I believe that CDI is a right partner to build the bridge of mutual understanding, moderation and inclusiveness to support global peaceYogyakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Vice President KH Ma'ruf Amin believes the Eurasia Forum that held a meeting of global political party leaders joining the Centrist Democratic International (CDI) in Yogyakarta will be a bridge to create global peace.
"I believe the CDI is a right partner to build a bridge of mutual understanding, moderation, and inclusiveness to support global peace," he stated in his keynote address at the CDI Eurasia Forum held in Yogyakarta on Friday.
The vice president believes that expectations of global peace are in line with the visions of political parties grouped in the CDI: protection of human rights, interfaith dialog, women's participation in politics and peace process.
Amin affirmed that the CDI values are relevant to democratic values adopted and implemented in Indonesia.
"For instance, the 1945 Constitution and its implementation regulations in Indonesia guarantee respect for human rights," he pointed out.
The vice president further echoed concern over the existing cases of intolerance, hoaxes, ethnicity- or religion-based violence, radicalism, and terrorism in the rest of the world and also in countries adopting a democratic system.
"The freedom of expression guaranteed by democracy and the rapidly growing information and communication technology have been manipulated to spread negative issues in a way that they destroy the elements of harmonious existence in the community," he cautioned.
In fact, dialog and agreement lie at the very crux of democracy, and the essence of dialog is mutual understanding to arrive at an agreement to lead a harmonious existence together by mutually accepting and respecting differences, he stated.
"All through the history of human civilization, various agreements, both written and not written, on peaceful co-existence, mutual help and assistance have been made and endorsed extensively," he pointed out.
Hence, Amin called on global political party leaders grouped in the CDI to work in unison to explore and restore the harmonious values contained in religions. "In Islam, we are taught to understand moderate religion and bring affection, grace, peace, and tolerance in inter-personal relationships in life," he affirmed.
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Translator: Luqman Hakim/Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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