasi. 

A humanizing pedagogy for Sundaland must therefore integrate:

1. Decolonial awareness: Recognizing how colonial education systems imposed Western knowledge hierarchies that marginalized indigenous and local wisdom

2. Communal orientations: Honoring Southeast Asian emphasis on collective harmony (gotong royong, bayanihan, kampung spirit) alongside individual development

3. Spiritual dimensions: Acknowledging the centrality of religious and spiritual life in Sundaland cultures rather than relegating it to private spheres

4. Dialogical praxis: Creating spaces for multiple knowledge systems—religious, indigenous, modern scientific—to interact respectfully

2.2 Religious Values in Sundaland Educational Contexts

2.2.1 Islamic Education: Pesantren and Modern Integration

Indonesia's pesantren tradition represents one of the world's most significant Islamic educational systems, with over 28,000 institutions educating millions of students (Lukens-Bull, 2013). Traditional pesantren emphasize akhlaq (ethics and character), Qur'anic studies, and formation of Muslim identity within communal living arrangements. Contemporary pesantren increasingly integrate modern curricula with Islamic studies, exemplifying efforts to maintain religious values while preparing students for modern life.

Malaysian pondok   schools and tahfiz institutions similarly blend traditional Islamic learning with national curricula. The Malaysian Ministry of Education's Islamic Civilization and Asian Civilizations curriculum attempts to present Islamic values within multicultural contexts (Hashim & Langgulung, 2008). However, debates continue about balancing Islamic identity formation with pluralistic citizenship.

Key Islamic educational values emphasized across Sundaland include:

a. Adab (proper conduct and ethics)

b. Ilmu (knowledge as worship)

c. Tazkiyah al-nafs  (purification of the soul)

d. Ummah (global Muslim community)

e. Rahmatan lil 'alamin (mercy to all worlds)

f. Khalifah (stewardship of creation)

Progressive Islamic educators in the region argue that these values, properly understood, support rather than contradict pluralism and global citizenship (Abdalla, 2018).

2.2.2 Buddhist Education: Mindfulness and Compassion

Buddhist education in Thailand, predominantly Theravada tradition, integrates Dhamma teachings with modern curriculum through temple schools and meditation programs in public schools. The Thai Ministry of Education's promotion of Buddhist-inspired mindfulness practices aims to address youth mental health and moral development while respecting religious diversity (Kwanjai, 2016).

Singapore's Buddhist schools demonstrate how Buddhist values—compassion (karuna), wisdom (prajna), mindfulness (sati)—can be articulated within multicultural educational frameworks. These schools emphasize character development through contemplative practices while maintaining academic excellence and global orientations.

2.2.3 Christian Education: Social Justice and Service

The Philippines' Catholic educational institutions, comprising the largest private education sector in Sundaland, emphasize social justice principles derived from Catholic social teaching. Institutions like Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle University integrate cura personalis (care for the whole person) with community engagement and advocacy for marginalized populations (Dy, 2012).

Protestant and Evangelical institutions across the region similarly emphasize service learning, missions orientation, and character formation, though with varying approaches to pluralism and engagement with other religious communities.

 2.2.4 Indigenous Wisdom and Syncretistic Practices

Indigenous communities throughout Sundaland—from Dayak peoples in Borneo to Lumad in Mindanao—maintain educational traditions emphasizing ecological wisdom, communal responsibility, and spiritual connection to land. These traditions, often marginalized by formal education systems, offer valuable perspectives on sustainability and holistic human development (Tauli-Corpuz & Tamang, 2007).

Syncretistic practices blending indigenous, Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic elements—such as Javanese kejawen, Balinese Hinduism, or Maranao Islamic-animistic traditions—demonstrate how Sundaland communities have historically integrated diverse spiritual influences. These traditions model approaches to religious pluralism that contemporary education can learn from.

2.3 Global Citizenship Education: Regional Adaptations

Global citizenship education (GCE) as articulated by UNESCO emphasizes cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral dimensions preparing learners to address global challenges (UNESCO, 2015). However, GCE has faced critiques in the Global South for potential neo-colonial implications and Western-centric frameworks (Andreotti, 2006).

2.3.1 ASEAN Community and Regional Citizenship

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has promoted regional consciousness through educational initiatives emphasizing ASEAN identity, intercultural understanding, and regional cooperation. The ASEAN University Network and various student exchange programs cultivate regional citizenship that mediates between national and global scales (Collins, 2008).

This regional dimension offers productive space for conceptualizing citizenship in Sundaland—honoring national particularity while fostering transnational awareness at a regional scale where cultural commonalities facilitate understanding. Regional citizenship can serve as stepping stone to more expansive global consciousness while remaining culturally grounded.

2.3.2 Asian Values Discourse and Global Citizenship

Debates about "Asian values"—emphasizing communal harmony, respect for authority, and family solidarity—have shaped discourse on citizenship education in Sundaland (Barr et al., 1997). While critics view Asian values rhetoric as authoritarian justification, defenders argue it represents legitimate alternative to Western individualism. 

Contemporary approaches seek to transcend this binary by articulating citizenship models that honor communal orientations while protecting human rights and enabling democratic participation. Singapore's character and citizenship education exemplifies attempts to cultivate "rooted cosmopolitans" who maintain cultural groundings while embracing diversity (Han, 2015).

2.3.3 Islamic Cosmopolitanism

Islamic scholars in Sundaland are recovering cosmopolitan dimensions of Islamic intellectual history, demonstrating how Islamic universalism (ummah) can support rather than oppose global consciousness. Concepts like wasatiyyah (moderation), tasamuh (tolerance), and 

rahmatan lil 'alamin (mercy to all worlds) provide Islamic frameworks for engaging diversity and working toward global common good (Kamaruzzaman, 2016).

This Islamic cosmopolitanism challenges false dichotomies between religious particularity and global citizenship, suggesting that robust religious identity can motivate rather than impede global solidarity when properly articulated.

3. Synergies and Tensions: Religion and Global Citizenship in Sundaland

3.1 Shared Ethical Foundations Across Traditions

Despite doctrinal differences, Sundaland's religious traditions share ethical principles that align with global citizenship values:

a. Human Dignity: Islamic karamah (human dignity), Buddhist Buddha-nature, Christian imago Dei, and indigenous notions of sacred personhood all affirm intrinsic human worth transcending social hierarchies.

b. Compassion and Social Justice: The Islamic obligation of zakat and concern for mustadh'afin (oppressed), Buddhist karuna (compassion) and dana (generosity), Christian preferential option for the poor, and indigenous communal sharing practices all emphasize responsibility toward vulnerable others.

c. Environmental Stewardship: Islamic khalifah, Buddhist mindfulness toward all sentient beings, Christian creation care, and indigenous spiritual ecology converge on principles of environmental responsibility increasingly urgent given climate change impacts on Sundaland (Foltz et al., 2003).

d. Peace and Conflict Resolution: Buddhist ahimsa (non-violence), Islamic sulh (reconciliation), Christian peacemaking, and indigenous conflict resolution practices like musyawarah provide resources for peace education amid regional conflicts.

These convergences enable interfaith collaboration and values education that draws on multiple religious traditions while respecting their distinctiveness.

3.2 Historical Models of Pluralistic Coexistence

Sundaland's history offers models of religious coexistence relevant for contemporary education:

1. Indonesia's Pancasila: Indonesia's founding philosophy, with its first principle of "Belief in One Supreme God," attempts to provide shared framework accommodating diverse monotheistic and polytheistic traditions. Pancasila education aims to cultivate religious commitment alongside national unity and pluralistic tolerance (Assyaukanie, 2009).

2. Malayan and Malaysian Multiculturalism: Despite recent tensions, Malaysia's Constitution protects religious freedom for minority communities while acknowledging Islam's special status. Educational policies attempt to balance these commitments through shared national curriculum and ethnic-specific schools.

