"Within this context, we, world and nation-state leaders, religious leaders, and academicians, as well as thinkers, scholars, and peace activists, have discussed thoroughly the middle path for a better, more peaceful, justly balanced, and harmonious world civilization," Professor Jung Eun-sook, one of conclusion panel`s chairpersons of the 7th WPF noted here on Thursday.
The six initiatives were presented in an action plan to encourage the world to work together to make the middle path the guiding framework for global civilization, covering the political, economic, and sociocultural spheres.
The forum also aimed to encourage nation-states to take responsibility for establishing rules and mechanisms to execute the middle-path concept in their respective countries by involving religious leaders, academicians, scholars, and civil society.
The forum called on authorities and stakeholders to take the initiative to launch this global movement.
Jung noted that the forum had observed multiple global crises caused by the currently imbalanced state of the world, such as food shortages, energy problems, environmental disasters, moral degeneration leading to an absence of peace, injustice, extreme poverty, unresolved illiteracy, egocentric theology, and discrimination.
The forum also observed that these crises have led to egocentrism, primordialism, and political populism based on either religion or race and ethnicity, resulting in the weakening of democracy in many countries, as seen in the various forms of intolerance and extremism they suffer.
"Hence, we are convinced that the middle path is the solution to the problems the world is facing today, and it should be adopted, made the mainstream, and enforced by people in all aspects," she noted.
The conclusion panel of the 7th WPF was chaired by Special Envoy of Indonesia`s President for Interfaith and Inter-civilization Dialogue and Cooperation Din Syamsudin.
The 7th WPF was held in Jakarta from August 14 to 16 and attended by 260 people of various backgrounds, including Chairman of the European Council of Religious Leaders Bishop Gunnar Stalsett from Norway, Adviser to Palestine`s President on Religious and Islamic Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash, and Australia`s former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Reporter: Azizah Fitriyanti
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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