TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi opened the International Conference on Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy (IC-CCRL) on Wednesday, July 10. Co-hosted by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Leimena Institute, the two-day event attracted over 4,000 online participants and 160 in-person attendees from Indonesia and abroad.

In her keynote speech, Retno emphasized the importance of dialogue in resolving global conflicts, many of which involve religious tensions. “Understanding diverse faiths becomes crucial, an endeavor we must always nurture. Freedom of each religion must be legally guaranteed, diversity must be respected, and not let religious differences create fanaticism and cause tensions,” she remarked.

In this case, she elaborated, Indonesia actively collaborates with the international community to strengthen tolerance, promote inclusivity, and encourage interfaith collaboration.

Representatives from 37 countries participated, including ambassadors from Austria, Jordan, Romania, Spain, the Vatican, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Diplomats from the US, UK, Netherlands, Malaysia, Laos, and the Philippines also attended.

The conference theme, "Multi-faith Collaborations in an Inclusive Society," highlighted the growing need for cooperation between people of diverse faiths. Participants explored ways to learn from each other and work together on common concerns while respecting religious differences.

The IC-CCRL aims to strengthen Indonesia's values of tolerance, religious moderation, and respect for diversity. Discussions focused on fostering multi-faith collaboration through education, human rights promotion, and integrating these values within the ASEAN community.

The conference also underscored the importance of education in building bridges between faiths. It follows the success of Indonesia's Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy training program, which has trained over 8,500 teachers in 2.5 years, involving 30 educational and religious institutions.

SUCI SEKARWATI

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