3. Philippine Interfaith Initiatives: Organizations like Silsilah Dialogue Movement and Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute have developed educational programs fostering Muslim-Christian dialogue and addressing Mindanao conflicts through values-based peace education (Mastura, 2013).

4. Singaporean Secularism: Singapore's "religious harmony" model requires religious restraint in public sphere while protecting private religious practice and maintaining religious education in faith-based schools. This model, though contested, demonstrates one approach to managing deep pluralism.

These historical experiences, with both successes and failures, provide context-specific lessons for contemporary humanizing education.

3.3 Contemporary Tensions and Challenges

3.3.1 Religious Conservatism and Exclusivism

Recent decades have seen increased religious conservatism across Sundaland, including Saudi-influenced Salafism in Indonesia and Malaysia, Buddhist nationalism in southern Thailand, and Christian evangelical conservatism in the Philippines. These movements sometimes promote exclusivist identities incompatible with pluralistic global citizenship (Liow, 2016).

Educational responses must address these trends through:

a. Critical religious literacy enabling students to distinguish between diverse interpretations within traditions

b. Theological resources for pluralism from progressive religious thinkers

c. Experiential interfaith encounter reducing prejudice through personal relationships

d. Critical examination of how religion can be instrumentalized for political purposes

3.3.2 Secular-Religious Tensions

Some advocates of global citizenship education view religious particularity as inherently problematic, while religious communities sometimes perceive GCE as secularizing threat. These tensions require nuanced navigation:

Educational frameworks must distinguish between legitimate concerns about religious indoctrination and unjust marginalization of religious perspectives from public discourse. Religious voices should be included in discussions of ethics, justice, and common good while maintaining space for non-religious perspectives.

3.3.3 Inequality and Cultural Imperialism

Implementation of global citizenship education risks reproducing inequalities if presented in ways perceived as Western cultural imperialism. English-language dominance, emphasis on individual rights over collective harmony, and devaluation of traditional knowledge can alienate students from less privileged backgrounds or minority communities (Pashby, 2012).

Contextualizing GCE for Sundaland requires:

a. Multilingual approaches honoring local languages

b. Centering regional and local examples of global issues

c. Recognizing indigenous and traditional knowledge systems as legitimate

d. Critically examining how global citizenship discourses can serve neocolonial purposes

 4. An Integrative Framework for Sundaland

                                                                        4.1 Guiding Principles

Based on the preceding analysis, this framework proposes five guiding principles for humanizing education in Sundaland:

1. Rooted Cosmopolitanism: Cultivate global consciousness that grows from rather than replaces cultural and religious roots. Students should develop deep understanding of their own traditions as foundation for appreciating others.

2. Critical Pluralism:  Foster ability to engage respectfully with religious and cultural diversity while maintaining critical capacity to question injustices within and between traditions.

3. Dialogical Learning: Create educational spaces structured around dialogue—between religious traditions, between tradition and modernity, between local and global—rather than monological transmission.

4. Praxis Orientation: Connect values learning with concrete action addressing local and global challenges, cultivating practical wisdom alongside ethical reasoning.

5. Holistic Development:  Attend to cognitive, emotional, social, spiritual, and physical dimensions of human development, resisting reductions to either utilitarian skill acquisition or narrow religious instruction.

4.2 Curricular Framework

4.2.1 Core Values Curriculum

Develop curriculum explicitly teaching shared values across religious traditions:

1. Primary Grades (Ages 6-11): Stories and practices cultivating kindness, honesty, respect, and responsibility, drawing on multiple religious and cultural traditions. For example, teaching compassion through Buddhist Jataka tales, Islamic stories of Prophet Muhammad's kindness, Christian parables, and indigenous legends.

2. Middle Grades (Ages 12-14):  Deeper exploration of ethical reasoning, religious diversity, and social responsibility. Units might examine concepts like justice across traditions, environmental ethics, or interfaith approaches to community service.

3. Secondary Grades (Ages 15-18): Critical engagement with complex ethical issues from multiple perspectives, including religious, philosophical, and secular frameworks. Topics might include human rights, economic justice, conflict resolution, or environmental sustainability.

4.2.2 Religious Studies and Literacy

Implement comprehensive religious literacy education:

1. "Education about Religion": All students learn about major religious traditions in Sundaland, their histories, beliefs, practices, and contributions to society. This differs from confessional religious instruction, instead fostering understanding and respect.

2. Theological and Philosophical Inquiry: Secondary students engage with religious and philosophical texts, examining how different traditions address fundamental questions of meaning, ethics, and human flourishing.

3. Interfaith Dialogue Skills: Structured training in skills for respectful interfaith encounter, including active listening, perspective-taking, and navigating disagreement constructively.

4.2.3 Global Citizenship Competencies

Integrate GCE throughout curriculum:

1. Critical Global Awareness: Understanding of global interconnections, international institutions, global challenges, and North-South dynamics, with particular attention to Southeast Asian contexts.

2. Intercultural Competence: Skills for effective communication across cultural differences, including but not limited to religious diversity. This includes attention to regional diversity within Sundaland.

3. Democratic Participation: Capacities for active citizenship at multiple scales (local, national, regional, global), including democratic deliberation, community organizing, and advocacy.

4. Sustainability Education: Knowledge and commitments supporting environmental sustainability, drawing on both scientific understanding and religious/indigenous environmental ethics.

4.2.4 Integration Across Disciplines

Rather than confining values education to separate subjects, integrate throughout:

1. Language Arts: Literature from diverse Sundaland cultures and religions; writing assignments requiring perspective-taking and ethical reasoning

2. Social Studies:  History emphasizing multiple perspectives; civics education connecting local, national, and global citizenship

3. Sciences:  Environmental education connected to sustainability values; bioethics examining intersections of science and values

4. Arts: Expression of religious and cultural identities; arts from diverse Sundaland traditions

5. Mathematics: Applications addressing social justice issues (poverty, inequality); recognition of non-Western mathematical traditions

4.3 Pedagogical Approaches

4.3.1 Dialogical Methods

a. Socratic Seminars and Circle Dialogues: Regular structured conversations where students explore ethical questions and diverse perspectives. Teachers facilitate rather than lecture, modeling respectful disagreement and openness to multiple viewpoints.

b. Interfaith Encounter Programs: Arrange visits to diverse religious communities' worship spaces, guest speakers from different traditions, and collaborative service projects with interfaith participation. Research demonstrates that personal contact reduces prejudice more effectively than abstract instruction (Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006).

c. Digital Global Connections:  Virtual exchanges connecting Sundaland students with peers in other world regions, exploring both commonalities and differences in perspectives on global issues.

4.3.2 Contemplative Practices

a. Mindfulness and Reflection: Regular practices cultivating present-moment awareness, emotional regulation, and self-reflection. While drawing on Buddhist meditation traditions, these can be framed inclusively to accommodate diverse religious backgrounds (Ergas, 2014).

b. Prayer and Spiritual Practices:  In faith-based schools, religious practices are maintained. In pluralistic settings, quiet reflection time respects diverse forms of spiritual practice without imposing particular forms.

c. Ethical Inquiry Circles:  Structured reflection on ethical questions and moral dilemmas, developing capacity for moral reasoning and ethical imagination.

4.3.3 Service Learning and Community Engagement

a. Local Community Service:  Students engage in addressing local community needs—tutoring younger students, environmental cleanup, visiting elderly—with structured reflection connecting service to values.

b. Regional and Global Projects: Partnerships with communities in other Sundaland nations or globally, working collaboratively on shared challenges. This might include environmental conservation, cultural preservation, or poverty alleviation initiatives.

c. Advocacy and Activism: Age-appropriate involvement in advocacy for justice, teaching students that global citizenship involves not just service but also working for systemic change.

