On Sunday, August 16, 2020, at the house of the Multiplicator of Stube HEMAT in Bengkulu, six young people of the South Sumatra Christian Church (GKSBS) in MT area gathered to share stories and multicultural and interfaith experiences. On that occasion, the multiplicator presented Ratna Andriani, a final year student of Bogor Agriculture Institute (IPB).

Bogor Agriculture Institute (IPB), is one of the public campus that accepts Indonesian students from Sabang to Merauke. The students in this campus are heterogeneous with various ethnicities, religions and cultures. The campus itself unites the diversity of these students through General Competency Preparation Program (PPKU) at grade I and dormitory. It is a compulsory for students to participate during their first two semesters, as well as other campus events such as Gebyar Nusantara. The campus can be categorized as a campus that tolerates religious diversity in its environment.

Although there were several issues regarding the ‘radical campus’ and other issued related with ideology, these did not affect the campus’ daily activities, both learning and students’ interactions. As a Christian student who is from a minority religion at IPB, I did not feel any negative influence from ideological issues and intolerance. The friendship environment in the department and other campus activities are quite diverse in ethnicity, religion, and culture, and all of these actually improve knowledge, experience and networking among friends.

I am a student of Bogor Agriculture Institute coming from Bengkulu with Javanese ethnicity. The campus location helped me to have adaptation easily as the campus environment located in Java island. Although the campus academic community tends to be heterogeneous, at the end I often met with Javanese or Christians with different ethnicity. The same feeling of interest, circumstances and responsibility made us comfortable with the link of friendships. It can be concluded that humans will tend to gather with those who have the same characteristics and preferences. Adaptability is necessary if we are in a heterogeneous environment. Adapting itself does not mean changing oneself, but adapting to the existing circumstances. Tolerance and mutual respect are important to deal with the situations of diversity, especially in campus life. Our goal not only to pursue higher education, to obtain knowledge and degrees, but also to build relationships with various people from various fields of expertise.

This sharing made the youths of Bengkulu understand that interactions in campus environment contain values of diversity and tolerance. Hopefully, this will encourage them to be open minded and tolerant with differences. ***