Ahmad Wafir

Religious diversity in Indonesia presents both social opportunities and challenges for sustaining interfaith harmony. Salatiga, a pluralistic city often referred to as “Mini Indonesia,” provides a significant context for examining community-based mechanisms of religious tolerance. This study aims to analyze how the Forum for Religious Harmony (Forum Kerukunan Umat Beragama/FKUB) of Salatiga promotes interfaith tolerance and to identify factors that support and constrain these efforts. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, this study draws on in-depth interviews with FKUB leaders, document analysis, and indirect observation of FKUB programs. The findings show that FKUB Salatiga employs an integrated strategy combining educational outreach, symbolic interfaith engagement, humanitarian services, and institutional coordination. These strategies are effective because they embed tolerance within everyday social interactions, mobilize religious leaders as moral authorities, and rely on direct, face-to-face communication to maintain contextual sensitivity. Government facilitation strengthens program sustainability, while challenges remain related to unequal regulation of worship facilities and resource limitations. This study contributes to the literature on interfaith communication and community-based peacebuilding by demonstrating how a locally embedded interfaith institution can function as a preventive governance mechanism for social conflict. The findings offer practical implications for policymakers and practitioners seeking to strengthen religious harmony in plural societies and suggest directions for future research on comparative interfaith governance and digital engagement strategies.