4.3.4 Arts and Storytelling

a. Cultural Arts:  Study and practice of diverse Sundaland artistic traditions—gamelan, wayang, batik, traditional dance, Islamic calligraphy—as vehicles for cultural understanding and values transmission.

b. Narrative Pedagogy:  Stories from diverse traditions used to develop moral imagination and perspective-taking. This includes religious narratives, historical accounts, contemporary testimonies, and creative fiction.

c. Creative Expression: Students create artworks expressing their own values, cultural identities, and visions for the future, fostering agency and voice.

5. Case Studies and Exemplary Practices

5.1 Indonesia: Nahdlatul Ulama's Moderate Islamic Education

Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Muslim organization with over 90 million members, operates thousands of schools integrating traditional Islamic education with progressive values. NU's educational philosophy emphasizes Islam Nusantara (Islam of the archipelago)—an Islam adapted to Indonesian cultural contexts and committed to pluralism, democracy, and tolerance (Mietzner & Muhtadi, 2018).

NU schools teach:

1. Islamic jurisprudence alongside critical thinking about contextual interpretation

2. Interfaith understanding through study of diverse religious traditions

3. Democratic citizenship values as compatible with Islamic ethics

4. Environmental stewardship rooted in Islamic theology

Research indicates that NU school graduates demonstrate higher levels of religious tolerance and democratic commitment compared to students from more conservative Islamic schools (Woodward et al., 2013). This demonstrates possibility of robust religious education supporting rather than contradicting pluralistic citizenship.

5.2 Malaysia: Global Zakat Foundation's Holistic Education

The Global Zakat Foundation operates schools in underserved Malaysian communities integrating Islamic values, academic excellence, and global citizenship. Their curriculum includes:

1. Tahfiz (Qur'an memorization) combined with critical reflection on Qur'anic meanings

2. Project-based learning addressing community needs

3. Environmental education linking Islamic stewardship principles to sustainability practices

4. Intercultural exchange programs with students from diverse backgrounds

Students engage in service learning projects addressing poverty, environmental degradation, and educational inequality, applying Islamic social justice values to concrete challenges.

5.3 Philippines: Ateneo de Manila's Ignatian Education

Ateneo de Manila University exemplifies Jesuit educational philosophy adapted to Philippine contexts. Their approach integrates:

1. Cura personalis (care for the whole person) with attention to spiritual, intellectual, and social development

2. Social justice commitment expressed through immersion programs in marginalized communities

3. Interfaith dialogue through partnerships with Muslim educational institutions in Mindanao

4. Environmental advocacy rooted in Catholic social teaching and indigenous Philippine values

Ateneo's education produces graduates with strong professional competencies alongside commitments to social justice and public service, demonstrating how religious institutional identity can support global citizenship (Dy, 2012).

5.4 Singapore: Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation Schools

Tzu Chi schools in Singapore integrate Buddhist values within multicultural educational contexts. Their approach includes:

a. Character education emphasizing universal values of compassion, integrity, and gratitude

b. Service learning as core component of curriculum, with students volunteering from young ages

c. Environmental education rooted in Buddhist respect for all life

d. Multicultural curriculum honoring Singapore's religious diversity while maintaining Buddhist philosophical foundations

Research indicates that Tzu Chi students demonstrate high levels of empathy, environmental consciousness, and commitment to service while achieving strong academic outcomes (Tan, 2016).

5.5 Regional: SEAMEO (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization) Initiatives

SEAMEO has developed regional programs promoting values education and global citizenship:

1. SEAMEO-INNOTECH  has created curricula integrating values education across Southeast Asian contexts, emphasizing both shared regional values and respect for cultural diversity

2. ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook provides resources for teaching regional identity and cooperation

3. Teacher training programs  prepare educators to facilitate dialogue across religious and cultural differences

These regional initiatives demonstrate how intergovernmental cooperation can support values-based education at scale. Gambar 3 (dibuat Copilot AI, Januari 2026): Diagram Policy. 

                    

6. Implementation Pathways and Policy Recommendations

6.1 National Policy Frameworks

1. Constitutional and Legal Foundations: Educational policies must be grounded in constitutional principles balancing religious freedom with pluralistic citizenship. This requires careful attention to:

a. Protecting rights of religious minorities

b. Preventing use of public education for proselytization

c. Enabling faith-based schools while ensuring basic standards

d. Clarifying boundaries between education about  religion and confessional religious instruction

2. Curriculum Standards: Ministries of Education should develop curriculum frameworks explicitly addressing values education and global citizenship while allowing flexibility for local and institutional adaptation. Standards should specify:

a. Learning objectives for religious literacy, ethical reasoning, and intercultural competence

b. Pedagogical approaches promoting dialogue and critical thinking

c. Assessment methods appropriate for values and citizenship education

d. Integration strategies across subject areas

3. Inclusive Consultation: Policy development should involve diverse stakeholders including religious communities, educators, civil society organizations, and student voices. This participatory approach builds legitimacy and ensures policies reflect contextual realities.

6.2 Teacher Education and Professional Development

Teachers are crucial to implementing humanizing education. Comprehensive teacher preparation requires:

1. Pre-service Education:

a. Religious literacy and interfaith competence training

b. Pedagogical skills for facilitating difficult conversations

c. Understanding of child and adolescent moral development

d. Training in contemplative practices and social-emotional learning

e. Critical reflection on teachers' own cultural and religious identities and biases

2. In-service Professional Development:

a. Ongoing workshops on current issues in religious diversity and global citizenship

b. Peer learning communities for sharing practices and addressing challenges

c. Resources and curricular materials

d. Support for teacher wellbeing and spiritual formation

3. Structural Support:

a. Adequate compensation and working conditions

b. Protected time for professional development

c. Recognition and career advancement opportunities for expertise in values education

6.3 Institutional Conditions

Schools require supportive conditions:

a. School Culture: Leadership must cultivate institutional cultures of respect, inclusion, and dialogue. This includes:

1. Clear policies against discrimination and bullying

2. Celebrations and recognition of diverse religious and cultural identities

3. Modeling of respectful engagement across differences by administrators and teachers

4. Participatory governance structures giving voice to diverse communities

b. Physical Spaces: School environments should reflect and honor diversity:

1. Multipurpose spaces for various religious observances

2. Visual representations of diverse cultures and religions

3. Designs incorporating traditional architectural elements

4. Natural spaces supporting environmental education

c. Community Partnerships: Schools should build relationships with:

1. Religious institutions of diverse traditions

2. Civil society organizations addressing social issues

3. Businesses and professional networks for mentorship and career pathways

4. International partner schools for exchanges and collaboration

6.4 Assessment and Accountability

Measuring outcomes of humanizing education requires moving beyond standardized test scores:

1. Holistic Assessment Approaches:

a. Portfolios: Students compile evidence of growth in values, citizenship competencies, and intercultural understanding through reflections, projects, and service documentation

b. Performance Assessments: Demonstrations of dialogue skills, ethical reasoning, and intercultural competence through authentic tasks

c. Self and Peer Assessment: Students reflect on their own development and provide constructive feedback to peers

d. Community Feedback: Input from community partners on students' contributions and growth

2. Research and Evaluation:

a. Longitudinal studies tracking long-term outcomes of humanizing education approaches

b. Action research by teacher-researchers documenting innovations and challenges

c. Comparative studies across Sundaland contexts identifying effective practices

d. Participatory evaluation involving students and communities in assessing programs

6.5 Addressing Inequality

Humanizing education must confront structural inequalities:

1. Resource Equity:  Ensure adequate funding for schools serving disadvantaged communities, providing:

a. Well-prepared teachers and competitive salaries

b. Quality facilities and learning materials

c. Technology access for digital learning

d. Support services (counseling, health, nutrition)

