23.08.2022

Encounter for people of different faiths also helps to understand one's own faith

Welcoming speeches during the conference on the dialogue between Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith communities, © Photo: UEM-Asia

Participants of the conferende, © Photo: Petraus Sugito / UEM

"The Role of Religions to overcome Climate Change and Religious Radicalism" - that was the theme of the meeting on dialogue among members of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith communities. The UEM Regional Office Asia had invited to the meeting on interreligious dialogue from 7 to 15 August 2022 in Padang Sidempuan, North Sumatra, in the premises of the Christian Protestant Angkola Church. The 34 participants* from the three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) came from three continents (Asia, Africa and Europe).

The UEM offers spaces for interreligious composed groups to get in dialogue with each other. Before the start of the actual conference, the participants gave information about their own faith and began into dialogue about it, they got to know the respective foreign culture, tradition and history in order to clear up misunderstandings about other religions. The decisive factor is to represent one's own point of view credibly, to accept and respect differences. Then a dialogue is useful.

Speakers from the three religions were invited to present their views on climate change and religious radicalism. A former terrorist was also invited to share his experiences as a terrorist.

The participants also visited local cultural practitioners and the government of Padang Sidempuan to learn more about the local traditions of preserving natural livelihoods and the atmosphere in Padang Sidempuan.

The conclusion at the end of the meeting was that everyone needs to do something urgently about climate change. They also understood how fundamentalists and terrorists work. The participants also pledged to create peace and tolerance in the world through numerous activities.