“Rata Katumbar!! Rata, mesjid rata, gereja rata, rumah-rumah rata, semuanya rata. Hangus, habis. Kami mulai dari sepuluh jari, sepuluh jari. Tapi lihat kami datang disini, bergandengan tangan, bukan hanya sudah tinggalkan masa lalu konflik tapi kami mau sama-sama menatap ke depan. Kami datang disini untuk tunjukkan, kami semua bersama-sama bergandengan tangan mau bangun perdamaian itu. Itu, lihat anak-anak itu, mereka menggambarkan bagaimana masa depan Poso mau dibangun” berapi-api, dengan air mata berlinang, seorang nenek berusia 50-an dari Poso Pesisir antusias menjelaskan mengenai makna Festival Anak Perdamaian bagi banyak orang yang hari itu berkerumun di lapangan.
“Sejak satu bulan yang lalu, masyarakat berbondong-bondong datang ke rumah saya tempat latihan anak-anak. Mereka bawa beras, sayur, rica, lemon, ada juga yang sumbang uang. Bukan hanya Kristen, Muslim, juga dari suku Bugis, Gorontalo, Mori, Pamona, tidak peduli apa agama dan sukunya semua mau terlibat di Festival. Karena dorang (mereka) tidak bisa datang di Festival, jadi dorang bilang yang penting kami datang dukung anak-anak kami, kami dukung kegiatan ini , jadi kami sumbangkan yang ada sama kami” tangan ibu Atin bergerak-gerak berusaha menjelaskan semangat masyarakat di tiga wilayah, Toyado, Bategencu, Lee mempersiapkan diri mereka dalam Festival Anak Perdamaian “ Bahkan kepala sekolah yang mau mengajar mereka tarian dan paduan suara, kepala desa Toyado datang sendiri untuk lihat dan berikan dukungan, ada juga masyarakat yang menyumbang mobilnya dipakai untuk antar jemput anak-anak latihan, pokoknya luar biasa” sambung ibu Atin yang adalah warga Sekolah Perempuan Mosintuwu. Sementara ibu Yanti mengatakan “ini bulan puasa, awalnya sulit sekali memberi penjelasan kepada orangtua bahwa kita sangat penting untuk ikut Festival ini, banyak yang ragu-ragu, saya bahkan harus pontang-panting kesana kemari meyakinkan. Setelah satu bulan kemudian wah anak-anak Sayo dan Tegalrejo yang muslim sekarang sudah bolak-balik latihan di Bukit Bambu yang jelas-jelas wilayah Kristen. Orang tua mereka yang antar loh. Jalan hutan antara Bukit Bambu dan Tegalrejo juga Sayo ramai dilewati anak-anak yang mau latihan. Tidak takut, malah mantap. Ini pertama kalinya antar desa kami saling mengunjungi pasca konflik. Mama saya malah memaksa untuk ikut ke Festival karena dia tidak pernah ke Tentena yang katanya wilayah Kristen. Sekarang dia senang sekali di hari tuanya bisa datang kesini”
Ungkapan di atas hanya sebagian kecil dari ratusan cerita menarik dan mengharukan yang muncul dalam penyelenggaraan Festival Anak Perdamaian yang diselenggarakan oleh Institut Mosintuwu. Sekitar 500 anak, dari 17 desa di 6 kecamatan, di Kabupaten Poso dan tiga desa dari Kabupaten Morowali, sejak tanggal 23 – 24 Juli bergabung bersama-sama dalam kemeriahan Festival Anak Perdamaian yang diselenggarakan oleh Institut Mosintuwu. Festival ini dirangkaikan dengan Hari Anak Nasional. 17 desa yang ikut dalam Festival ini adalah mereka yang selama ini menjadi wilayah kunjungan Project Sophia, perpustakaan keliling Mosintuwu dan wilayah Sekolah Perempuan Mosintuwu. Pengecualian buat dua wilayah yaitu Morowali dan Pamona Timur yang diikutsertakan dengan pertimbangan kekayaan budaya dan keberagaman latarbelakang.
Kemeriahan sudah tergambar sejak munculnya kontingen anak-anak pada tanggal 22 Juli 2012. Pertama kali datang ke Tentena untuk sebagian besar anak-anak dari 16 desa, juga pertama kali bergabung, berkumpul, satu atap sama-sama di tiga penginapan yang disediakan oleh panitia. Menggunakan truk yang dipasangkan atap, mobil yang disumbangkan warga, dan sepeda motor, halaman penginapan riuh rendah dengan suara anak-anak. Malu-malu awalnya namun kemudian masing-masing mencari kawan baru.