2. Linguistic Justice: Support mother-tongue instruction while developing multilingual capabilities:

a. Primary education in students' first languages

b. Gradual introduction of national and global languages

c. Preservation of endangered indigenous languages

d. Recognition of linguistic diversity as asset

3. Cultural Responsiveness: Adapt educational approaches to diverse cultural contexts:

a. Curriculum reflecting experiences of diverse ethnic and religious communities

b. Pedagogies aligned with local cultural learning styles

c. Teachers from or trained in local communities

d. Partnerships with cultural leaders and knowledge keepers

4. Inclusive Access:  Remove barriers preventing marginalized groups from educational opportunities:

a. Scholarships and financial support for economically disadvantaged students

b. Accommodations for students with disabilities

c. Protection against discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, gender, or other identities

d. Flexible pathways for students with diverse needs

7. Challenges, Tensions, and Critical Considerations

7.1 Navigating Political Constraints

Education is inherently political, and humanizing education faces political challenges:

1. Authoritarian Tendencies: Some Sundaland governments limit civic education emphasizing critical thinking and democratic participation. Educators must find strategic ways to cultivate critical consciousness within political constraints, or advocate for policy changes when possible.

2. Religious Politicization:  When religious identities become politically mobilized, educational efforts to foster pluralistic tolerance may face resistance. This requires sophisticated political awareness and alliance-building across diverse communities.

3. Competing Nationalisms: Education for regional and global citizenship can be perceived as threatening national sovereignty. Framing must emphasize how regional cooperation and global engagement serve national interests.

7.2 Theological and Philosophical Tensions

Deep tensions exist within and between religious traditions:

1. Exclusivist Truth Claims:  Many religious traditions claim unique access to ultimate truth. How can education honor these claims while preventing them from justifying intolerance? Approaches might include:

a. Distinguishing between ultimate religious commitments and proximate civic cooperation

b. Encouraging "humble orthodoxy" that maintains convictions while recognizing epistemic limitations

c. Emphasizing shared ethical commitments alongside theological differences

2. Secular-Religious Divides: Finding appropriate roles for religious perspectives in pluralistic public education remains contested. Solutions must protect religious freedom without establishing particular religions while recognizing legitimate public role for religious ethical reasoning.

3. Gender and Sexual Diversity: Conservative religious teachings often conflict with contemporary human rights frameworks regarding gender equality and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Education must navigate these tensions with care for both religious conscience and human dignity of all students.

7.3 Cultural Imperialism and Authenticity

Critical questions about cultural imperialism require ongoing attention:

1. Whose Values?  Determining which "shared values" to emphasize risks privileging dominant groups. Processes must be genuinely participatory and accountable to marginalized communities.

2. Authenticity vs. Syncretism:  Some view integration of religious and global citizenship values as inauthentic religious dilution. Others celebrate Sundaland's historical syncretism. Education should enable students to navigate these questions rather than imposing predetermined answers.

3. Western Frameworks:  Even when attempting contextualization, educational frameworks may reproduce Western assumptions. Ongoing decolonial critique is essential, along with centering indigenous and non-Western epistemologies.

7.4 Measuring Impact

Assessing whether humanizing education achieves its aims presents challenges:

1. Long-term Outcomes: Values and character develop over lifetimes. Short-term assessment captures limited dimensions of impact.

2. Context Dependency: Humanizing education succeeds through cultural responsiveness and local adaptation, making standardized evaluation problematic.

3. Unintended Consequences: Educational interventions may have unexpected effects. For example, interfaith education might inadvertently reinforce religious boundaries through emphasizing differences.

Humble, mixed-methods, participatory evaluation approaches are more appropriate than technocratic accountability systems.

8. Conclusion: Toward Distinctive Sundaland Contributions

This paper has examined how humanizing education integrating religious values and global citizenship can be developed in Sundaland's distinctive sociocultural contexts. Several conclusions emerge:

1. Sundaland's Historical Experience as Resource: Rather than viewing religious diversity as merely a challenge, Sundaland can draw on centuries of pluralistic coexistence, syncretistic creativity, and intercultural exchange as resources for contemporary education. Concepts like gotong royong, musyawarah, bayanihan, and Islam Nusantara offer culturally grounded frameworks for navigating diversity.

2. Multiple Modernities: Sundaland need not choose between tradition and modernity, religious identity and global citizenship. Instead, the region can demonstrate how robust religious commitment and cosmopolitan openness can mutually reinforce when approached through dialogical, critical, and inclusive frameworks. This represents an alternative to both reactionary fundamentalism and culturally deracinated globalization.

3. Scaling Citizenship: The ASEAN regional framework provides a middle ground between narrow nationalism and abstract globalism. Regional citizenship allows Sundaland societies to practice cosmopolitanism within culturally proximate contexts, building capacities for engagement that can extend to broader global scales. This graduated approach to citizenship education may prove more sustainable than immediate leaps to global identification.

4. Religion as Resource for Global Citizenship: Progressive religious educators in Sundaland are demonstrating that religious traditions, far from opposing global citizenship, can provide powerful motivations and frameworks for cosmopolitan engagement. Islamic concepts of ummah and rahmatan lil 'alamin, Buddhist karuna extending to all sentient beings, Christian universal love, and indigenous holistic worldviews all offer theological foundations for caring about distant others and working toward global justice. Educational approaches that recover these resources can mobilize religious commitment for global citizenship rather than positioning them as opposites.

5. Pedagogies of Dialogue:  Sundaland's diversity necessitates educational approaches centered on dialogue—between religious traditions, between traditional and modern knowledge, between local and global perspectives. Rather than viewing this as compromise or relativism, dialogue can be understood as epistemological stance appropriate to pluralistic contexts, one that honors multiple perspectives while enabling collaborative truth-seeking and ethical discernment.

6. Addressing Inequality as Religious and Citizenship Imperative: Both religious social justice teachings and global citizenship frameworks converge on obligations to address inequality and protect vulnerable populations. Humanizing education in Sundaland must confront structural injustices—economic inequality, ethnic discrimination, gender oppression—as both religious and civic imperatives. This convergence provides powerful basis for education oriented toward social transformation.

8.1 Contributions to Global Scholarship

Sundaland's experiences offer important contributions to global educational scholarship:

1. Decentering Western Frameworks: Educational theories have been disproportionately developed in Western contexts. Sundaland perspectives can help decentre these frameworks, offering alternative conceptualizations of citizenship, development, and human flourishing grounded in Southeast Asian cultural logics and historical experiences.

2. Interfaith Education Models: Sundaland's deep religious diversity and historical practices of coexistence provide rich contexts for developing and testing interfaith education approaches. Lessons from this region can inform practice in increasingly diverse societies globally.

3. Postcolonial Pedagogy:  As postcolonial societies navigating tensions between indigenous traditions, colonial legacies, and contemporary globalization, Sundaland nations are developing pedagogical approaches that may offer insights for other postcolonial contexts globally.

4.Buddhist and Islamic Educational Philosophies: Sundaland is home to distinctive Buddhist and Islamic educational traditions that deserve greater recognition in global educational scholarship. Thai Buddhist mindfulness education and Indonesian pesantren  traditions exemplify non-Western pedagogical wisdom with broad applicability.

8.2 Future Research Directions

This paper opens numerous questions requiring further investigation:

1. Longitudinal Studies: Research tracking long-term outcomes of integrative approaches to religious values and global citizenship education in Sundaland contexts. Do graduates of programs emphasizing both religious formation and cosmopolitan awareness demonstrate different life trajectories, civic engagement patterns, or intercultural competencies compared to those receiving more conventional education?

2. Comparative Analysis:  Systematic comparison across Sundaland nations with different religious compositions, political systems, and educational policies. What factors enable successful integration of religious values and global citizenship? How do approaches differ and what can be learned from these variations?

