Asia Pacific Regional Interfaith Dialogue
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 2008
Report of the New Zealand Delegation
Background
The Asia-Pacific regional interfaith dialogue process began in Yogyakarta in December 2004. The governments of Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand and the Philippines co-sponsored the first dialogue which brought together delegations of 10 faith and community leaders from each of 14 countries in South East Asia and the Pacific. The process continued with meetings in Cebu in the Philippines in 2006 and Waitangi in New Zealand in 2007. Cambodia hosted the fourth dialogue in Phnom Penh on 2-4 April 2008.
After Yogyakarta, a delegation from Fiji was invited to join the dialogue to increase Pacific representation. The 15 countries that have taken part in subsequent dialogues are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor L’Este, and Vietnam.
These fifteen nations together comprise 620 million people. They are made up of:
· 7 nations with under 10 million people (Fiji, NZ, PNG, Singapore, Timor, Brunei, Lao)
· 3 nations with 20-50 million people (Australia, Cambodia, Malaysia)
· 4 nations with 50-100 million people (Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam); and
· 1 nation with 245 million people (Indonesia)
Three nations have a Muslim majority (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei), five have a Buddhist majority (Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao, Thailand, Myanmar), six have a Christian majority (Philippines, Australia, NZ, Fiji, PNG, Timor L’Este), and one has no single majority (Singapore).
Taken together, the 15 nations comprise approximately:
· 244 million Muslims
· 151 million Christians
· 149 million Buddhists
· 7 million Hindus
· 71 million other religions/no religion
The rubbing points in the region include majorities and minorities of each major religious group as follows:
· Christian majority, Muslim minority
· Muslim majority, Christian minority
· Muslim majority, Hindu & Buddhist minority
· Buddhist majority, Muslim minority
· Buddhist majority, Christian minority
· Christian majority, Hindu & Muslim Minority
· Intra-faith, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity
This points to the fact that conflicts in the region are often between majorities and minorities, rather than between religions as such.
Outcomes of the dialogue process
A summary of the outcomes of the dialogue process to date, based on individual country reports, was presented to a plenary of the Phnom Penh conference by the New Zealand delegation as follows:
- Faith leaders have established stronger relationships nationally and regionally
- Governments and faith communities have engaged more within each country
- Grassroots interfaith activity has increased
- International exchanges (media, academic, youth, women) have increased
- Regional support for global interfaith initiatives has grown
- Initiatives have been taken within and between countries in education programmes
- In schools
- In universities
- Training religious leaders
- Training government officials
- Training media practitioners
- National Action Plans and Programmes have been developed
New Zealand Delegation
The New Zealand delegation to the Phnom Penh dialogue comprised Dr Manuka Henare (leader), Catholic Archbishop John Dew, Anglican Bishop Richard Randerson, Religious Studies Professor Paul Morris, Federation of Islamic Associations President Javed Khan, Islamic Women’s Council member Rehanna Ali, Presbyterian Minister Fei Taule'ale'ausumai, Dr Pushpa Wood (Hindu), Ven Amala Wrightson (Buddhist) and Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres. They were supported by Ambassador Dell Higgie and Senior Policy Officer Cathy McGregor from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Ethnic Affairs Minister Hon Chris Carter was a keynote speaker at the conference (speech attached). Members of the delegation acted as convenors, rapporteurs and presenters at a number of workshops and plenary sessions. Professor Paul Morris presented a New Zealand paper on conflict resolution (attached). The New Zealand delegation once again facilitated regional intra-faith meetings for Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus/Sikhs as part of the programme.
Theme of the 2008 Dialogue
The theme of the Phnom Penh dialogue was “interfaith cooperation for peace and harmony”. Plenaries and workshops focused on:
- Follow-up to the Waitangi Declaration and Action Plan
- Achieving Security: Interfaith Action for Regional Peace, Security and Harmony (including workshops on security, tolerance and understanding, democracy and equal opportunity, solidarity and cooperation and conflict resolution and peacemaking)
- Nurturing Initiatives at the Grassroots Level and Empowering Those Advocating Peace and Harmony (including workshops on the role of faith groups, women’s and community groups, civil society and government, cooperation between the media, faith groups and government, and effective use of education to shape the attitudes of the young and the wider community)
Phnom Penh Declaration
The outcomes of the workshops were embodied in a declaration at the end of the Dialogue (attached), which noted that:
“In reflecting on our progress since Jogjakarta in 2004, two realities have encouraged us. First, many countries have already demonstrated significant progress in promoting stable and cohesive communities. Second, it is now clear that there are many practical initiatives at all levels of society that have been implemented and have reduced religious disharmony and engendered cooperation towards the common good.
“In this light we have agreed to commit ourselves to work towards the following in conjunction with governments and other sectors of society:
a. multifaith dialogue and cooperation;
b. peace as a sacred priority;
c. increased participation by women and youth in interfaith dialogue;
d. sharing with our communities successful examples of multifaith dialogue and cooperation and encouraging others to participate; and
e. interfaith cooperation that addresses issues of critical community concerns in our region such as poverty, HIV, human rights, environmental issues and natural disasters.”
The declaration included an action plan with 17 recommendations:
Relationships
1. We encourage governments to investigate possible mechanisms for maintaining regional interfaith activity between Dialogues.
- We recommend further cooperation on the development of bilateral (country-to-country) programs and projects, encouraging interreligious cooperation and understanding.
- We encourage a stronger focus on dialogue within religions, including through intra-faith dialogue at national and regional levels.
Education and Capacity Building
- We recommend bringing educationalists together to develop curricula to promote interfaith understanding and human rights from religious perspectives.
- We acknowledge the value of contemplative spiritual practices as an aid to promoting peace and resolving conflict.
- We recommend the improvement of the religious education curriculum in order to help promote moderate religious views among youth.
Conflict Resolution an Peace Building
- We recommend utilising religious and spiritual leaders of standing to assist in resolving intercommunal conflicts and tensions within the region.
- We recommend strengthening collaborative religious structures and networks for developing conflict resolution skills, practices and attitudes in areas of intercommunal conflict.
- We recommend exploring the possibility of joint projects and activities, engaging people across faith traditions in areas of communal tension.
- We recommend the sharing of case studies of effective examples of responding to violence.
Grassroots initiatives
- We recommend helping communities learn more about each other through informal settings such as community gatherings, festivals, sporting events or projects.
- We recommend broadening of the dialogue process to include more of those not currently involved.
- We recommend the development of mechanisms by which the role of women in interfaith activity can be further recognised, including through the establishment of women’s interfaith forums and by providing training and support.
- We recommend strengthening multi-religious youth networks across the region, encouraging cooperation, including through exchange programs, camps and training programs.
Media and Promoting Interfaith Understanding
- We encourage the media to balance freedom of speech with responsibility.
- We will work to ensure a positive contribution by the media in building understanding between religions and faiths with particular regard to how biased and inflammatory reporting may foment division.
- We recommend further training to assist faith leaders to communicate effectively with and through the modern media.