Quick Facts

  • When recovering persons are inclined to spirituality, life satisfaction improves and stress decreases as recovery progresses.  
  • Regardless of the individual’s belief system, exposure to spirituality in a treatment program seems to contribute to optimal treatment outcomes.

Faith-Based Approaches in Asia

Research studies have shown that spirituality is a powerful influence on drug abuse. Individuals who are affiliated with a religion are less likely to abuse drugs than individuals not affiliated with a religion. Furthermore, individuals who attend religious services regularly have substantially lower rates of drug abuse than individuals who are not actively involved in their religion.

A successful strategy in Asia is the mobilization of faith-based organizations, religious leaders and NGOs to integrate spiritual values into drug demand reduction programs. These leaders forge linkages in the community that work against drug syndicates and collectively combat drugs.

Based on the philosophy that a lack or deterioration of a religious foundation can contribute to drug use, conferences, training programs, curriculum and public information campaigns are designed to reverse this effect.

Symposium of Religious Leaders on Drug Demand Reduction
Mosque-Based Drug Prevention and Aftercare Programs in Afghanistan
Life Skills Curriculum
Pesantren (religious school)-based prevention and aftercare programs
Counter Narcotics Public Information (CNPI) Campaign

Research Studies

Symposium of Religious Leaders on Drug Demand Reduction

In collaboration with the Ministry of Counter Narcotics of Afghanistan and Ministry of Haj & Awqaf, 547 religious leaders from 34 different provinces of Afghanistan were convened in Kabul in 2005 to discuss the problem of drugs in their communities.

Topics covered during the Symposium were: "Understanding Drug Addiction from the Islamic Perspective"; "Role of the Mosques in Drug Demand Reduction – An Overview"; "Role and Functions of Religious Leaders in Primary Prevention"; and "Role of Religious Leaders in Drug Treatment & Rehabilitation and Aftercare Services".

One of the senior leaders in attendance pointed out that "Alcohol and drug consumption are forbidden in Islam. There are clear verses and sayings of the Prophet regarding the prohibition of drugs in Islam. So it is the responsibilities of Muslims to implement and adopt the teaching of Islam in their life, so that there is no cultivation, production and consumption of narcotics. We request the religious leaders to talk against drugs from their mosques".

Mosque-Based Drug Prevention and Aftercare Programs in Afghanistan

Training programs were conducted for religious leaders on aspects of prevention and aftercare service delivery. These programs resulted in the establishment and operation of 25 mosque-based centers in Afghanistan to provide prevention and aftercare services in the community.

The overall objectives of this program are to:

  • Introduce drug prevention measures through religious programs in schools.
  • Commence community based drug prevention and aftercare programs, including relapse prevention strategies, by integrating spiritual values.
  • Encourage the operation of mosque-based centers to deliver prevention and aftercare services. * Mobilize and develop peer/family support groups.

Life Skills Curriculum

Afghanistan – In coordination with the Ministry of Counter Narcotics (MCN) and Ministry of Education(MOE) of Afghanistan, a training manual was created integrating Life Skills as a co-curriculum in government schools. The curriculum was pre-tested and translated into local languages (Pashto and Dari). A team of 30 “Master Trainers” from the Teacher Training Directorate were trained to implement the program.

Indonesia – In coordination with Nahdlatul Ullama (NU) and the National Narcotics Board (BNN) in Indonesia, a training workshop entitled “Enhancing Life Skills in Preventive Drug Education” was held for Pesantren (religious school) teachers.

The goal of the workshop was to instruct a core group of trainers (Pesantren teachers) to develop life skills in various target groups as a drug abuse prevention tool. The specific objectives of the training are:

  1. To enhance participants’ knowledge and understanding of drug addiction, its characteristics, and side effects of abusing drugs
  2. To increase participants’ knowledge on drug abuse prevention in schools;
  3. To increase participants’ ability to resist drugs;
  4. To strengthen their commitment in supporting the campaign against drug use;
  5. To formulate action plans/lesson plans integrating life skills enhancement in their drug abuse prevention programs/lessons.

The curriculum focused on concepts and strategies of preventive drug education, risk and protective factors, enhancing self esteem, communication skills, decision making, assertion, communication skills and stress management. The sessions were taught in an interactive format. As part of the responsibility to integrate the preventive drug education into the curriculum, the participants prepared and presented action plans to integrate life skills into Biology, English and community based programs. More…  .

Pesantren (religious schools)-based prevention and aftercare programs

Currently, 12 Pesantrens in Indonesia are involved in these programs. The emphasis is on drug prevention activities, and providing some services in the fields of early intervention, for treatment referral and aftercare. These programs also focus on the role of spirituality to maintain abstinence from drug use and prevent relapse among those in recovery.

