Remarks by H.E. Dr. R. M. Marty M. Natalegawa Minister for Foreign Affairs Republic of Indonesia On Alliance of Civilizations

 

 

Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Let me first express my felicitations to H.E. Jorge Sampaio, UN High Representative to the Alliance of Civilizations. I am privileged to address this distinguished gathering.

Excellencies,

We Indonesians are great believers in the wisdom of dialogue and its efficacy as a cure for ignorance, prejudice and hatred. That is why we are involved in all interfaith and intercultural dialogues—at the national and international levels.

At the national level, we develop a strategy of empowering the moderates by promoting dialogue involving cross-religious civil society organizations.

At the community level, the Government and civil society organizations are working together in such initiatives as the Forum for Harmony among Religious Groups. The Forum not only conducts dialogue among various religious leaders and groups, it also actively promotes religious harmony through social education campaigns.

At the international level, we hold Bilateral Interfaith Dialogues with 16 other countries and the Holy See.

In 2004, we launched a Regional Interfaith Dialogue among Southeast Asian and Southwest Pacific Countries. The following year, we launched the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Interfaith Dialogue. Both dialogues have become annual events.

We are now looking into ways of utilizing Information and Communication Technology to intensify and enlarge the interfaith and intercultural dialogues that we have launched and are sustaining.

We feel that all these efforts that we have undertaken with our partners in the promotion of dialogue have contributed to peace and harmony in the world, in our region, and, within Indonesia, our communities.

Thank you.