JAKARTA, Indonesia – The country’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi officially opened on Wednesday the two-day International Conference on Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy aimed at encouraging dialogue between different faith traditions.

The conference, held by the Leimena Institute and co-sponsored by the Indonesian government at Jakarta’s Shangri-La Hotel, features 50 speakers and 200 invited guests from as far as the United States, Austria and Jordan. Overall, the conference, which concludes Thursday, aims to reaffirm the importance of interfaith dialogue to help resolve conflicts. 

“In this case, there are three agenda items in which Indonesia always works actively with the international community, namely strengthening tolerance, promoting inclusivity and encouraging interfaith collaboration,” Marsudi said in her keynote address before over 200 people packed inside the hotel’s ballroom.

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She highlighted Indonesia’s consistency when it comes to dialoguing with religious leaders around the world, citing President Joko Widodo’s recent meeting with the Grand Sheikh of Egypt’s Al-Azhar University, another with Muhammad Ahmed al-Tayeb earlier this week and Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to Indonesia in September.

Other speakers included Leimena Institute Executive Director Matius Ho; Brett Scharffs, director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University Law School; and Iqbal Akhtar, who serves as director of the Templeton Religion Trust Program. BYU’s Law School and Templeton served as conference co-sponsors.

The conference, held annually, also hopes to strengthen Indonesia’s respect for religious pluralism while addressing a variety of topics for reaching out to other faiths through education programs and human rights legislation. The gathering continues the success of cross-cultural religious literacy training in Indonesia, where more than 8,500 teachers have received training over the last three years.

“The quest for peace remains both urgent and elusive because our global landscape is very complex,” Marsudi said. “Most concerning are more open conflicts claiming more lives worldwide, from the war in Ukraine to the situations in Afghanistan and Palestine, questioning the existence of solidarity and humanity.”

She added, “These conflicts are not inherently religious, but religious elements are often present, intensifying tensions. Therefore, understanding diverse faiths becomes crucial, an endeavor we must always nurture.”

Indonesia is unique place and a fitting one to host such a gathering. The country’s constitution guarantees citizens the right to choose their own religion and the freedom to worship according to their own beliefs. At the same time, the constitution — and the state philosophy of “Pancasila” — promotes faith “in the One and Only God.”

“Freedom of each religion must be legally guaranteed; diversity must be respected,” Marsudi said. “Do not let our religious differences create fanaticism and cause tensions.”

Islam is the largest religion in Indonesia, making up 87% of the population. Islamic trends within Indonesia differ from those in the Middle East and include “modernism,” which closely adheres to orthodox theology while embracing modern learning.

“Our differences must be our strengths and assets, not weaknesses,” Marsudi concluded. “Through dialogue and multi-faith collaboration, let us build a better and more peaceful world.”  

Clemente Lisi is the executive editor of Religion Unplugged. He previously served as deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and a longtime reporter at The New York Post. Follow him on X @ClementeLisi.