Director of Public Diplomacy of the Directorate General of Information and Public Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Ani Nigeriawati (center), explained about the upcoming International Conference on Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy during a press conference held by the Leimena Institute in Jakarta, Friday (July 5, 2024).
Jakarta, LKLB News – The Leimena Institute, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (MoFA RI), will hold the International Conference on Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy on July 10–11, 2024, in Jakarta. The International CCRL Conference will feature at least 50 national and international speakers discussing efforts to strengthen multi-faith collaboration amidst today’s global challenges.
Over the course of two days, the International CCRL Conference will include an opening session, five main panels, and a closing session accessible in hybrid format via Zoom, as well as a Reception and ten breakout sessions available only to onsite participants. Registration for the hybrid format is open to the public through the link leimena.org/conference.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Retno L.P. Marsudi, will officially open the conference and deliver a keynote address on Wednesday morning (July 10, 2024). Other opening session speakers include Executive Director of the Leimena Institute, Matius Ho; Director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University Law School, Dr. Brett Scharffs; and Program Director of the Templeton Religion Trust, Iqbal Akhtar, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow of the Leimena Institute, Dr. Alwi Shihab, and Senior Expert Staff at the Presidential Special Staff Office of the Republic of Indonesia, who is also a Senior Fellow of the Leimena Institute, Prof. Dr. Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin, also served as speakers at the press conference.
Director of Public Diplomacy at the Directorate General of Information and Public Diplomacy of MoFA RI, Ani Nigeriawati, stated that the Indonesian government, through its foreign policy, seeks to strengthen multi-faith collaboration, including through Interfaith Dialogues that involve domestic stakeholders and cooperation with other countries.
“That is why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Leimena Institute see it as important to co-host the International CCRL Conference to advance multi-faith collaboration in promoting and protecting human rights, achieving sustainable development, and addressing challenges arising from multifaceted and multidimensional crises both regionally and globally,” said Ani at the press conference organized by the Leimena Institute in Jakarta, Friday (July 5, 2024).
More than 20 journalists from print, online, and broadcast media attended the press conference.
The range of topics and speakers at the International Conference on Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy was a strong draw for media coverage.
The theme of the CCRL Conference, “Multi-faith Collaborations in an Inclusive Society,” focuses on the growing need for multi-faith collaboration in which people of different religions and beliefs can learn from each other and work together, while continuing to recognize and respect their religious and belief differences, in addressing shared concerns.
Also attending the press conference were two Senior Fellows of the Leimena Institute, namely Dr. Alwi Shihab and Prof. Dr. Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin, Senior Expert Staff at the Presidential Special Staff Office of the Republic of Indonesia, as well as the Director of the Istiqlal Mosque Madrasah and Secretary General of the Central Board of the Ikatan Ittihad Persaudaraan Imam Masjid (PP IPIM), M. Taufiqurrahman.
Program Manager of the Leimena Institute, Daniel Adipranata, noted that throughout human history, religion has been a source of moral and ethical principles that inspire and enable many individuals and communities to face various crises. However, religious differences are also vulnerable as sources of conflict and tension. As stated in the UNESCO report “Reimagining Our Futures Together” (2021), the world appears increasingly fragmented and polarized, so reimagining a shared future requires a pedagogy that fosters cooperation and solidarity.
Program Manager of the Leimena Institute, Daniel Adipranata, further explained that the International Conference on Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy will feature speakers from government officials, leaders of religious organizations, and interfaith scholars from both within and outside Indonesia.
“In particular, the conference will highlight the crucial role of education in building multi-faith collaboration. This conference continues the success of Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy training in Indonesia, which has trained more than 8,500 teachers in less than 2.5 years, involving 37 educational and religious institutions,” Daniel stated.
The conference will be attended by around 200 invited onsite participants, including government officials from ministries and agencies both domestic and international, a number of foreign ambassadors, academics, civil society leaders, as well as alumni of the CCRL training program consisting of madrasah and school teachers.
The International CCRL Conference is also made possible through partnerships with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia, the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University Law School, and the Templeton Religion Trust.