A’borong as an Indigenous Adaptive Governance Mechanism: Restorative Ecological Justice and Dispute Resolution in the Kajang Community, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-785-9_25How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Adaptive Governance; A’borong; Customary Law; Indigenous Dispute Resolution; Restorative Ecological Justice; Socio-ecological Resilience

Abstract

Widespread ecological conflicts arising from deforestation and land tenure disputes in Indonesia highlight the limitations of state-centric, litigation-based resolution mechanisms, particularly within indigenous communities. This study investigates A’borong, the indigenous dispute resolution system of the Kajang people in South Sulawesi, as an effective model of adaptive governance that delivers restorative ecological justice. Through a qualitative empirical approach—including semi-structured interviews with customary leaders (Ammatoa and Galla), participant observation, and documentary analysis—this research (1) identifies key constraints of litigation-based mediation, (2) elucidates the institutional roles and procedural sequence of A’borong, and (3) analyzes its implications for socio-ecological resilience. Our findings reveal that A’borong, grounded in the Pasang ri Kajang normative system and mediated by Galla, successfully resolves conflicts through participatory deliberation, ritual sanctioning, and community enforcement, leading to high compliance and tangible ecological restoration. We propose a conceptual model for integrating A’borong’s principles into hybrid governance frameworks, arguing that such recognition can bridge legal pluralism and enhance environmental governance. This study contributes to the literature on indigenous adaptive governance and restorative justice, offering actionable policy pathways for Indonesia and similar.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Andi Tenri Famauri
AU  - Kadarudin
AU  - Birkah Latif
AU  - Rastiawaty
AU  - Andi Syahwiah A. Sapiddin
AU  - Muh. Hasrul
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/07
TI  - A’borong as an Indigenous Adaptive Governance Mechanism: Restorative Ecological Justice and Dispute Resolution in the Kajang Community, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
BT  - Proceedings of the UUM 13th International Legal Conference 2025 (UUMILC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 349
EP  - 362
SN  - 2667-128X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-785-9_25
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-785-9_25
ID  - Famauri2026
ER  -