Hari pertama festival, kemeriahan dimulai sejak pagi-pagi benar. Karnaval dari 6 kontingen yang dilepas oleh Camat Pamona Puselembah, Drs. Rama Tandawuya, mengawali festival. Menyanyikan yel-yel dengan tema perdamaian dan bhineka tunggal ika, anak-anak didampingi pembina berjalan kaki sejauh 2 km dari Lapangan Puselembah hingga lokasi festival. Keriuhan yang ditimbulkan oleh karnaval menghentikan sementara aktivitas masyarakat yang kemudian ikut tertawa melihat kelucuan yang ditampilkan anak-anak, bertepuk tangan memberikan semangat.
Karnaval dilanjutkan dengan Pembukaan Festival Anak Perdamaian secara resmi oleh budayawan Poso, S. Kampu. Sebelumnya, dalam sambutan pembukaan Festival, Lian Gogali , direktur Mosintuwu mengatakan bahwa festival ini diperuntukkan bagi anak-anak untuk merayakan kegembiraan dan merayakan keberagaman. Kegembiraan dalam keberagaman kemudian dimulai saat tepuk tangan riuh rendah disertai sorakan anak-anak menyambut pemukulan gong tanda dibukanya Festival Anak Perdamaian. Serempak ratusan anak-anak penari dari Sanggar Anak Mosintuwu berlarian dari sudut lapangan menggelar tarian massal tradisional dengan memegang sehelai daun Soi-soi, daun khas di Poso juga parang-parangan. Tarian massal ini menggambarkan bagaimana anak-anak membangun perdamaian dan kepercayaan satu sama lain. Tarian ini diakhiri bersama oleh seluruh anak-anak dari semua kontingen membawakan tarian moende, sebuah tarian tradisional simbol persaudaraan. Paduan suara “Anak Perdamaian” dari Poso Kota yang merupakan gabungan anak-anak dari berbagai agama Islam, Kristen dan berbagai suku, juga vokal grup dari Sanggar Anak Mosintuwu juga meramaikan acara pembukaan.
Tidak ada rasa lelah, bahkan bagi anak-anak beragama Muslim yang melaksanakan puasa, rasa lapar dan haus tidak menghalangi antusiasme mengikuti rangkaian kegiatan di Festival Anak Perdamaian. Ada dua aktivitas utama dalam festival ini, yaitu pertunjukan seni dan pesta anak. Selain karnaval, dalam pertunjukan seni hari pertama, diramaikan kegiatan engrang oleh anak-anak laki-laki, dolanan anak (dalam bahasa Poso disebut lega-lega ananggodi) dan pertunjukan paduan suara kontemporer. Gaya lucu, menarik dan atraktif anak-anak dalam lega-lega, paduan suara menjadi daya tarik tersendiri bagi masyarakat yang datang mengunjungi festival. Lega-lega ananggodi yang dimainkan mengundang tawa sekaligus minat untuk kemudian mengembangkan ulang. Batinta (bermain sembunyi), mopapayore-yore manu (menidurkan ayam), beta kaya beta miskin (permainan saling memberi), towo-towo loka (permainan menebak), asin (permainan menghadang dan menangkap) adalah sebagian permainan anak yang dimainkan pada hari pertama.
Sementara itu di hari kedua, pertunjukan seni yang ditampilkan anak-anak adalah tarian pantomin yaitu tarian yang menggambarkan keindahan alam dan budaya di Poso dan tari moende, yaitu tarian tradisional dengan syair unik bercerita mengenai perdamaian dan persaudaraan.
Pesta anak adalah kegiatan seru lainnya di festival yang tidak hanya melibatkan anak-anak dari masing-masing kontingen tetapi juga anak-anak lain di sekitar Tentena. Pesta anak ini terdiri dari berbagai macam kegiatan permainan anak-anak yang mengakrabkan antar anak dipandu oleh relawan Mosintuwu yang datang dari sekitar Tentena, Jakarta dan Amerika. Pesta anak juga dihiasi permainan loko-loko oleh anak perempuan, enggran, membuat dan bermain layang-layang, menggambar massal dan permainan tali. Festival juga diramaikan oleh kehadiran stand pameran kebudayaan dari masing-masing kontingen yang menampilkan kerajinan tradisional dan kebudayaan dari masing-masing daerah. Semuanya berbaur dalam perayaan kegembiraan dalam keberagaman.
