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| The head of PKBI along with FISIP UMM Dean accompanied by the UMM Rector in the Indonesian Inclusion Festival (Photo: Mirza/PR UMM) |
Higher Education plays a very important role as a place for expressing ideas and discourse that can be scientifically accounted in building the nation. The diversity discourse on campus needs to be maintained as an effort to strengthen social inclusion in the life of the nation and state. The campus needs to be a comfortable place for the growth and the development of inclusive academic people; People who no longer see difference as an obstacle, but instead become a strength.
For this reason, the campus needs to be actively involved in the process of developing social inclusion in the educational environment. The effort in involving the university element was initiated by the Indonesian Family Planning Association (PKBI) together with the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), through the Asia Foundation's Care Program.
The activity that was held on Thursday (17/10) in the Joint Lecture Building (GKB) IV Campus III UMM aimed to publicize and disseminate good practices that have been carried out by the Care Program. In addition, it is also establishing the dialogue in order to expand discourse and maintain a climate of social inclusion in the campus environment.
"Opening a dialogue in the campus environment regarding social inclusion is something that must be done. As a center of thought and ideas, campuses must be inclusive towards diversity, there is no more discrimination on the basis of differences of opinion, thought, religion, ethnicity, sex, disability, and others,"said the Chairman of the PKBI National Board Dr. Ichsan Malik.
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According to him, this is in line with the spirit of PKBI in realizing a responsible and tolerant family. The basic understanding of tolerance is respecting differences. When a person or group of people feel insecure and feels threatened by other groups, intolerance will be born. "At this point, the academic community must play a role in preventing intolerance, the Peduli Goes to Campus activity is one of them. Because diversity is a gift that must be preserved together," said Ichsan Malik.
In line with this, the Dean of Social Sciences at UMM Dr. Rinikso Kartono, M.Si said that the campus welcomed and was very appreciative of the idea of PeduliGoes to Campus at UMM. This became a mutual learning and good practice sharing forum between the institutions implementing the Care Program and UMM.
Related to disability-friendly campus, UMM is guided by the Minister of Research, Technology, and Higher Education Regulation No. 46 of 2017 concerning Special Education and Special Services Education in Higher Education, Article 4 states that inclusive education is education for students with special needs carried out together with other students. Not just that, UMM is open with diversity.
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"We agree that various parties must be involved in creating an inclusive environment. Especially in the campus environment, as a knowledge sharing place, all forms of activities must uphold social inclusion. We have done various good practices related to this," said Rinikso.
"We hope that Peduli Goes to Campus will create agents of change in the campus environment. With an inclusive environment on campus, it will spread to all walks of life, where academics interact with the community. So, it will realize inclusive Indonesia in undergoing humane social development. Hopefully this is not the last, but the beginning for the establishment of collaborative research and community service between UMM and PKBI," concluded Rinikso.
Previously, the Care of Goes to Campus was conducted at Gajah Mada University, Yogyakarta in September 2018, Medan University, Airlangga University Surabaya and Brawijaya University Malang with great appreciation from students, lecturers, and other participants.
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At the event in Malang, the activity which was attended by approximately 500 of lecturers and students, was filled by public lecture activities, UMM Student art performances, inclusion exhibitions, film screenings, capacity building in the form of final project writing and documentary filmmaking.
UMM Rector Dr. Fauzan, M.Pd in his speech, explained that he was enthusiastic about inclusiveness. UMM continues to be committed to expressing unity through the title of the National Festival which coincided this year, which was opened by Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla.
"Inclusiveness is something that should be undertaken not to be debated anymore," explained Fauzan. Unfortunately, this situation is not always reflected in Indonesia. In fact, he continued, our jargon of the Republic of Indonesia The Unitary State of Republic Indonesia is undisputed were not really implemented in the life of citizens. (joh)