3. Indigenous Pedagogy:  Deeper exploration of indigenous educational traditions throughout Sundaland and how these can inform contemporary practice. How can formal education systems honor and integrate indigenous knowledge without appropriation or distortion?

4. Teacher Experiences: Qualitative research on teachers' experiences implementing humanizing education in diverse contexts. What challenges do they face? What supports enable success? How do their own religious and cultural identities shape their pedagogical approaches?

5. Student Voice:  Research centering students' perspectives on religious values and global citizenship education. How do young people in Sundaland navigate multiple identities? What educational approaches resonate with their experiences and aspirations?

6. Policy Analysis:  Examination of how educational policies in Sundaland nations address tensions between religious values, national identity, and global citizenship. What policy frameworks enable integration and what obstacles remain?

7. Curriculum Development: Participatory action research developing and testing curricula integrating religious values and global citizenship appropriate for diverse Sundaland contexts. What content, pedagogies, and assessments prove most effective?

8.3 A Vision for the Future

Imagining education in Sundaland several decades hence, we might envision:

a. Schools as Communities of Practice: Educational institutions functioning as genuine communities where students from diverse backgrounds learn to engage difference constructively, develop deep understanding of their own and others' traditions, and collaborate on addressing shared challenges. Schools become microcosms of the pluralistic societies they aim to foster.

b. Teachers as Facilitators of Meaning-Making:  Educators prepared not just to transmit information but to guide students' development as whole persons—intellectually, morally, emotionally, spiritually. Teachers comfortable with religious and philosophical questions, skilled in dialogue facilitation, and committed to their own ongoing growth.

c. Curricula Integrating Multiple Knowledge Systems: Educational content that honors indigenous wisdom, religious traditions, and modern scientific knowledge as complementary rather than competing frameworks. Students learn to think critically about all knowledge claims while appreciating distinctive contributions of each tradition.

d. Assessment Honoring Holistic Development: Evaluation systems measuring not just cognitive achievement but also ethical reasoning, intercultural competence, spiritual maturity, emotional intelligence, and civic commitment. Assessment becomes learning opportunity rather than mere accountability mechanism.

e. Education as Lifelong Journey: Learning understood as continuing throughout life rather than confined to schooling years. Religious communities, universities, workplaces, and civil society organizations all contributing to citizens' ongoing formation.

f. Regional Educational Community: Sundaland nations collaborating through shared frameworks, student and teacher exchanges, joint research, and mutual learning. This regional educational community contributing distinctive perspectives to global knowledge while remaining grounded in local wisdom.

g. Graduates as Bridge-Builders: Young people emerging from humanizing education prepared to navigate complexity, bridge differences, and work toward justice and sustainability. They maintain strong religious and cultural identities while embracing cosmopolitan awareness, think critically while acting compassionately, honor tradition while innovating responsibly.

8.4 Final Reflections

The integration of religious values and global citizenship education in Sundaland represents more than educational policy or pedagogical technique. It embodies a vision of human possibility—that people can be simultaneously rooted and cosmopolitan, faithful and pluralistic, tradition-honoring and forward-looking. This vision challenges both religious fundamentalism that rejects engagement with difference and secular cosmopolitanism that dismisses religious wisdom.

Realizing this vision requires wisdom, courage, and sustained commitment from educators, policymakers, religious leaders, and communities. It requires honestly confronting historical injustices and contemporary inequalities while maintaining hope in education's transformative potential. It requires humility about our limitations and uncertainties while taking responsibility for shaping better futures.

The stakes are considerable. Sundaland faces challenges—religious tensions, environmental degradation, inequality, rapid technological change—that cannot be addressed through conventional educational approaches emphasizing narrow technical skills or rigid ideological conformity. Humanizing education integrating religious values and global citizenship offers alternative pathways toward more just, peaceful, and sustainable societies.

This paper has attempted to articulate frameworks and strategies for such education, grounded in Sundaland's distinctive contexts while engaging global scholarship. Much work remains—translating these ideas into concrete curricula, policies, and practices; building coalitions supporting implementation; conducting research evaluating impacts; continuously refining approaches based on experience.

Yet the journey is already underway. Throughout Sundaland, educators and communities are innovating humanizing pedagogies, religious institutions are embracing pluralism, schools are cultivating global consciousness. These efforts, often occurring at grassroots level without fanfare, represent seeds of transformation. Academic scholarship can support these practitioners by documenting promising practices, providing theoretical frameworks, and advocating for supportive policies.

Ultimately, humanizing education in Sundaland is about preparing young people to inherit and steward this extraordinary region—cradle of ancient civilizations, home to stunning biodiversity, crossroads of global trade and cultural exchange. It is about equipping them to honor the wisdom of ancestors while addressing unprecedented contemporary challenges. It is about nurturing their capacities to love deeply—their own communities and traditions, yet also the wider human family and the more-than-human world. It is about education that recognizes and cultivates the fullness of human being—thinking and feeling, individual and communal, rooted and reaching, finite and transcendent.

In pursuing such education, Sundaland can offer hopeful possibilities not only for itself but for our shared global future. In a world marked by rising nationalism, religious extremism, and civilizational fragmentation, Sundaland's experience navigating deep diversity offers lessons in coexistence and collaboration. In an era of environmental crisis, Sundaland's indigenous and religious ecological wisdom offers alternatives to destructive extractivism. In a time of spiritual hunger amid material abundance, Sundaland's integration of material development with attention to meaning and transcendence offers paths toward more fulfilling human flourishing.

The task is neither simple nor certain of success. But it is necessary. And it is worthy of our best efforts. May educators, scholars, policymakers, and communities throughout Sundaland and beyond join in this vital work of humanizing education for a better future—one that honors the dignity of every person, celebrates the richness of our diverse traditions, and calls us to responsibility for our common world.

8.5 Practical Recommendations for Stakeholders

a. For Educational Policymakers:

National Level:

1. Develop national curriculum frameworks that explicitly integrate religious values education and global citizenship while respecting religious diversity and constitutional principles

2. Establish clear guidelines distinguishing between education about religion (appropriate for all schools) and confessional religious instruction (appropriate for faith-based institutions)

3. Create interministerial task forces coordinating education, religious affairs, and foreign affairs ministries to ensure policy coherence

4. Allocate adequate funding for curriculum development, teacher training, and educational resources

5. Institute accountability mechanisms that measure holistic student development, not just academic achievement

6. Facilitate regional cooperation through ASEAN and SEAMEO frameworks to share best practices and develop common resources

Local Level yang meliputi:

1. Adapt national frameworks to local contexts, honoring regional religious and cultural diversity

2. Build partnerships with local religious institutions, civil society organizations, and community leaders

3. Ensure equitable resource distribution between urban and rural schools, privileged and marginalized communities

4. Create forums for ongoing dialogue among diverse stakeholders about values education

5. Support pilot programs and action research to develop context-appropriate innovations

b. For School Leaders and Administrators:

1. Cultivate school cultures of respect, inclusion, and dialogue through policies, practices, and modeling

2. Recruit and retain diverse faculty reflecting student body diversity

3. Provide ongoing professional development in religious literacy, interfaith competence, and global citizenship pedagogy

4. Create physical spaces accommodating diverse religious observances and cultural practices

5. Establish clear protocols for addressing conflicts related to religious or cultural differences

6. Build partnerships with religious institutions, community organizations, and international schools

7. Implement holistic assessment systems measuring values development alongside academic achievement

8. Engage families through transparent communication and meaningful participation opportunities

9. Celebrate religious and cultural diversity through school events, curricula, and institutional practices

10. Protect academic freedom while maintaining inclusive learning environments

c. For Teachers and Educators:

1. Develop your own religious literacy through study of diverse traditions beyond your own background

2. Cultivate intercultural competence through engagement with diverse communities and ongoing reflection on your own cultural assumptions