Pesantren or Pondok Pesantren are Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia. Institutions much like them are found across the Islamic world and are called pondok in Malaysia and Southern Thailand and madrasa Islamia (Islamic madrasa) in India and Pakistan and much of the Arabic speaking world. Pesantren aim to deepen knowledge of the Koran, particularly through the study of Arabic, traditions of exegesis, the Sayings of the Prophet, law and logic. The term pesantren derives from the root word santri or student — pe-santri-an or the place of the santri1

As social institutions, pesantren have played a major role over the centuries. They emphasize cores values of sincerity, simplicity, individual autonomy, solidarity and self-control. Young men and women are separated from their families, which contributes to a sense of individual commitment to the faith and close bonding to a teacher.2 [3]

Description

Most 'pesantren' provide housing or dormitory living at low or no cost for the students (Santri). The two type of educations systems are conducted throughout the day. Students in pesantren have almost 20 hours activities starting from early morning prayer starting at 4 am to midnight where they ended the evening with a study group in the dormitory. During the day, students attend formal school (which is mandatory until secondary school by 2005) like any other students outside of pesantren, and in late afternoon and evening they attend religious ritual followed by religious studies and group studies to complete their homework.

Pesantren provide to Indonesian citizens at low cost; although today some modern pesantren charge higher fees than previously, they are still significantly cheaper than non-pesantren educational institutions. The traditional pattern was for students to work in the headmaster's rice fields in exchange for food, shelter, and education.

All pesantren are led by a group of teachers and religious leaders known as Kyai. . The Kyai is respected as teacher and devout man. Kyai also play important roles in the community as a religious leader and in recent years as a political figure. There are Kyai families that have a long history of serving in this role. Some contemporary Kyai are the grandsons and great-grandsons of famous historical figures who established well known pesantren. [4] [5]

Pesantren curriculum has four possible components: 1) traditional religious education, called ngaji; 2) government recognized curricula (there are two different types to choose from); 3) vocational skills training; 4) character development. Pesantren differ to the degree that they engage each of these components, however all feel that character development for the students is the defining characteristic of any pesantren. [9]

Notes

  1. ^ Ronald Lukens-Bull 2005 A Peaceful Jihad: Negotiating Identity and Modernity in Muslim Java. New York: Palgrave McMillian, Pp. 48
  2. ^ Vickers, Adrian (2005). A History of Modern Indonesia. Cambridge University Press. p. 55. ISBN 0-521-54262-6.
  3. ^ Zamakhsyari Dhofier The Pesantren Tradition: A Study of the Role of the Kyai in the Maintenance of the Traditional Ideology of Islam in Java Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University Program for Southeast Asian Studies Monograph Series.
  4. ^ Ronald Lukens-Bull 2005 A Peaceful Jihad: Negotiating Identity and Modernity in Muslim Java. New York: Palgrave McMillian. Pp. 91-117
  5. ^ Zamakhsyari Dhofier The Pesantren Tradition: A Study of the Role of the Kyai in the Maintenance of the Traditional Ideology of Islam in Java Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University Program for Southeast Asian Studies Monograph Series.
  6. ^ Ronald Lukens-Bull 2000 "Teaching Morality: Javanese Islamic Education in a Globalizing Era" Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies. Vol. 3:26-48.
  7. ^ Zamakhsyari Dhofier The Pesantren Tradition: A Study of the Role of the Kyai in the Maintenance of the Traditional Ideology of Islam in Java Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University Program for Southeast Asian Studies Monograph Series.
  8. ^ Ronald Lukens-Bull 2005 A Peaceful Jihad: Negotiating Identity and Modernity in Muslim Java. New York: Palgrave McMillian. Pp. 62-65
  9. ^ Ronald Lukens-Bull 2005 A Peaceful Jihad: Negotiating Identity and Modernity in Muslim Java. New York: Palgrave McMillian. Pp.47-70

Retrieved fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesantren

Counter Narcotics Public Information (CNPI) Campaign

The CNPI is an environmental prevention initiative focused on poppy growers in Afghanistan that seeks to alter the perception of risks and rewards associated with poppy cultivation, making farmers less likely to grow the product. The outcome will be cultivation reductions in the seven Afghani provinces where the program is implemented. An estimated five million individuals are reached by the CNPI Campaign each year.

Outreach Drop-In Centers

Operated by local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), the services in these centers are targeted towards early intervention, provision of effective referral services, pre-treatment counseling etc. In addition, the centers focus on relapse prevention through effective aftercare services such as assisting in reintegration with their families and society; development of support groups, family counseling and spiritual guidance.