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span class="caption" style="width: 398px;">In style: Rumah Bapak Suparso was the first house in Kampoeng Percik, functioning as a research and advocacy building.Traditional Javanese homes stand amid soaring durian, sengon and mahogany trees on a small hill.

The site is rather remotely situated, a long way from the hustle of the nearby city of Salatiga, and stands alone. But, the activities in Kampoeng Percik’s structures go beyond the quietude pervading the hill.

Located in Turusan hamlet 3 kilometers northeast of Salatiga’s city square, Kampoeng Percik is not a village in the true sense of the word. It is an NGO conducting research as well as struggling for democratic values and human rights.

Percik, an acronym for Persemaian Cinta Kemanusiaan (Nurturing Love for Humanity), was built by adapting to the village environment with all its natural conditions, buildings and hospitality. With such a modest atmosphere, intellectual activities have been growing and developing there, with various studies, advocacy and international
seminars.

Seven homes in the 1.25-hectare area have specific functions and are named after their original owners. For instance, Rumah Bapak Suparso, the first home in Kampoeng Percik, serves as the research and advocacy center. The others include a library, lodging, a food stall, a seminar hall, an administration office and a worship hall for all faiths. Made of teak, the structures are linked by 2-meter-wide paths.

“All the houses were built by using whole materials brought here from their places of origin, mostly from Blora [near the border with East Java],” said Percik director Dr. Pradjarta Dirdjosanjoto. According to Pradjarta, the houses are simple due to limited funds, each costing Rp 14 million (US$1,500) to 16 million and set up in phases.

The only building with entirely local materials is the wooden house, Warung Bu Nico, which used to be a building material storehouse. When Kampoeng Percik was established, it was retained and turned into a food stall.

“As we were trying to find a name for the stall, Bu Nico [the wife of senior researcher Dr. Nico L. Kana] happened to pass by. So we agreed to ‘borrow’ her name,” recalled Pradjarta.

Pradjarta said Kampoeng Percik had risen from the ruins of its founders’ identities, all lecturers at Satya Wacana Christian University (UKSW) in Salatiga. They chose to quit the university and uphold the values of truth in the aftermath of a conflict that marked the rector’s election in 1993.

Those founders were Pradjarta Dirdjosanjoto, I Made Samiana, Budi Lazarusli, Indra Budiman, Setyo Handoyo, Slamet Luwihono, M. Haryanto, RH Dwiprasetyo, Halomoan Pulungan, Heru Wijatsih Kuwat Trijanto, Edi Prasetyo Wibowo and Sukotjo.

Pastoral: The site for ablutions for Muslims sits outside the interfaith worship hall.Some of the intellectuals dismissed were Arief Budiman, Ariel Heryanto, George Junus Aditjondro, Th. Sumartana, Niko L. Kana and Li Sing Tioe. Li Sing Tioe was involved in the early process of Percik’s establishment. Owing to a communism allegation in the USKW dispute, his name wasn’t included in Percik’s documents under the repressive New Order regime.

“Leaving the campus, we wished to remain in the intellectual world. Percik has been the forum where we stay in the world of science and get closer to society. Meanwhile, we’re going with the flow,” said Percik deputy director I Made Samiana, who was third assistant rector when he left UKSW.

Long before Percik was set up, some of its would-be founders even had to sell basic necessities door
to door in order to survive. “But we all turned out to be bad businessmen,” Samiana added with a hearty laugh.

Percik didn’t rely on big names to grow. It was even branded an amorphous organization by the New Order for having held a seminar on Confucius. It also got a cool reception when submitting proposals for funding.

“Once we sent a proposal to a large Jakarta institution whose leader we knew well. Instead of reading the proposal, he just gave us Rp 5 million to return to Salatiga. He thought we were only trying to make ends meet,” Pradjarta said.

The hard times are now over. At least Percik is much better than its early days. Its library, with only 10 books in the beginning, has now collected 6,115. For 13 years, Percik has organized annual international seminars.

Dozens of books and journals resulting from the research there have been published. Percik conducts regular studies of local politics, provides legal aid and initiates interfaith discussions. Localism characterizes its research work.

“Since 2002, Percik, along with the Edi Mancoro Islamic boarding school in Gedangan, Semarang regency, has facilitated an interfaith dialogue called ‘Sobat’ [Friends]. Through this movement we wish to nurture the seeds of love from various circles,” said Slamet Luwihono, a cofounder of Percik. He added that this had prompted NGOs in Australia, Turkey and Holland to invite Percik to hold such programs in their countries.

From the 12 who originally inhabited the small village, the number has now grown to 35. Some handle administration, internal affairs, sanitation and security. Every month, the organization is able to pay its personnel above-minimum salaries.

Sustenance: Warung Bu Nico provides a free lunch for residents and guests of Kampoeng Percik.“Our management follows the village method of management with heart, rather than the modern system with an orientation to targets,” explained Pradjarta. But what happens there isn’t without debate and dissent.

When Percik built interfaith worship rooms, for instance, intense discussions were held with religious figures in Salatiga. Even when the joint worship hall was ready, there were suspicions about the founding of a new religion. The matter was clarified when Kyai Mahfudz Ridwan from Gedangan, Salatiga, intervened.

Long discussions also occurred when trees were going to be cut down and a children’s building was planned, now under construction.

“As its name suggests, we will continue to nurture love. Only love can open our eyes, hearts and minds that something different from us actually also becomes part of us and that a pluralist state is a matter of course,” Pradjarta said.


— Photos by Ganug Nugroho Adi