3. Master pedagogical strategies for dialogue facilitation, handling controversial issues, and navigating disagreement constructively

4. Create classroom environments where all students feel valued and where diverse perspectives are welcomed

5. Integrate values education throughout curriculum rather than treating it as separate subject

6. Use multiple pedagogical approaches—dialogue, contemplation, service learning, arts, storytelling—to reach diverse learners

7. Assess student growth holistically, recognizing development in ethical reasoning, empathy, and intercultural competence

8. Build relationships with families to understand students' cultural and religious backgrounds

9. Collaborate with colleagues to share practices and support each other's growth

10. Engage in your own spiritual and ethical formation to model authentic commitment to values

d. For Religious Leaders and Institutions:

1. Support educational initiatives promoting religious literacy and interfaith understanding

2. Provide resources—guest speakers, sacred texts, educational materials—to schools seeking to teach about your tradition respectfully

3. Participate in interfaith educational programs and partnerships

4. Articulate theological resources within your tradition supporting pluralism, global consciousness, and social justice

5. Create opportunities for young people to engage in interfaith dialogue and collaborative service

6. Address extremism and intolerance within your own communities

7. Model respectful engagement with those of different beliefs

8. Support faith-based educational institutions in balancing religious identity formation with pluralistic citizenship

9. Advocate for policies protecting religious freedom while supporting inclusive education

10. Contribute to public discourse on ethics, justice, and common good from your tradition's perspective

e. For Civil Society Organizations:

1. Develop and disseminate educational resources on religious diversity, global citizenship, and values education

2. Create programs bringing together young people from diverse backgrounds for dialogue and collaboration

3. Advocate for educational policies supporting humanizing education

4. Provide training for educators in interfaith competence and global citizenship pedagogy

5. Monitor implementation of values education to ensure quality and inclusivity

6. Document and share promising practices from across the region

7. Build networks connecting educators, religious leaders, and communities

8. Support research on outcomes of humanizing education approaches

9. Facilitate international exchanges and partnerships

10. Address educational inequalities through targeted programs and advocacy

f. For Families and Parents:

1. Engage with your children's schools to understand values education curricula and approaches

2. Support your children's religious and cultural identity formation while encouraging openness to diversity

3. Model respectful engagement with those of different beliefs and backgrounds

4. Discuss current events and ethical issues with your children from multiple perspectives

5. Participate in school activities celebrating diversity and promoting dialogue

6. Provide feedback to schools about your values and concerns while respecting inclusive environment

7. Create opportunities for your children to interact with diverse peers and communities

8. Support your children's service learning and civic engagement activities

9. Cultivate family practices of reflection, gratitude, and ethical discernment

10. Collaborate with other families across differences for common purposes

g. For Students and Youth:

1. Take ownership of your own learning and growth in values and global citizenship

2. Engage authentically with your own religious or philosophical tradition while remaining open to learning from others

3. Participate actively in dialogue opportunities, bringing your perspective while listening deeply to others

4. Question and think critically about all perspectives, including your own tradition's teachings

5. Get involved in service learning, community engagement, and social justice initiatives

6. Build friendships across religious, ethnic, and cultural differences

7. Use social media and digital platforms to connect with diverse peers globally

8. Speak up against intolerance, discrimination, and injustice when you encounter them

9. Reflect regularly on your values, commitments, and areas for growth

10. Support peers navigating questions of identity, belonging, and purpose

h. For Researchers and Scholars:

1. Conduct research on outcomes and impacts of integrative approaches to religious values and global citizenship education in Sundaland contexts

2. Document promising practices and innovations from across the region

3. Develop theoretical frameworks that honor non-Western epistemologies and Sundaland's distinctive contexts

4. Engage in participatory action research with educators and communities rather than extractive research

5. Publish findings in accessible forms reaching practitioners and policymakers, not just academic audiences

6. Build research networks across Sundaland nations facilitating comparative studies

7. Provide evidence to inform policy and practice while remaining humble about limitations of research

8. Train graduate students in research methods appropriate for studying values and citizenship education

9. Engage public discourse contributing scholarly perspectives to debates about education and pluralism

10. Collaborate across disciplines integrating insights from education, religious studies, sociology, psychology, and area studies

8.6 A Call to Action

The vision of humanizing education articulated in this paper cannot be realized through scholarship alone, nor through policy mandates, nor through grassroots innovation in isolation. It requires coordinated action across all levels of educational systems and society. It requires courage to challenge entrenched practices and structures. It requires patience for long-term transformation rather than quick fixes. It requires wisdom to navigate complex tensions and competing demands.

Most fundamentally, it requires hope—hope that education can indeed contribute to more just, peaceful, and flourishing societies; hope that religious and cultural diversity can be source of richness rather than division; hope that young people can inherit a world better than the one we have given them.

This hope is not naive optimism ignoring real obstacles and dangers. Rather, it is grounded hope, emerging from awareness of both challenges and possibilities, from recognition of both human capacity for destructive tribalism and extraordinary compassion, from understanding of both structural constraints and transformative potential of education.

Throughout Sundaland's history, communities have demonstrated remarkable capacity for adaptation, syncretism, and creative response to new circumstances. The same spirit that enabled peaceful diffusion of world religions, development of distinctive regional cultures blending diverse influences, and navigation of colonial and postcolonial transformations can enable development of educational approaches adequate to our times.

The work begins now, in classrooms and boardrooms, temples and churches and mosques, community centers and government ministries, universities and grassroots organizations throughout Sundaland and beyond. Each of us has a role to play. Each contribution matters. Each act of courage to teach differently, learn openly, engage respectfully, or work for justice plants seeds that may bear fruit for generations.

Let us proceed with both humility and determination, recognizing the magnitude of challenges while refusing to be paralyzed by them. Let us honor the wisdom of our ancestors while courageously addressing contemporary realities. Let us maintain our particular rootings while embracing our common humanity. Let us work for the humanizing education that this moment demands and that future generations deserve.

The future of Sundaland—and indeed, our shared global future—depends on whether we can educate young people who are simultaneously deeply rooted and widely connected, faithfully committed and respectfully pluralistic, critically thinking and compassionately acting, spiritually grounded and globally engaged. This is the promise and the challenge of humanizing education. This is the work to which we are called.

References :

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Andreotti, V. (2006). Soft versus critical global citizenship education. Policy & Practice: A Development Education Review, 3, 40-51.

Assyaukanie, L. (2009). Islam and the secular state in Indonesia. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

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Ergas, O. (2014). Mindfulness in education at the intersection of science, religion, and healing. Critical Studies in Education, 55(1), 58-72.

Foltz, R. C., Denny, F. M., & Baharuddin, A. (Eds.). (2003). Islam and ecology: A bestowed trust. Harvard University Press.

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Hefner, R. W. (2011). Shari'a politics: Islamic law and society in the modern world. Indiana University Press.

Kamaruzzaman, K. (2016). Islam, fundamentalism, and the betrayal of tradition: Essays by Western Muslim scholars (Rev. ed.). World Wisdom.

Kwanjai, N. (2016). Buddhist approach to global education in the context of Thailand. Journal of International Buddhist Studies, 7(1), 41-58.

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Lukens-Bull, R. A. (2013). Islamic higher education in Indonesia: Continuity and conflict. Palgrave Macmillan.

Marginson, S., & Sawir, E. (2011). Ideas for intercultural education. Palgrave Macmillan.

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Lampiran :                                                         

I. Appendix A: Key Terms and Concepts

Sundaland: Biogeographic region of Southeast Asia comprising the Malay Peninsula, Indonesian archipelago, and surrounding areas, named after the Sunda Shelf exposed during ice ages.