Stand lain yang juga ramai dikunjungi adalah stand Project Sophia. Di stand Project Sophia, anak-anak dari berbagai daerah diajak untuk membaca buku-buku menarik yang disediakan, juga bikin buku sendiri. Buku sendiri yang dibuat anak-anak ini terdiri dari dua bagian, yaitu buku bicara dan buku desa. Di buku bicara, anak-anak membuat buku yang bisa berbicara satu sama lain. Satu anak akan menuliskan pertanyaan yang dijawab oleh anak lain melalui buku. Di buku desa, anak-anak menuliskan suasana di desanya baik itu permainan, kebiasaan, peta desa, makanan dan minuman, tanaman dan binatang melalui gambar yang kemudian dibukukan bersama. Ada juga stand Bank Sampah Mosintuwu yang baru saja di launching Institut Mosintuwu, yang mengajak anak-anak untuk mencintai lingkungan dengan memanfaatkan sampah non organik.
Seribu cerita dalam penyelenggaraan Festival Anak Perdamaian menggambarkan bagaimana suara anak-anak di Poso untuk perdamaian. “Saya sangat senang bisa ikut festival anak, karena banyak teman dan bisa lihat daerah lain. Selama ini temanku hanya teman sekolah yang satu agama” kata Oyan, 11 tahun dari Morowali. “Saya sudah berkenalan dengan sepuluh orang, ada dari Poso Pesisir. Itu loh yang pakai baju adat bali, namanya Made. Ada juga dari Mori, mereka kalau berbicara lucu sekali. Paling banyak teman dari Lage karena kami tidur sama-sama satu penginapan. Iya, ada yang Kristen, Hindu. Saya sendiri Islam” ujar Didi, 12 tahun dari Kelurahan Sayo, Poso Kota. Ulin, 10 tahun, dari Lage juga punya cerita “Yang lain ada orang tua yang ikut disini. Saya datang sendiri dan baru saja sakit, tapi saya sangat ingin bisa bertemu dengan banyak teman dari banyak desa. Mereka semuanya baik dan pintar, bagus sekali saat menari jadi saya juga nanti kalau pulang ke desa akan bisa belajar lebih bagus”. Jona, 12 tahun dari Bukit Bambu bercerita malu-malu“ ini pertama kali dalam hidup saya punya teman lebih dari satu. Saya cuma punya teman satu, sekarang sudah banyak” katanya sambil mengacungkan sepuluh jarinya.
Meskipun hanya dua hari, penyelenggaraan festival telah meninggalkan kesan yang mendalam bagi semua anak-anak, tidak terkecuali orang tua. Tidak hanya diberikan hadiah dalam aktivitas yang mereka ikuti, anak-anak ini juga memberikan hadiah mereka untuk masa depan Poso yaitu harapan perdamaian. Anak-anak juga memberikan hadiah bagi kelangsungan bumi dengan menanam pohon simbol kepedulian terhadap lingkungan. Dalam penutupan Festival Anak Perdamaian, harapan agar festival yang sama diadakan setiap tahunnya terus berdatangan. Seruan “Salam Damai” dan “Anak Perdamaian” yang disambung dengan jawaban yang tidak kalah bersemangatnya “Kami, Anak Perdamaian” membahana sepanjang kegiatan.
Tantangan terbesar dalam festival ini adalah perspektif sebagian besar pembina anak-anak yang melihat festival sebagai ajang kompetisi. Sementara anak-anak bergembira menemukan teman baru dari berbagai desa dan berbagai suku dan agama untuk pertama kalinya melalui berbagai permainan, para pembina disibukkan dengan persiapan pertunjukan seni yang sifatnya kompetisi sehingga kurang memberi kesempatan pada anak-anak untuk bermain. Meskipun demikian, semangat berbagi kegembiraan dalam keberagaman melalui seni dan budaya telah membawa angin segar bagi masa depan perdamaian di Poso dan sekitarnya, melalui suara anak-anak.
