Indonesia
Book Title : Conflict, Peace, and Conflict Resolution
Author : Prof. M. Mas’ud Said, MM., Ph.D
Publisher : Kompas Gramedia
Year of Publication : 2025
Reviewer : Winarto Eka Wahyudi
In late August, Indonesia experienced a wave of socio-political turbulence. Demonstrations that escalated into anarchism and looting posed a serious challenge to the country’s long-standing reputation as a moderate and tolerant nation. Amid this intensifying socio-political climate, an academic work by Prof. M. Mas’ud Said, MM., Ph.D emerged. Titled Conflict, Peace, and Conflict Resolution, the book is written with a central conviction: while conflict is an inevitable part of human life, it can be negotiated and managed constructively for the advancement of national civilisation.
Spanning 198 pages, the book presents a wide-ranging menu of discussion. Its approach is not merely conceptual, but also operational. This blend produces a distinctive academic contribution that combines theoretical reflection with practical formulation. The relevance is clear, given that the potential for conflict in a multi-party, multi-religious, and multi-ethnic nation such as Indonesia remains ever-present like smouldering embers that could, at any time, ignite the country’s fragile diversity.
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This is a book that goes beyond serving as an academic text; it offers practical ideas for building a more peaceful future. In this work, Cak Ud, the familiar nickname of the Director of the Graduate School at Universitas Islam Malang, presents what can be understood as a peace manifesto born in the academic sphere. Knowledge and education are positioned as key instruments for conflict resolution and the strengthening of social harmony.
Broadly, the book maps out fundamental themes ranging from the types and sources of conflict, theories of conflict management, and resolution strategies, to peacebuilding grounded in education and multiculturalism. Its systematic structure guides readers through a comprehensive journey of understanding conflict from its roots and dynamics to methods of resolution that can be applied at various levels, including families, organisations, communities, and the state.
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Moving beyond theory, the author also offers methodological tools in the form of negotiation, mediation, and reconciliation strategies, making the book relevant not only for academics but also for field practitioners. This practical orientation is hardly surprising, given the author’s extensive experience at both national and local levels, not only as a practitioner but also as an academic and social activist.
Prof. Mas’ud Said advances the perspective that conflict is not merely a threat, but an opportunity to build new consensus when managed appropriately. In other words, conflict is a built-in element of the human organism. Drawing on the ideas of Ralf Dahrendorf, the author argues that every element of society carries the potential to contribute both to division and to change. From this standpoint, every individual can play a role in social fragmentation (p. 73).
This is one of the book’s key insights: conflict should not be avoided, but understood and resolved creatively in pursuit of a more constructive harmony and peace.
Furthermore, the chapter on peace education and multiculturalism provides particular added value. It opens up the understanding that peace is not merely a political or security agenda, but a long-term learning process that must be internalised through education from primary schools to higher education institutions. Peace education, as articulated here, is not limited to formal coursework, but refers to a culture that fosters empathy, tolerance, and respect for diversity. The author deliberately references curricula already implemented at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and Universitas Pertahanan, illustrating how conflict and peace can be studied and understood as a scientific discipline.
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With its well-structured presentation, the book stands as an important academic reference while also serving as an inspiring practical guide. Lecturers and students may adopt it as a theoretical foundation, while activists, mediators, and public officials can utilise it as a manual for conflict resolution in real-world contexts. More broadly, for the general public, the book encourages readers not to become trapped in adversarial logic, but to cultivate a more peaceful and dialogical perspective.
Reading Conflict, Peace, and Conflict Resolution is an invitation to reconsider how we understand a social life marked by friction. The book does not merely diagnose problems; it also offers pathways forward. This is where its significance lies presenting peace not as a utopia, but as a praxis that can be learned, taught, and realised. Happy reading.
