Children That Are Victims to Civil War: A Social Approach through Art and Culture—Molega, a Traditional Poso Children’s Game: Special Issue

Abstract

Molega is a traditional game that is very popular among children and teenagers and is widely played. Molega has many benefits; it fosters solidarity and social harmony, builds responsibility, and develops honesty, sportsmanship, and egalitarian attitudes and behaviors, which make children happier in terms of mental growth. Before the Poso communal conflict, some games could still be played, especially those that were played in groups. However, several conditions hinder teaching molega to the next generation, such as the increase in modern games that children find more interesting and “prestigious”. In addition, some traditional game tools are difficult to find (such as wood shoots), and the amount of vacant land needed as a game medium continues to decrease. Prolonged conflict has also weakened the molega tradition, but it has had many positive impacts. The results of the social approach applied in this study found that molega, as a children’s game, can foster a spirit of solidarity and social harmony which is relevant and should be to be taught to the current generation of children to create harmony in an increasingly diverse society. Therefore, it inspires a sense of urgency to revitalize various folk games that come from tribes from all regions in Indonesia especially in Central Sulawesi, which can have a long-term positive impact on conflict-affected children. A transformation model requires support from families, schools, and communities to achieve the best results. At a basic education level, special learning modules or studies are needed on the importance of social and community values, which can be introduced by competent institutions at the national level.