Festival ini bukan hanya pertama kali diadakan di Poso, mempertemukan anak-anak di wilayah pasca konflik dari berbagai agama dan suku. Dalam Festival Anak Perdamaian, pertama kali pula pasca konflik Poso, kurang lebih 250 anak-anak, orang tua dari berbagai daerah, berbagai agama dan suku bergandengan tangan dalam tarian perdamaian Modero diiringi gendang dan gong. Rasa haru dan gembira tergambar pada wajah semua orang. Harapan bagi perdamaian sejati bukan hal yang mustahil lagi. Anak-anak sudah bersuara “Kami, Anak Perdamaian”. Anak-anak telah berseru bersama “Salam Damai di Bumi Sintuwu Maroso”
“Rata Katumbar!! Flat to the ground, mosques collapsed, churches collapsed, houses collapsed, everything collapsed to the ground. Burnt, destroyed. We started from ten fingers, ten fingers. But look, now here we are, holding hands together. Not only did we let the gone be bygone, leave behind our conflict in the past, we also wish to look ahead. We came here to show you, we want to hold hands together to build peace. There, look at those children, they are what we want our Poso to become,” tears in her eyes, a fifty-year-old fervent lady from Poso Pesisir claimed enthusiastically on how she put meaning into the Children Peace Festival to everyone swarming on the field that day.
“Since a month ago, people have come to my house taking their children with them for practice. They also brought with them rice, vegetable, lemon, and some of them money. They are Christians, Moslems, and those who are originally from Bugis, Gorontalo, Mori, Pamona. Regardless their religions and ethnicities, everyone are welcome to get involved in the Festival. But since they could not attend the festival, they said what was more important was that they could support their children, support this activity. ‘So, we would contribute in ways we can’”, Mrs. Atin’s hands gestured in her effort to describe the zeal within the people from three areas: Toyado, Bategencu, Lee in preparing themselves for the Children Peace Festival. “Even the school headmaster wanted to coach them the dance and choir. Toyado head of village himself would attend and give support. One community member borrowed a car to pick those children to go practice. It’s just fantastic!” she continued. Mrs. Atin is a member in Mosintuwu Women School.
Mrs. Yanti said, “We are in the fasting month. Initially, I found it hard to provide explanation to the parents that it was very important we join the festival. Many of them were doubtful. I had to run here and there to persuade them. Then, since one month ago up to now, Moslem children from Sayo and Tegalrejo have been practicing in Bukit Bambu, a place where Christian community resides. Their parents accompany them. The road that cuts through the wood between Bukit Bambu, Tegalrejo and Sayo has been busy with kids going to and from practice. And they are not afraid at all. They look determined. This is the first time since the conflict that we visit each other. Even my mom insisted that she would come along to the festival since she never went to Tentena because it is a Christian area. Now she is happy to be able to come here in her elderly age.
The above expressions are only a small part of many others that were found to be lovely and moving in the course of Children Peace Festival organized by Mosintuwu Institute. Approximately 500 children from 17 villages out of 6 sub-districts in Poso district and 3 villages from Morowali district came together on July 23-24 to celebrate the national children’s day in the Children Peace Festival. Those 17 villages in Poso were the locations where Project Sophia, the mobile library for children, made its trips. They are also the locations of Mosintuwu Women School. An exception was made for Morowali and Pamona Timur for the consideration of their rich culture and background.
The festive was in the air since the arrival of the children contingent on July 22, 2012. For the majority of them, it was their first time to ever visit Tentena, their first time also to come together, perform activities together, be under the same roof in the lodgings arranged by the committee for them. They came with the trucks with plastic roof, cars borrowed by their village members and motorbikes. The yards were full of them. They were shy at first, but then they started to make friends with other kids.
On the first day of the festival, the bustle started really early in the morning. In the beginning, it was the morning carnival. It was followed by 6 contingents and was officially set off by Pamona Puselembah head of sub-district, Drs. Rama Tandawuya. The children were singing and shouting their yells on peace and diversity in unity theme. The children were accompanied by their adult chaperons and coaches. They walked on foot for 2 kilometers from Puselembah field to the festival location. The boisterousness won temporarily the local people’s attention. They smiled, laughed and applauded while observing the children in the carnival.
When the carnival ended, it was then continued with the official opening of the festival conducted by local Poso cultural observer, S. Kampu. Previously, Lian Gogali, the director of Mosintuwu, claimed that the festival was meant for children, for them to celebrate their joy and diversities. They applauded and cheered right after the gong as the opening sign. Instantly, more than one hundred children from Mosintuwu child center ran out of one corner on the field to perform mass traditional dance, holding in their hands wooden knife and the soi-soi leaves, one unique leaf from Poso. This mass dance characterized how children build peace and trust towards one another. The dance was ended with all children contingents performing moende dance, the traditional local dance that symbolizes brotherhood. The “Anak Perdamaian” (Children of Peace) choir from Poso Kota and vocal group from Mosintuwu child center took the following opportunity to enliven the opening rituals.