Pancasila: Indonesia's state philosophy consisting of five principles: belief in one God, just and civilized humanity, unity of Indonesia, democracy guided by wisdom, and social justice.

Pesantren:  Traditional Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia emphasizing Qur'anic studies, Islamic jurisprudence, and character formation.

Islam Nusantara:  "Islam of the Archipelago"—Indonesian Islamic tradition emphasizing moderation, cultural accommodation, and pluralism.

Ummah:  Global Muslim community transcending national and ethnic boundaries.

Gotong Royong:  Indonesian/Malay concept of mutual cooperation and communal responsibility.

Bayanihan:  Filipino tradition of communal unity and cooperation.

Karuna:  Buddhist concept of compassion extending to all sentient beings.

Rahmatan lil 'alamin:  Islamic principle of being "mercy to all worlds."

Khalifah:  Islamic concept of human stewardship of creation.

Musyawarah:  Indonesian consensus-building through deliberation.

Rukun Negara:  Malaysian national principles emphasizing unity, democracy, and morality.

ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations, regional intergovernmental organization.

II. Appendix B: Recommended Resources for Educators

1. Books and Articles

On Southeast Asian Religious Diversity:

- Goh, D. P. S. (Ed.). (2009). Religion and social formations in Southeast Asia. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

- Means, G. P. (2009). Political Islam in Southeast Asia. Lynne Rienner Publishers.

On Islamic Education in Southeast Asia:

- Noor, F. A., Sikand, Y., & van Bruinessen, M. (Eds.). (2008). The madrasa in Asia: Political activism and transnational linkages. Amsterdam University Press.

- Hefner, R. W., & Zaman, M. Q. (Eds.). (2007). Schooling Islam: The culture and politics of modern Muslim education. Princeton University Press.

On Interfaith Education:

- Patel, E., & Meyer, C. (2011). The civic relevance of interfaith cooperation for colleges and universities. Journal of College and Character, 12(1).

- Cornille, C. (2013). The im-possibility of interreligious dialogue. Crossroad.

On Global Citizenship Education:

- Banks, J. A. (2008). Diversity, group identity, and citizenship education in a global age. Educational Researcher, 37(3), 129-139.

- Oxley, L., & Morris, P. (2013). Global citizenship: A typology for distinguishing its multiple conceptions. British Journal of Educational Studies, 61(3), 301-325.

2. Online Resources

UNESCO Resources on GCE:

- UNESCO Global Citizenship Education Clearinghouse: https://www.gcedclearinghouse.org

- UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education: https://bangkok.unesco.org

SEAMEO Resources:

- SEAMEO-INNOTECH Values Education Resources: http://www.seameo-innotech.org

- SEAMEO Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics

- ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook for Teachers

Interfaith Organizations:

- Parliament of the World's Religions: https://www.parliamentofreligions.org

- United Religions Initiative Southeast Asia: https://www.uri.org

- Interfaith Youth Core: https://www.ifyc.org

- Religions for Peace: https://www.rfp.org

Research Centers:

- S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (Singapore)

- Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies, Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia)

- Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM)

- Ateneo Center for Asian Studies, Philippines

- Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute)

Regional Educational Networks:

- ASEAN University Network: http://www.aunsec.org

- Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization: https://www.seameo.org

- Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU)

3. Curriculum Materials and Toolkits

Values Education:

- SEAMEO-INNOTECH. (2016). Values education toolkit for teachers. SEAMEO Regional Centre for Educational Innovation and Technology.

- Lickona, T., & Davidson, M. (2005). Smart & good high schools: Integrating excellence and ethics for success in school, work, and beyond. Center for the 4th and 5th Rs.

Interfaith and Religious Literacy:

- Harvard Divinity School. (2020). Religious literacy primer. Religious Literacy Project.

- Interfaith Youth Core. (2015). Interfaith leadership toolkit. IFYC Publications.

- Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. (2018). Interfaith education curriculum.

Global Citizenship Education:

- Oxfam. (2015). Education for global citizenship: A guide for schools. Oxfam GB.

- UNESCO. (2018). Preparing teachers for global citizenship education: A template. UNESCO.

- Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding. (2015). Global citizenship education in Asia-Pacific: A comparative study.

Southeast Asian Contexts:

- Ministry of Education Singapore. (2014). Character and citizenship education syllabus. MOE Singapore.

- Department of Education Philippines. (2013). Values education curriculum guide. DepEd Philippines.

- Ministry of Education Malaysia. (2012). Islamic education and moral education curriculum. MOE Malaysia.

4. Professional Development Opportunities

Regional Programs:

- SEAMEO Teacher Training Programs in Values Education

- ASEAN Leadership and Exchange Programs for Educators

- UNESCO Bangkok Professional Development Workshops

- Fulbright Southeast Asia Teacher Programs

University Programs:

- Graduate programs in Comparative and International Education (various universities)

- Certificate programs in Interfaith Studies and Dialogue

- Islamic Studies and Education programs (UIN Jakarta, IIUM Malaysia, etc.)

- Peace and Conflict Studies programs (Ateneo, Gadjah Mada, etc.)

Online Courses:

- Coursera: "Global Citizenship Education" by various institutions

- EdX: "Religion and Conflict" (Harvard University)

- FutureLearn: "Intercultural Communication and Conflict Resolution"

- UNESCO MGIEP: Digital learning courses on Global Citizenship Education

III. Appendix C: Sample Lesson Plans and Activities

Lesson Plan 1: Shared Values Across Religious Traditions

Grade Level: Secondary (Ages 14-16)

Duration: 90 minutes

Learning Objectives:

- Identify common ethical values across major religious traditions in Sundaland

- Develop appreciation for both diversity and commonality

- Practice interfaith dialogue skills

Activities:

1. Small group exploration of compassion teachings from Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and indigenous traditions

2. Creation of visual representation (poster/digital) showing convergences

3. Facilitated dialogue on how these shared values can guide responses to contemporary challenges

4. Reflective journaling on personal values and their sources

Assessment:  Student presentations and reflection papers demonstrating understanding of both commonalities and differences

Lesson Plan 2: Environmental Stewardship—Religious and Scientific Perspectives

Grade Level: Upper Primary (Ages 10-12)

Duration:  Multiple sessions (4 x 45 minutes)

Learning Objectives:

- Understand environmental challenges facing Sundaland (deforestation, ocean pollution)

- Explore religious teachings on environmental responsibility

- Learn scientific concepts of ecosystem and sustainability

- Develop action plans for environmental stewardshipv

Activities:

1. Field trip to local ecosystem with scientific observation

2. Guest speakers from different faith communities discussing environmental ethics

3. Research project connecting religious teachings to environmental action

4. Design and implementation of school/community environmental project

Assessment:  Project portfolios and community action outcomes

Activity 1: Interfaith Dialogue Circle

Purpose: Develop skills for respectful conversation across religious differences

Materials:  Dialogue guidelines poster, talking piece, reflection questions

Process:

1. Establish community agreements (respect, listening, confidentiality)

2. Each participant shares their religious/philosophical background and what it means to them

3. Discuss a common question (e.g., "What does your tradition teach about caring for others?")

4. Use structured prompts to deepen understanding

5. Reflect on learning and appreciation of diversity

Variations:  Can be adapted for different ages, conducted virtually, or extended over multiple sessions

Activity 2: Global Issues Through Religious Lenses

Purpose:  Analyze global challenges from multiple religious and secular perspectives

Materials: Case studies, religious texts, research resources

Process:

1. Present a global issue (poverty, conflict, climate change)

2. Divide students into groups representing different perspectives (Islamic, Buddhist, Christian, secular humanist, indigenous)

3. Each group researches their perspective's analysis and proposed responses

4. Groups present their perspectives

5. Class identifies areas of agreement and creative tensions

6. Collaborative development of integrated response drawing on multiple perspectives

Assessment:  Quality of research, presentation skills, ability to synthesize diverse viewpoints

Activity 3: Service Learning with Reflection

Purpose:  Connect values learning to concrete action

Duration: Ongoing (semester or year-long)

Components: 

1. Preparation:  Study social issues and relevant religious/ethical frameworks

2. Service: Regular engagement with community service project

3. Reflection:  Structured reflection connecting service experience to values learning

4. Celebration:  Public presentation of learning and impact

Examples:

- Tutoring program for refugee or marginalized children

- Environmental restoration project

- Interfaith community service initiative

- Advocacy project addressing local/regional injustice

IV. Appendix D: Assessment Rubrics and Tools

a. Rubric 1: Interfaith Understanding and Respect

b. Rubric 2: Global Citizenship 

c. Assessment Tool: Student Self-Reflection Prompts

Religious Identity and Pluralism:

- How has your understanding of your own religious/philosophical tradition deepened?

