Curious About The 10 Most Tolerant Cities In Indonesia? Come Check Your City At What Number

Illustration (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Setara Institute described the 10 most tolerant cities in Indonesia in the 2020 Tolerant City Index (IKT) Report. In the first place, Salatiga City is the most tolerant city in the country.

Deputy Chairperson of the Setara Institute Bonar Tigor Naipospos said this report was prepared based on monitoring conducted by his party. In this process, he said, there are facts that violations of religious freedom actually occur in big cities.

"80 percent of what we categorize as religious violations occur in urban areas", said Bonar at the 2020 Tolerant City Index Award event which was held online and broadcast on YouTube, Thursday, February 25.

He explained that this could happen because of decentralization and regional autonomy. These two things make a city forced to grow rapidly from being homogeneous to heterogeneous.

This phenomenon, he continued, inevitably affects the dynamics and competition at the local political level. Thus, many local governments have begun to commit to building togetherness and diversity in their respective regions.

On that occasion, Bonar emphasized that regional heads also have a role in fostering tolerance in society.

"We also see that there is a clear comparison between city leaders who then are indeed committed to caring for diversity, protecting citizens, caring for religious freedom compared to mayors or regional heads who act contrary or vice versa", he said.

There are 4 variables for IKT apart from the share of the regional head mentioned above. First is government regulation, second is social regulation, third is a government action, and finally religious demographics. Of these 4 indicators, the Setara Institute has lowered them into more specific parts.

Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) with a weight of 10%, city government policies regarding tolerance or non-discrimination 20%, incidents of intolerance or violations of KBB 20%, dynamics of civil society 10% then government actions or statements to the public 10%.

"The government's action in the form of the real action is 15%, then the demographics that describe the heterogeneity of religion is 5%, then socio-religious inclusion is 10%", he said.

The 10 cities that are included as the most tolerant cities in Indonesia are:

1. City of Salatiga with a score of 6,717 IKT

2. Singkawang City with an IKT score of 6,450

3. City of Manado with an IKT score of 6,200

4. Tomohon City with an IKT score of 6.183

5. Kupang City with a score of 6,037 IKT

6. Surabaya City with a score of 6,033 IKT

7. Ambon City with an IKT score of 5,530

8. Kota Kediri with a score of 5.530 IKT

9. Sukabumi City with an IKT score of 5,530

10. Bekasi City with an IKT score of 5,530