There was no weariness, even for Moslem children who were fasting. The hungry and thirsty sensation did not prevent them from involving themselves during the festival. There were two main activities, the art performance and the children party. Besides carnival, the first day program of creative performance consisted of stilt race, more children traditional games (lega-lega ananggodi in Poso language) and contemporary choir performance. Their funny and attractive look became an appeal for the local people who came to visit the festival. The lega-lega ananggodi fished hilarious laughter and scream that the children wanted to repeat them again and improvised. Batinta (hide and seek game), mopapayore-yore manu (put-chicken-to-sleep game), beta kaya beta miskin (the game of give and take), towo-towo loka (guessing game), asin (block and tag game) were some of the games played during the first day.
On the second day, the art performance consisted of pantomime dance, a dance that resembled the beauty of the nature and culture of Poso; also moende dance (the traditional local dance), the dance that symbolizes peace and brotherhood that was accompanied with songs with unique lyrics.
The children party was another spirited activity in the festival that involved not only children contingent, but also the local children from surrounding neighborhood in Tentena. This program was supported and facilitated by Mosintuwu volunteers from outside Tentena, Jakarta and America. Children party was decorated by loko-loko game, stilts race, kite-making, mass drawing and other mass games. Booths were installed. There were traditional product exhibition from each contingent in arrays of handicrafts, clothing and musical instruments.
Another booth that was fully crowded was Project Sophia booth, where children were provided with books they could read on the spot, and the activity of self-made book. There were two types of self-made books: the talking book and the village book. Children worked in pairs to make talking book and they created an answer-question dialogue they wrote in the book they made. In the village book, children wrote and drew pictures of their daily living in their own village in the book: games they play, their routines, village map, foods and beverages, plants and animal, etc. There was another booth for Mosintuwu Garbage Bank where recycle creation for children, using non-organic waste products, was facilitated. The garbage bank was just launched and the booth was purposively installed to promote the program and the green-sustainable way of living.
A thousand stories swirled around and in the festival. The message was peace, delivered by the children. “I am so happy I could join this festival. I can meet many new friends coming from other places. This is a new experience for me to come here in this new place. Beforehand I could only meet friends in my own school and they are with the same religion as mine,” said Oyan, 11 years old from Morowali. “I make ten new friends. There’s one from Poso Pesisir. That one, in Balinese dress. His name is Made. And there’s another one from Mori. It’s funny how they speak. Most of my new friends are from Lage since we sleep in the same house. Yes, there are Christian kids, and Hindu. I am myself a Moslem,” uttered Didi, a twelve-year old from Sayo village, Poso Kota. Ulin, a ten-year old from Lage had her own story: “Other kids bring their parents here. I came alone. I just recovered from my sickness, but I really wanted to come here to meet other children from many other villages. They are all kind and smart. They dance so well. When I come home later, I will study harder and become better.” Jona, a twelve-year old from Bukit Bambu, timidly shared her story: “This is my first experience, first time in my life to make more than one friend. I had only one friend, now I have many,” said Jona holding up high her ten fingers.
It was no more than two days, yet such experience left a deep impression inside the heart of those children, as well as those adults accompanying them. The children did not only receive prize for their involvement and winnings, they also presented a gift for the future Poso. It was their hope for peace. Likewise, they offered their gift to the nature by planting a tree seed as a symbol of their concern for the environment. The expressions of hope that the festival would be held every next year kept coming. The calling “Salam Damai” (peace greeting) and “Anak Perdamaian” (children of peace) was responded with vigorous reply: “We are the children of peace.” It went on and on throughout the festival.
The biggest challenge in this festival is a perspective from the coaches of children who saw the festival as an arena of competition. While children have fun finding new friends from different villages, different ethinicity and religions for the first time through the game, the coaches busy with preparations for its performing arts competition that gives less opportunity to children to play and share each other. Nevertheless, the spirit of sharing the joy of diversity through arts and culture has brought a new way for the future of peace in Poso and the surrounding area, through the voices of children.
Not only is this festival the first time ever held in Poso, it is also the first time ever to gather children from different religions and ethnicities. It was the first time ever since Poso conflict that hundreds of children and adults from many places, religions and ethnicities held hand in hand to do the Modero dance with the sounds of gongs and drums on the background. There was this expression on their faces, the feeling of being moved, touched dan joy. It is no longer impossible for them to hope for a real peace. The children voiced it: “We are the children of peace.” They shouted it: “Peace in Sintuwu Maroso land.”
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