MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA – The Director of the Muhammadiyah Studies Center, Bachtiar Dwi Kurniawan, said the organization continues to mobilize resources through cross-sector collaboration. Speaking Thursday (22/01) during an online public discussion hosted by the center, he stressed that disaster response remains a central concern for the organization.
“This discussion is meant to inform the public that Muhammadiyah is still moving and still working,” Bachtiar said. “Disaster response and humanitarian issues are not peripheral. They are taken seriously by the organization.”
Beyond Emergency Relief
Bachtiar argued that information about Muhammadiyah’s disaster work must reach a broader audience, especially those focused on humanitarian affairs, disaster management, and public policy.
“What Muhammadiyah does in disaster response deserves to be studied, examined, and published,” he said. “It is socially relevant, but it also has analytical weight.”
He explained that Muhammadiyah operates within a clearly defined disaster-management ecosystem. The process begins with emergency response and continues through reconstruction, rehabilitation, and long-term recovery. As a result, the approach avoids what he described as hit-and-run assistance.
“We accompany communities from the beginning to the end,” Bachtiar said. “The work does not stop when the emergency phase ends.”
Long-Term Recovery and Collective Action
As an example, Bachtiar pointed to post-disaster economic recovery programs in Cianjur, West Java. There, Muhammadiyah assisted affected residents until they were able to rebuild sustainable livelihoods. The support, he noted, continued well beyond the distribution of emergency aid.
“Assistance does not end with relief packages,” he said. “it continues until communities truly recover.
Finally, Bachtiar underlined the importance of synergy among Muhammadiyah’s various affiliated institutions. Humanitarian work, he argued, becomes effective only when all elements move together.
Translator: Bintang Adrian
