As part of an effort to improve the research quality and policy impact of their organization and the field of religious studies, PUSAD Paramadina established earlier this year a knowledge exchange forum on religious tolerance involving a broad set of researchers and practitioners. On 17 October, 25 researchers and practitioners met at KSI to review two draft articles reviewing Indonesian studies on:
- Religious Tolerance, by Nathanael Sumaktoyo, University of Notre Dame; and
- Religious Violence, by Sana Jeffrey, University of Chicago
Both papers conclude that there are substantive bodies of knowledge on the two topics in Indonesia, but that to date policy makers often prefer to use expert opinions and media than substantive research. The papers also highlighted best practices through which the policy cycle can be improved, including data transparency and the role of media providing a platform for scientists to talk about their research.
