Strengthening Soriar Village Governance Through the Integration of Positive Law and Local Wisdom

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FORMOSA NEWS

A community service team from Cenderawasih University led by Beatus Tambaip and colleagues conducted a governance socialization activity in Soriar Village, East Biak District, on May 18, 2026. This activity is crucial for bridging the understanding of village officials between formal state regulations and local wisdom values to achieve effective public service oriented toward community welfare.

Administrative Challenges and Local Wisdom

Village-level government holds a strategic role as the foundation of national development. However, in Soriar Village, village administration previously ran in an ad-hoc manner without a structured framework reference, where officials better understood formal bureaucracy while the dimensions of local wisdom, custom, and religious values were under-accommodated in decision-making.

Participatory Approach Methods

This socialization program utilized lecture methods, interactive discussions, and Q&A sessions involving 19 participants from various key elements, including village officials, customary leaders, religious leaders, and community figures.

Main Pillars and Socialization Findings

Through the activity, participants explored several crucial points:

• Comprehensive understanding of the formal dimension in the form of positive law and the informal dimension in the form of custom and religious values.
• Introduction to five essential administrative pillars covering authority, regulation, duties and functions, hierarchy, and resource management.
• Formulation of integration mechanisms between local wisdom and state regulations through consensus deliberations upholding mutual respect among parties.

Implications for Special Autonomy and Community Welfare

According to the Cenderawasih University community service team, governance success under the Special Autonomy framework is largely determined by local leadership synergy. The village head acts as a transformational leader, customary leaders strengthen cultural legitimacy, and religious leaders instill moral values. This integration ensures that village development programs truly reflect the identity and real needs of the Soriar community.

Author Profile

This service activity was compiled by a research team from Cenderawasih University consisting of Beatus Tambaip, Vince Tebay, Yosephina Ohoiwutun, Agustina Ivonne Poli, and M. Zaenul Muttaqin.

Research Source

The original journal article entitled "Governance Socialization in Soriar Village, East Biak District" was published in Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Bestari (JPMB), Volume 5, Number 8, August 2026, pages 709-716, with DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/jpmb.v5i8.61.