JAKARTA — More than 200 religious leaders from various nations gathered in Kuningan, Jakarta, to participate in the ASEAN Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue Conference (IIDC) on Monday, August 7. Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, organized the event that brought the theme of “ASEAN Shared Civilizational Values: Building an Epicentrum of Harmony to Foster Peace, Security, and Prosperity”. Led by NU chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf, the event tries to mitigate the conduct of peace and harmony through religious activism in the face of persistent debate over religious freedom and freedom of expression.
Staquf delved further into the rising occurrences of conflicts in the region, especially the socio-political crisis induced by the Myanmar military junta coup in 2021 that continues to see a massive influx of refugees fleeing from the country. Staquf remarked that open dialogue needs to be more utilized to conjure possible resolutions. Dr. Shobita, the President of the International Buddhist Education Center Myanmar, expressed her hope that ASEAN religious leaders could contribute to safeguarding children’s education during the tumultuous upheaval.
Father Yanuarius Teofilus, the head of Papua’s Diocese, who was also present in the meeting, expressed his hope the mutual respect atmosphere could be relayed back in promoting peace in his hometown.
The conference resulted in the publication of the Jakarta Declaration consisting of several points regarding women’s empowerment, commitment to people’s diplomacy, character education, and continued intergovernmental partnerships. The document was drafted after 12 hours of long discussions with a delegation from the Philippines, Teresita Cruz Del Rosario, reading the transcript at the closing ceremony.
The declaration highlighted the historical co-existence of numerous religious groups around Southeast Asia, reflecting the community’s capability to live in harmony and tolerance. This statement aligns with President Joko Widodo’s welcoming speech that despite the diminishing religiosity of global citizens, ASEAN countries have maintained a high importance on religion among its citizens. He exemplified Indonesia as one of the world’s most religious nations with up to 96% of its people holding the belief of God in their life based on a study by Pew Research Center.
The conclusion of Indonesia’s chairmanship of ASEAN means that the IIDC organizing committee will also be rotated with Lao’s People’s Democratic Republic scheduled to hold the event next year. Laos Head of Delegation Vanh Keobundit, while receiving the baton of leadership symbolically from Staquf, said he wished that ASEAN states and all people could live side by side and seek common grounds in dealing with every aspect of life. Furthermore, Staquf also urged leaders to look into IIDC’s works and adopt it in the joint communique of ASEAN heads of government during the summit in September. The dialogue is hoped to be a politically influential and decisive matter that could contribute to resolving security and widespread public distrust issues.
About the Author
Muhammad Rayhansyah Jasin
Rayhan aspires to be an academic journalist and he is trying to start this journey by becoming APU Times’ Head of Journalist Department and a writer in AYO Post. As an IR student in Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, he really likes to debate and write other people’s perspectives in his preposition to bridge differing minds. He’s a hands-on traveler who appreciates history and urban-people culture more than nature based adventures.