Stop the war. I repeat, stop the warBali (ANTARA) - “Heal the world, make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race. There are people dying, if you care enough for the living, make a better place for you and for me.”
The lyrics from a song titled ‘Heal the World’ that was popularized by the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, should be able to awaken world leaders to immediately end conflicts and wars that occur, including in the current heated geopolitical situation.
All world leaders must play their part to end the conflict, at any cost, as soon as possible.
Luckily, efforts, diplomacy, and calls for peace were carried out by Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) repeatedly through various ways and opportunities, during the series of Indonesian G20 Presidency forums.
Jokowi's efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine and the geopolitical tensions that have heated up seem firm and real.
In line with the mandate of the 1945 Constitution which stated that independence is the right of all nations, efforts to end the war were also made by Jokowi as the head of state holding the Indonesian G20 Presidency in 2022.
Regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the first attempt made by Jokowi, as the holder of the G20 Presidency, was to visit directly the two regions: Kyiv in Ukraine and Moscow in Russia.
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The visit in June 2022 captured the world's attention. Many people praised Jokowi's brave move amid high political tensions at that time.
Not by plane but Jokowi left for Kyiv aboard a train from Poland, with a travel time of 11 hours, along with his wife Iriana Joko Widodo, who also symbolized Jokowi's belief that peace could be achieved.
In Kyiv, Jokowi distributed humanitarian aid, one of which was in the form of medicines to Kyiv.
He also met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They both discussed peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia.
Jokowi's message was very clear. He wanted the war to stop immediately and to reduce its impact, especially on the food sector.
Various diplomatic efforts were made by Jokowi during his dialogue with Zelenskyy, starting from offering to convey Zelenskyy's message to Putin, to discussing efforts to free Ukrainian wheat exports to global markets in order to prevent a global food crisis.
After meeting Zelenskyy, Jokowi then returned to Poland aboard the same train and thereafter departed for Moscow, Russia, to meet President Vladimir Putin.
On June 30, 2022, in Moscow, he met President Putin at the Kremlin, Red Square, Moscow, and also discussed the security of Ukrainian wheat exports to global markets.
On that occasion, Putin promised to restore the world's food supply chain. Thus, Putin provided security guarantees for Ukrainian commodity exports to global markets.
Jokowi's move to meet Zelenskyy and Putin should open the eyes of the world on how serious the Indonesian G20 Presidency is in pursuing world peace.
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G20 Summit Forums
At the G20 Summit Forum in Bali on November 15-16, Jokowi underscored efforts to promote world peace. He emphasized that the war must stop.
At the opening of Session I of the Summit, Jokowi reminded all state leaders to have a responsibility not only to their people but also to the world community.
The responsibility must consistently respect international law and the principles of the UN Charter and strive for a solution that benefits both parties, not a win-lose solution.
Being responsible also means that all parties must work to end the war. If the war does not end, it will be difficult for the world to move forward, and it will be difficult for all parties to take responsibility for the present and future generations.
Jokowi also emphasized to all parties that the world should not be divided into parts and that all parties must not allow the world to fall into another cold war.
Furthermore, at the lunch session, Jokowi invited International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and FIFA President Gianni Infantino to deliver their speech in front of the G20 heads of state.
Jokowi knowingly gave the opportunity, with the hopes that both of them could voice peace within the framework of sportsmanship.
Bach said that competition between athletes from like-minded countries was not a symbol of gradual peace. In the current era, the role of the IOC is clear, to unite the world and not deepen divisions.
He noted that currently, some governments were starting to decide which athletes are allowed to participate in international sports competitions and which athletes are not, on political grounds.
The governments of several countries are keen to decide which athletes can qualify and eventually compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
If sports become another means of achieving political goals, then international sports will fall apart. In fact, decisions about athlete participation must be purely based on their achievements.
Bach was also vocal about his wish regarding all athletes from around the world to compete, especially those from countries that are in conflict or at war, in order to spur solidarity between the two countries within the framework of sportsmanship.
To fulfill the mission, the IOC must be politically neutral to enable future Olympic hosts to welcome the best athletes from around the world.
Regardless of the political conflict, world leaders must also support the IOC's political neutrality.
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As stated by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Olympic spirit is the most important symbol of peace in the world today.
All world leaders must not abandon the unifying mission of the Olympics and Paralympics, at a time when the world needs more solidarity and peace.
Meanwhile, FIFA President Gianni Infantino urged Russia and Ukraine to conclude a ceasefire during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar that will start on November 20, 2022.
Infantino said FIFA realized that football is not a solution to every world problem, but he expressed hope that the 2022 World Cup, which will be witnessed by five billion people worldwide, would continue the message of peace.
As was earlier known, Russia was the host of the 2018 World Cup, while Ukraine is bidding to host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
The 2022 World Cup is expected to become a positive trigger, as an effort for the two countries to ceasefire for one month, during the World Cup.
President Jokowi also reminded that football and sports, in general, are not just activities to maintain health because they can also spark joy.
Moreover, the president invited leaders of the G20 delegation to attend a dinner at Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK), Bali. Jokowi conveyed that GWK has a deep meaning that was in line with the duty of world leaders.
In Balinese mythology, the big statue of GWK means love, responsibility, courage, and loyalty. The meaning contained in the GWK statue is also the responsibility of all leaders to the world and humanity.
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Furthermore, at the opening of session III of the G20 Summit at The Apurva Kempinski Bali, Nusa Dua, Bali, Jokowi again called on world leaders to stop the war.
“Stop the war. I repeat, stop the war," he emphasized during a big forum.
He affirmed that several things were at stake during war while emphasizing that war would only bring misery to the people. Global economic recovery will not occur if the situation did not improve. As leaders, all parties have the responsibility to ensure that the global situation is conducive for the future of the world.
Apart from being in an open forum, Jokowi also pushed for world peace during his bilateral meetings with the leaders of the G20 delegation.
The efforts to promote peace that were made by President Jokowi throughout Indonesia's G20 Presidency were indeed hard work. It was not just boasting in the media, but it was rather drained sweat and energy.
What President Jokowi has done certainly must be followed by other world leaders, by taking concrete actions, to make the world a better place for all mankind, in line with Michael Jackson’s song.
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Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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