- What have you learned about traditions different from your own?

- Describe a moment when you felt challenged by a perspective different from yours. How did you respond?

- How do you navigate holding your own convictions while respecting others' different beliefs?

Global Citizenship:

- What global issues matter most to you and why?

- How do you see yourself connected to people in other parts of the world?

- Describe an action you have taken to address a local or global challenge.

- How have your understandings of citizenship and responsibility evolved?

Integration and Action:

- How do your religious/philosophical values inform your approach to global challenges?

- Describe a situation where you acted on your values in your community.

- What tensions or challenges have you encountered in trying to live according to your values?

- What are your commitments for ongoing growth and action?

d. Assessment Tool: Community Partner Feedback Form

For Service Learning Programs:

Student Name: _________________

Organization: _________________

Duration of Service: ___________

Please rate the student on the following dimensions (1-5 scale):

- Reliability and responsibility

- Respectful engagement with community members

- Openness to learning

- Initiative and problem-solving

- Contribution to organization's mission

Narrative feedback:

- What strengths did the student demonstrate?

- What areas for growth did you observe?

- How did the student's engagement impact your organization and community?

- Additional comments:

V. Appendix E: Policy Framework Template

A. Model Policy Framework for Integrating Religious Values and Global Citizenship Education

I. Vision and Principles

Vision Statement:

[School/District/National education system] is committed to humanizing education that honors religious and cultural diversity while preparing all students for engaged global citizenship. We believe education should nurture whole persons—intellectually, morally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually—who are rooted in their own traditions while embracing our common humanity.

Guiding Principles:

1. Respect for human dignity and religious freedom

2. Commitment to intercultural understanding and dialogue

3. Integration of cognitive, moral, and spiritual development

4. Preparation for active citizenship at local, national, regional, and global levels

5. Social justice and equity for all learners

6. Environmental sustainability

7. Collaboration with families and communities

II. Curriculum Standards

Religious Literacy and Values Education:

- All students will develop understanding of major religious traditions in Sundaland

- Students will explore shared ethical values across traditions

- Students will engage in critical reflection on religious and philosophical questions

- Students will develop skills for interfaith dialogue and respectful engagement with difference

Global Citizenship Education:

- Students will understand global interconnections and major global challenges

- Students will develop intercultural competencies and multilingual capabilities

- Students will cultivate sense of responsibility for common good at multiple scales

- Students will engage in active citizenship through service and advocacy

Integration:

- Curriculum will explore how religious values and global citizenship inform each other

- Students will examine both tensions and synergies between particular and universal commitments

- Learning will be grounded in Sundaland contexts while maintaining global perspectives

III. Pedagogical Approaches

Required Practices:

- Dialogical teaching methods honoring multiple perspectives

- Experiential learning including service, community engagement, and intercultural exchange

- Contemplative practices supporting self-awareness and empathy

- Critical inquiry developing analytical and ethical reasoning capacities

- Arts and narrative approaches cultivating moral imagination

- Assessment methods measuring holistic development

Prohibited Practices:

- Proselytization or religious indoctrination in public educational settings

- Discrimination based on religious identity or belief

- Presentation of single religious or ideological perspective as exclusively valid

- Teaching that demeans or misrepresents religious traditions

- Curriculum that ignores or marginalizes minority communities

IV. Teacher Qualifications and Professional Development

Pre-service Requirements:

- Religious literacy across major traditions

- Intercultural competence and global awareness

- Pedagogical skills for values education and dialogue facilitation

- Understanding of child/adolescent moral and spiritual development

In-service Professional Development:

- Annual training on religious diversity and global citizenship

- Opportunities for interfaith learning and encounter

- Peer learning communities for sharing practices

- Support for teachers' own growth and wellbeing

V. Inclusive Learning Environment

Policies and Practices:

- Clear anti-discrimination policies protecting all religious identities

- Accommodation of religious observances and dietary requirements

- Representation of diverse traditions in curriculum materials and school culture

- Spaces for religious observance where appropriate

- Protocols for addressing sensitive topics and conflicts

VI. Family and Community Engagement 

Requirements:

- Regular communication with families about curriculum and pedagogical approaches

- Opportunities for family input on values education

- Partnerships with religious institutions and civil society organizations

- Community forums on religious diversity and global citizenship

- Transparency about educational objectives and methods

VII. Assessment and Accountability

Assessment Methods:

- Multiple measures including portfolios, presentations, and self-reflection

- Attention to growth over time rather than only point-in-time achievement

- Community feedback on students' contributions and development

- Long-term tracking of graduates' civic engagement and intercultural competence

Program Evaluation:

- Regular review of curriculum and pedagogy effectiveness

- Student, family, and community satisfaction surveys

- Independent evaluation of outcomes

- Continuous improvement based on evidence

VIII. Resource Allocation

Commitments:

- Adequate funding for curriculum development and materials

- Professional development resources for teachers

- Technology supporting global connections and digital learning

- Scholarships ensuring access regardless of economic circumstances

- Facilities accommodating diverse needs and practices

IX. Governance and Oversight

Structures:

- Advisory committees including diverse religious and community representatives

- Clear procedures for addressing concerns and conflicts

- Regular reporting to governing bodies and stakeholders

- Mechanisms for policy review and revision

- Accountability to constitutional and legal frameworks protecting religious freedom and human rights

X. Implementation Timeline and Milestones

Phase 1 (Year 1):

- Stakeholder consultation and policy adoption

- Curriculum framework development

- Initial teacher professional development

- Pilot programs in selected schools

Phase 2 (Years 2-3):

- Expanded implementation across schools

- Ongoing professional development

- Development of assessment tools

- Community engagement initiatives

Phase 3 (Years 4-5):

- Full implementation

- Comprehensive evaluation

- Refinement based on evidence

- Dissemination of best practices

Ongoing:

- Continuous improvement

- Regular policy review

- Sustained professional development

- Community engagement and feedback

VI. Acknowledgments

This research was made possible through the insights and contributions of many individuals and communities across Sundaland. The author wishes to thank:

- Educators, administrators, and students in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, and Thailand who shared their experiences and wisdom

- Religious leaders and scholars from diverse traditions who provided theological and philosophical guidance

- Community organizations working for interfaith understanding and global citizenship

- Academic colleagues who offered critical feedback on earlier drafts

- Funding support from [relevant institutions/grants]

- The many communities throughout Sundaland whose centuries of pluralistic coexistence inspire this work

Special appreciation to the indigenous communities whose traditional ecological knowledge and communal wisdom continue to offer vital perspectives for contemporary education, and to those working tirelessly for justice and peace in contexts of conflict and marginalization throughout the region.

Author Bio : 

Asep Rohmandar

Correspondence:

Asep Rohmandar 085861563087

Sundaland Researchers Society

Mangga Dua Sukapura Dayeuhkolot Kabupaten Bandung  Jawa Barat 

Email: rasep7029@gmail.com

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