Compared to other duniasantri’s contributors/authors, I may still be a new citizen. I became a citizen of it in April 2022. The first time I got to know the duniasantri.co website, I was told by a friend who happened to be writing recently. With the results of the mini-research, I finally concluded that this platform (duniasantri.co) is suitable for me to develop my writing competency.
I see duniasantri.co like a pearl among a collection of beach sand. Become a glimmer of light coming out of the cave (read: pitch black). Carrying out the concept of citizen journalism for the santri community is undoubtedly a breath of fresh air for the santri. Finally, the santri get a place to develop their talents, interests and ideas. Because it is undeniable, usually the ones who get a place to channel thoughts and ideas are academics, educated people who are legalized by the state.
There are various kinds of rubrics on the duniasantri.co web: Terrace, Opinion, Santri Way, Figure, Pondok, Short Story, Poetry, Humour, Library, Stars, and English Section. I called this a “complete package” menu like in restaurants. All menus can be tried according to the taste of the author. Through the writings made, students can show their existence which has been considered by some people as backward because they are not technology literate.
Even the huts (aka. Pondok Pesantren) previously located in untouched corners of the archipelago were finally recognised by the readers through the writings on the Pondok rubric. Then practice the critical, analytical thinking of the santri in the Opinion rubric. And when you have a funny experience, it can be written in a contemporary language style and then submitted to the Humor rubric.
Make no mistake, the Humor column will psychologically have a positive impact on the readers. For readers who are tired of working and then diverted to reading the Humor rubric, in the end, the level of fatigue will decrease and may return energy to work.
Next is the Star column (aka. Bintang), whose function is to narrate the achievements of the santri. For example, some santri are accepted by foreign campuses, calligraphy champions throughout Southeast Asia, essay competitions throughout Southeast Asia, international Olympic champions, and others. This can dispel accusations and stereotypes from some people who underestimate the santri who are considered unable to compete with non-pesantren people.
Writing is a fantastic thing. Why can it be cool? Because the brain that used to be in a comfortable space by writing is forced to spin out and spark an idea of words. For those who are still beginners, this is very difficult. So, to get the idea of words out of the brain, you need to be provoked by reading reference books. Those who are already excellent in the world of literacy must say “difficult but fun”.
Consciously or not, writing will make us have its own value. Will Durant said, “Scripta manent, verb volant” (the written word lasts, the spoken word perishes). If it is infused with all the soul, it is quite true that a written work will always live on. If only spoken words will surely disappear one day, because the person who says it will also die and if it is only put in the brain, the memory ratio of the human brain is also not long.
Therefore, the scholars used to teach us to always be literate – read and then write. As a result, many books of turats by previous scholars are scattered in various parts of the world. In Islamic boarding schools, they are more familiar with a yellow book. With the turats book’s existence, it is a subtle criticism for all of us to inherit the literacy milestones.
Indeed, our knowledge is not as good as the previous scholars. Compared, it may feel very far away, like “baina sama’ wa sumurisat” (like the sky and a dry well). But, of course, our knowledge is categorized as well, so we still need to study, study, and study. Meanwhile, previous scholars have had high scientific competence and mastered various disciplines.
With this logical consequence, I think we can still play a role by spitting on the digital space with healthy and moderate writing so that it can compete with some groups who use the digital stage to spread radical ideas, hoaxes, and hate speech, and others. Writing in the digital space is an attempt to play a role. Even though it’s still on a small scale, it doesn’t matter; the important thing is that our intentions are good, namely to channel the energy of goodness through the writing.
In this context, duniasantri.co becomes a platform to revive the world of literacy, especially for santri. In the results of my mini-research, I also found out that the article submission column contained the words “each published article will receive an honorarium of Rp. 50,000. A payment claim can only be requested every five times it is uploaded (multiples of five entries)”.
That’s what astonished me; how kindness. Even though we are learning to write, all of us are still awarded in the form of an honorarium. One author said that with the honorarium, he could buy the book Syarah Rawaiul Bayan or even the book Lisanul Arabiy – which seemed expensive –. I can also imagine that the students who were late in sending from their parents were also satisfied with the honorarium.
This is like the explanation from Kang Maman, who always said, “If you are Iqro‘, you can’t be hungry”. With Iqro ‘will make the basis of happiness. Look at Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, and Japan. Only Iqro ‘only, these 5 countries can become happy and developed countries. They only have Iqro ‘, like that, while we have bismirabbika. Imagine if it was elaborated with bismirabbika, which we all have. Cool, right? So, let’s write, let’s be literate in order to achieve the vision of students to build the country. Wassalam…
Note: translates by editor from https://www.duniasantri.co/duniasantri-co-mainstreaming-geliat-literasi-santri/.