Penelitian ini disusun untuk membahas tentang resolusi konflik agama di Pulau Ambon yang terjadi pada saat negara mengalami krisis akibat dampak krisis ekonomi. Pulau Ambon yang berada di kawasan Propinsi Maluku mempunyai sejarah yang panjang tentang konflik antara masyarakat yang beragama Islam dengan masyarakat yang beragama Kristen. Segala upaya dengan pendekatan budaya telah dibentuk tetapi belum menjamin kerukunan hidup beragama dapat d i pertahankan. Budaya Pela Gandong yang selama itu dikumandangkan dengan penuh keyakinan konflik latent tidak berkembang menjadi konflik terbuka ternyata tetap saja terjadi. Pengamatan yang dilaksanakan dengan terjun langsung kepada kedua belah fihak yang bertikai disertai dengan data sektulder diharapkan lebih mendukung terhadap akurasi penulisan ini. Pemicu terjadinya konflik yang diawali dengan cara mengadu domba antar komunitas mampu menceraiberaikan kesatuan dan persatuan masyarakat yang tinggal di Pu1au Ambon. Faktor penyebab konflik yang tidak segera diatasi oleh seluruh pihak berkembang dengan pesat dan semakin memperkeruh situasi dengan adanya ketidak percayaan masyarakat terhadap para pemimpinnya. Kesenjangan taraf hidup sangat memicu semakin besarnya kecemburuan masyarakat yang berada didaerah pantai dengan masyarakat yang berada di daerah pegunungan/ dataran tinggi. Berbagai upaya untuk menyelesaikan konflik dengan cara fisik dan non fisik telah dilaksanakan sehingga dalam kurun waktu 5 tahun konflik agama dapat diselesaikan melalui komitmen kedua belah pihak dengan dilaksanakan perjanjian Malino II. Tahapan dalam rangka penyelesaian konflik sangat membantu dalam pengambilan langkah tegas dan cara mensikapi oleh berbagai pihak yang diawali dengan pemberlakuan keadaan darurat sipil dan setelah dinilai tepat waktu diberlakukan keadaan tertib sipil. Keterlibatan semua fihak dari birokrasi, TNI, Po1ri, institusi yang mempunyai pendapat politik, LSM, para tokoh sangat membantu percepatan penyelesaian konflik. Pendekatan sosial budaya yang terintegrasi dengan faktor lain merupakan salah satu faktor penentu yang digunakan untuk merumuskan resolusi konflik agama di Pulau Ambon. Keterlibatan semua elemen, mengutamakan kepentingan bersama dan komitmen kedua belah pihak serta dengan difungsikannya kembali sistem dalam segala aspek kehidupan bermasyarakat, berbangsa dan bernegara secara konsekuen pada akhirnya dapat mempercepat penyelesaian konflik agama di Pulau Ambon.

This research was conducted to study the resolution of the religious conflict occured in Ambon Island. As we know that the conflict started when Indonesia was in the multi-dimentional crisises triggered by economic meltdown in 1997. Being in the Maluku Province, Ambon Island has a long history of religious conflicts between Islamic and Christian communities. All efforts using cultural means were conducted to resolve the conflict but these efforts did not give warranty to keep both religious communities live in harmony for long time.Pela Gadong tradition is the culture practiced by Ambon people to prevent latent religious conflicts from becoming materialized, but, in fact, the conflict had occured. Data used in this study were gathered through direct observation into the conflicting communities and from secondary sources to support the validity of the study. The religious conflict in Ambon Island was suspected as a result of external influence. The external factor used the segregation of religious believes in the communities to disintegrate the social cohesion of Ambon society which had been established for a period of time. Key factors triggering the conflict were not tackled as early as possible by both conflicting communities and all government apparatus so that the situation developed uncontrollably toward social disintegration. This situation was worsened by both conflicting communities who distrusted their leaders. An the conflict was intensified by social jealousy between community living in the coastal and in the highland resulted from the disparity of their living standards. In effort to resolve the conflict, physical and non physical means were applied to put the conflict into end. After 5 years of efforts the conflict was resolved through commitment of leaders of both communities by signing Malino II Treaty. This treaty was very helpful in taking strong action to resolve the conflict through several steps starting from civil emergency to civil order. Involvements of government officials, national army, national police, political parties, NGO and informal leaders were very important in speeding up the process of resolving the conflict. Socio-cultural approaches combined with other ones were determinant factor in the formulationof resolution of the conflict in Ambon Island. The settlement of religious conflict in Ambon Island, eventually was accelerated by involvement of all elements comprising among others addressing to the priority of common interests, commitment of both conflicting communities and restoration of all systems needed by the people to build the nation and country.

Kata Kunci : Resolusi konflik agama,Pulau Ambon,Religions conflict resolution