A CULTURAL BROKERAGE APPROACH TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION: EVIDENCE FROM AN INDONESIAN CASE STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22.n2.3219Keywords:
Environmental Conflict, Customary Forest, Mediation, Cultural Broker, Conflict ResolutionAbstract
Environmental conflicts stem from competing claims over natural resources among communities, corporations, and the state, often driven by overexploitation, unequal benefit distribution, and weak ecological considerations (Maulana & Hutagalung, 2025). This study focuses on the Customary Forest of Koto Sebelimbing XIII Koto Kampar, Riau, which serves as both a livelihood base and a cultural identity for indigenous people, yet remains contested by multiple actors. Data from the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) show more than 3,000 agrarian conflicts in Indonesia between 2000 and 2025, including 730 cases in Riau, reflecting the persistence of tenure-related disputes. Using a qualitative case study approach with interviews and comparative analysis of conflict episodes (2011–2015 and 2019), the findings reveal that reliance on formal legal procedures tends to delay resolution, while mediation through cultural brokers significantly accelerates settlement. The study contributes to the literature on environmental conflict resolution by empirically demonstrating the strategic role of cultural brokers in reshaping power relations and by evidencing post-2018 acceleration in dispute settlement. It further recommends the institutionalization of cultural brokers within formal agrarian conflict management frameworks to enhance both legitimacy and efficiency.
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