Gotong royong is a popular term in Indonesia that means working or doing something together to achieve a goal. Simply put, gotong royong or mutual cooperation is a social activity that involves a community coming together to do something together. Examples include building public facilities, such as houses of worship, or improving public facilities, such as cleaning and repairing potholes. As a province of Indonesia, Central Papua also applies gotong royong in the daily life of its residents. Also, as an area where a community is made up of tribes, when they engage in activities together, all members of the tribe will do so together. Gotong royong existed before the term gotong royong was popular in Papua.
Gotong royong in Central Papua is often done in groups. Especially activities related to customs matters. It starts with traditional ceremonies, be it weddings, sacrifices or funerals. All these activities require mutual cooperation. Not to mention cultural activities such as singing and dancing, which of course require large crowds. Thus, gotong royong is included in the cultural activities of the tribes of Central Papua.
Development is also one of the activities in Central Papua that requires gotong royong. From a cultural point of view, the construction of cultural objects such as traditional houses in Central Papua also requires mutual cooperation. The nominal compensation is a fixed amount and certainly does not count towards the construction or repair of a traditional house in the event of damage. Later, along with thanksgiving, there will be a traditional ancestral sacrifice ceremony believed in by the tribes of Central Papua.
Gotong royong is also one of the projects highlighted by the Central Papua Provincial Government. The governor of Central Papua even said in his speech that to overcome various social problems in Central Papua, gotong royong is one of the short-term and long-term solutions. Gotong royong must not be lost and must not become a part of society. Especially when it comes to the benefits of gotong royong in solving the problems and conflicts that have arisen. In addition to the regional government, other stakeholders, such as the Indonesian National Army, are also actively involved in various inter-people collaborations in Central Papua. Roads are being built to facilitate access and traditional houses are being built. Indonesian National Army members do not hesitate to mobilize their efforts to help with tasks that seem difficult, such as building traditional houses.
In the future, it is hoped that the people of the various tribes living in the Central Papua region will continue to rely on gotong royong as a step in community work and prevention and problem solving when problems arise. The presence of gotong royong can also be useful in social and cultural life, namely to preserve the culture that has existed since the time of their ancestors.
