OVER SIXTY experts, policymakers, and civil society leaders participated in the Dialogue Cities Southeast Asia (SEA) Conference, which started on Thursday, Sept. 12, at Dusit Thani Hotel.
The three-day event, running until Sept. 14, 2024, aims to explore the critical role of interfaith, intercultural, and interreligious dialogue in fostering inclusive and resilient urban communities.
The conference, hosted by the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) in collaboration with Ateneo de Davao University through the Al Qalam Institute for Islamic Identities and Dialogue in Southeast Asia, brings together representatives from Bangkok, Davao, Kuala Lumpur, Yogyakarta, and Singapore.
It focuses on enhancing women’s and youth’s participation in urban development through interreligious and intercultural dialogue as a tool for promoting social cohesion.
Councilor Trisha Ann J. Villafuerte, chairperson of the committee on women, children, and family relations, delivered a message on behalf of Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Z. Duterte.
The mayor’s statement emphasized the importance of the conference: “We believe that today’s conference is a testament to our shared commitment to further enhance and promote a culture of dialogue as it serves as a bridge to connect diverse culture, tradition, and perspective leaders to more inclusive and peaceful communities.”
“It is a forum for cities to share and compare different approaches to dialogue in regions and focus on how spaces for dialogue can lead to sustainable solutions. Inter-religious dialogue is essential for creating inclusive and harmonious urban communities,” shared KAICIID Secretary General Dr. Zuhair Alharthi in his message delivered by Davide Capecchi, KAICIID Chief Program Officer.
In her keynote address, Dr. Gloria Jumamil-Mercado, Philippine representative to the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR) and ASEAN Women’s Peace Registry, highlighted that “interfaith and intercultural dialogues are crucial for fostering understanding, tolerance, and cooperation in increasingly diverse societies.”
She added, “It is critical to acknowledge our common values and diversity and provide or seek the platforms that would enable us to participate, be included, and conduct these dialogues with mutual respect toward our ultimate goal.”
The conference program includes plenary sessions with diverse stakeholders such as religious leaders, journalists, peacebuilders, and youth leaders.
Thematic workshops will focus on women, youth, and innovation, encouraging participants to design joint activities and programs with regional resonance.
Immersive site visits are planned to showcase best practices in interfaith, interreligious, and intercultural dialogue and demonstrate their capability to create safe spaces fostering change.
Delegates will engage in discussions on how urbanization impacts social cohesion and how their unique experiences and strategies can support sustainable development in the region.
This event builds on the success of the inaugural conference held in Bangkok in 2023. It aims to set the stage for ongoing collaborations promoting peace and unity across Southeast Asia.
The conference will conclude with a turnover ceremony, passing the hosting responsibility to Kuala Lumpur for the next edition.
In a press conference on Thursday afternoon at Dusit Thani Hotel, Datu Mussolini Sinsualt Lidasan, Executive Director of the Al Qalam Institute of the Ateneo de Davao University, said the main objective of the dialogue cities is to encourage all different sectors to apply dialogue, dialogue as a tool for addressing conflict.”
“In my experience as I was trained KAICID fellow back in 2016, it helped me a lot to be part of the government when I was a commissioner on the Bangsamoro Transition Commission that drafted the Bangsamoro Basic Law. The dialogue that I was able to acquire from KAICIID helped me perform my work efficiently because when I was in the BTC I was not representing the MILF I was representing the government,” he said.
“And so I was bridging the communities, the different sectors in the community, and the MILF, and the government,” he added.
“And we also worked with the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines to support the passage of the Bangsamoro organic law so that’s what we want to encourage, what we want people to understand that we may come from different religions, cultures, we may have a different interpretation this morning it was interesting where some of the participants are most Muslim we have to accept that there are conflicts in the interpretations of a certain text, religion but then we should not focus on those that divide we should focus on things that can unify us, “he said.
“So that’s one we want to encourage people to apply and learn more about dialogue and KAICIID has a huge experience and huge network where we can learn,” he further said.
Ven Napan, founder and director of Institute of Buddhist Management for Happiness and Peace (IBHAP) Thailand, said “An umbrella is like a dialogue. The dialogue itself does not prevent conflicts from occurring. It is like an umbrella does not make the sun go away, does not make the rain stop falling.”
“When it is raining or sunny, we have umbrellas that will keep us from getting too wet or getting too sunburned,” he said.
“Like a dialogue, we know each other between religions. We get it. We are good to each other, and we already know each other, and in the end, when something happens, we will prevent the conflict from escalating,” Napan further said.
On women and youth participation
When asked if there are any programs or initiative plans to empower youth and women to become leaders in promoting interfaith dialogues in their communities? Wiwin Siti Aminah Rohmawati, one of the delegates from Jakarta Indonesia, said “I think one of the outputs of this conference is actually the concept for women, youth group, and also the innovation group, all these concepts can be further be developed and within two years this initiative can be implemented for the next two years will have another meeting in Kuala Lumpur to evaluate and reflect on our what we have done between this conference.”
“From the first conference to this conference there’s a lot of initiative as I mentioned earlier we had training in Jakarta for women and youth and also another women’s event here in Davao before this conference I think in Jakarta because we have one research on inter-religious dialogue the result hasn’t yet been publish hopefully this year or next year so that it can be an inspiration, so that’s what’s I can say I think next year will have an interview and very important initiative in order to strengthen the interreligious and intercultural dialogue,” Rohmawati said.
Photo by Rhoda Grace Saron
