Consultation on Inter-religious Cooperation in Asia
An Interfaith Endeavor to Learn from Each Other's Wisdom to Live Together
Sponsors: Christian Conference of Asia, Asia-Pacific Alliance of YMCAs, Church
Development Service (EED), Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI)
5-10 April 2003, Prapat, Indonesia

We are 37 participants - Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Muslims - from 14 Asian countries and other continents. We have come together on 5-10 April 2003 in Prapat, Indonesia, to study the need and possibilities for interreligious cooperation in Asia. We gather at a tragic moment in which the Iraqi people are being attacked by a coalition of the powerful. We have reached a defining moment in modern history where a clear division of humanity between those who engage in violence and wage wars and the builders of peace has become evident, and the agents of corporate globalization are identified over against the victims of oppression.

Having listened to, discussed and reflected upon reports, analyses, and testimonies from our fellow participants, we would like to send with common voice the following message to our brothers and sisters in Asia and the world.

1. The present situation. In sharing our experiences from various parts of Asia, we find many common elements that compel us to work together for inter-religious cooperation. We are disturbed to find religious and ethnic conflict in many parts of Asia, external factors such as the "war on terrorism" has exacerbated the situation of conflict and will continue to do so. Such conflicts seem to have increased in recent decades, often shattering patterns of communal harmony that had existed for centuries. A common factor that underlies these conflicts is when one group seeks to dominate and impose its will on others.
   
   The lack of a functioning democratic process hinders interreligious cooperation in many places. The concerns of ordinary people are frequently not heard and attended to by those in power. This lack of representation is often compounded by economic disparity, the unjust control of material, financial and intellectual resources in the hands of a few. Globalization of the market economy has widened the gap between rich and poor, which in turn intensifies social conflict.
   
   The increasing prevalence of violence underlines the importance of cooperation across religious lines. We refer not only to communal violence, but also to everyday violence toward those sectors of society least able to defend themselves - women, children, the poor, and ethnic, linguistic, and religious minorities. There is also violence against nature, a rapacious, selfish exploitation of natural resources that has produced an ecological crisis throughout Asia.
2. Causes of conflict. We agree that religion in itself is not the cause of conflict and violence. However, we must face the sad reality that religious identity and emotions are too often manipulated to further the self-centered goals of vested interests. Religion thus gets politicized, instrumentalized by powerful groups and individuals to promote political ambitions and the pursuit and maintenance of power and domination. Attitudes of superiority, whereby religious groups consider themselves better than others, are easily exploited by the unscrupulous to foment unhealthy competition, hatred, injustice and conflict.
   
   
3. Common values. In this situation, the bases of interreligious cooperation must be those religious values that we hold in common. All our religions teach peace, justice, compassion for those who suffer, equality, love, human dignity and solidarity, non-violence, sensitivity to others and the oneness of the human family. We all believe that humanity and nature are interdependent. However, we must humbly acknowledge that our own communities have often failed to be agents of peace and to live according to our shared values. Such as self-critical attitude must be accompanied by a love and renewed commitment to what is best in our own tradition, as well as genuine respect and esteem for the spiritual and humane values enshrined in all religions of the powerful.
   
   The challenge we face is whether we can work together on the basis of these shared values to build more just, peaceful, harmonious and sustainable societies.
   
   
4. Dialogue. The way to build more godly and humane societies is through dialogue. In dialogue, we come to accept others as they are and to overcome tendencies to view others as enemies to be defeated. In dialogue, we learn that others share with us values and a vision that enable us to cooperate for the good of all. In dialogue, we are able to move beyond narrow confessional goals so that we can turn our attention to the real needs of society and especially the concerns of its weakest and neediest sectors, the marginalized, and the victims of discrimination. In dialogue, we can fight stereotypes and also become the voices of the voiceless whose just demands often go unnoticed in the councils of the powerful.
   
   
5. Recommendations:
   Create a continuation committee that would be responsible for initiating and monitoring the following tasks:
   
   
   1. Form a website with the papers of consultation and other interfaith activities in Asia;
   2. Prepare further consultations on gender justice, religious leaders, youth groups and donors organizations;
   3. Undertake a research project to examine and evaluate school text books to identify cases of prejudices and stereotyping and to propose educational materials that enhance interfaith respect, harmony and human values;
   4. Initiate national training programs, and internship, student exchange and live-in programme aimed for interfaith leadership formation;
   5. Form interfaith mediation and reconciliation teams that can intervene in situations of violent conflicts;
   6. Encourage and support an Asian Interfaith Day, when interfaith events would be held in each country;
   7. Prepare a manual for peace that would highlight the common points among religions' that could be used by groups of ordinary people and get translated into local languages;
   8. Create a justice and peace fund for Asia to support local initiative projects focusing on interfaith justice and peace building;
   9. Examine the patriarchal theologies, structures and practices of our religions and cultures in order to empower women by developing alternative educational resources for the promotion of equal partnership between women and men;
   10. Identify and make better known the existing resources for peace education in Asia and explore the feasibility of an Interfaith Institute for the Study of Peace.

    

6. Appeal. We appeal to the peoples and governments of Asia and the world not to allow their religions to be misused for political power and exploitation of weaker sectors of society. Religion should make an option for the oppressed and marginalized, rather than for the rich and powerful. Religion should be an important resource for peace building and reconciliation. Too often religion is seen as a source of tension and violent conflict in society. We appeal to our fellow believers to live in daily life the values that we profess and in doing so make our religious communities effective agents of peace, justice and harmony in Asia. We are convinced that interreligious cooperation is the most effective way to change oppressive structures in society and to transform unhealthy cultural attitudes. We have experienced conflicts in the past, sometimes in the very recent past, but we believe that violence is not the way forward. Our appeal is that all religious communities in Asia join hands to make our region one in which our shared values of peace, compassion, justice and harmony truly come to shape and characterize our Asian societies.