UIN Jakarta Students Join National Community Service Program on Religious Moderation in Yogyakarta
Kulonprogo, UIN Online News— Six students from Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta have successfully completed the Community Service (KKN) 2025 with the theme "Religious Moderation for Archipelago" in Dukuh Boro, Kulonprogo, Yogyakarta Province. Over the course of one month, they implemented community projects focused on strengthening tolerance, solidarity, and interfaith understanding.
One participant, Ridho Rizki Balebat, highlighted three flagship initiatives carried out with the local community. “Since most residents of Dukuh Boro are Catholic, we organized interfaith dialogues, including an ecotheology dialogue that brought together Catholic leaders, the local Environment Office (DLH), and villagers to discuss the relationship between faith and environmental conservation.
"We also ran the Moderation School program at the Catholic Girls’ Orphanage, as well as at the Marsudirini Foundation’s kindergarten and elementary school, to introduce children to Indonesia’s religious and ethnic diversity. Also worth mentioning is that we promoted local history by introducing Watukeker and the MBKD Monument as positive local wisdom,” he shared.
Ridho further shared one of his most memorable experiences when his group was invited to participate in the Eucharist during a local funeral. They worked hand in hand with residents—preparing the house, serving food, and even carrying the coffin to the cemetery. In this way, they directly learned about Catholic prayer traditions held on the third, seventh, and hundredth day after death, which closely resemble Javanese Muslim customs.
"It was a valuable experience that deepened my understanding of shared traditions,” he expressed.
Reflecting on the program, Ridho stated his hopes: “For the people of Boro, I hope the spirit of interfaith solidarity continues to thrive. For the children, I wish they would grow up understanding that Indonesia is diverse yet united. And personally, this experience reminded me that life is not just about ourselves but also about being present for others, regardless of their faith.”
In 2025, UIN Jakarta deployed 5,091 students across various KKN schemes: 3,951 in regular programs in Depok, Bogor, Tangerang, and South Tangerang; 1,060 in campus-based placements across 83 university units; 104 in student organization (UKM) programs; and 59 in international programs in Malaysia, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, along with nine others through AIESEC partnerships in four countries.
For this 2025 scheme, UIN Jakarta sent six students who joined participants from 33 State Islamic Religious Universities (PTKIN), 34 Islamic Religious Colleges (PTKI), and one Islamic Private University (PTKIS) across Indonesia. Their presence is expected to serve as a tangible effort toward promoting religious moderation and interfaith harmony, while also reinforcing UIN Jakarta’s commitment to nurturing tolerance, diversity, and social cohesion.
(Kareena Auliya J./Fauziah M./Zaenal M./Muhamad Arifin Ilham)