Jakarta, 02 July 2007
 
The implementation of family planning programme in 1980s would not enjoy such a big success without the strong involvement of all stakeholders, specifically the religious leaders at the central and village levels. In an effort to revitalize religious leaders’ participation in family planning, the National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN) is currently drafting a handbook on building a healthy and prosperous family for religious leaders.

“Revitalizing the role of religious leaders needs to respect the dynamic of the society and the changes in social values. The soon to be released handbook will accommodate these changes for effective involvement,” said Sugiri Syarief head of BKKBN.

His remarks came after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a recent commemoration of the National Family Day in Ambon underscored the need to revive national family planning drive and it should be implemented by the provincial administrations across Indonesia. The drafting of the handbook is also one of the follow up activities from the International Conference of Muslim Leaders to Support Population and Development, held in Bali earlier this year.

There are around 68,000 villages in Indonesia with around 670,000 mosques, big and small. In most village communities,
religious leaders are considered as community leaders whom community members look up to and go to for advises. “If we can involve one ulema in every village, we can maximize the impact of FP programme,” he said.

The importance of religious leaders’ involvement, explained UNFPA Representative, Dr. Zahidul Huque, was well articulated at the 1992 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo. “In Indonesia, the involvement of religious leaders in reproductive health started long before the ICPD. But globalization, democratization and decentralization have influenced the climate of FP programme here. Furthermore, there is also a change of generation of ulemas. Thus, it is necessary to revitalize their role,” Dr. Huque added.

Nazaruddin Umar from the Ministry of Religious Affairs calls on religious leaders to be creative in promoting sensitive issues like family planning and gender from religious perspective. They can use their knowledge on religious teachings for effective information dissemination and prevent misinterpretations. “The national development has enormously benefited from this practice,” he pointed out.

 For further information please contact:
 Maria Endah Hulupi
 UNFPA Communications Officer: 0812 1115 116