Bali: R20-Religion 20, an engagement group of G20 convened world’s most prominent religious leaders and civil society actors to leverage power of world religions to tackle pressing global challenges ranging from climate change to conflict resolution here.

Dr Muhammad Abdulkarim Al Issa, head of Muslim World League, Chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, Yahya Cholil Staquf and President of Indonesia Joko Widodo attended. A virtual address was also delivered from His Holiness Pope Francis. Muslim World League (MWL) and Indonesian Nahdlatul Ulam (NU) organised event. 

This year’s forum titled ‘Revealing and nurturing religion as a source of global solutions’, provides moral leadership at a time of unprecedented economic turmoil. Agenda includes preventing weaponisation, world role in religions, environmental preservation, hatred, addressing grievances, moving towards reconciliation, re-contextualising obsolete and problematic tenets of religion, countering religious radicalisation and countering persecution of religious minorities.

Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary-General of MWL and co-chair of forum said, “Major global challenges today are not merely political or economic challenges. They are moral challenges. And navigating world out of these crises requires moral and spiritual leadership.  Yahya Cholil Staquf General Chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama said, “R20 is an initiative with intention of infusing geopolitical and economic power structures with moral and spiritual values so that humanity can pursue effective solutions to its many crises.” 

Pope Francis said, “All of us have a moral obligation to care for earth, which is our common home, preserving for future generations divine gift of creation.”  Swami Govind Dev Giri from India said “R20 is a melting pot of all religious faiths.”  

Archbishop Henry Chukwudum N dukuba Primate of Church of Nigeria said “Nigeria is affiliated with religious extremism, saying “Christian communities in Nigeria face terrorism and attacks”.  Professor Mary Ann Glendon from Harvard Law School said, “This is landmark for G20 to recognise role of religion in discourse.

In future we may look back at this as a turning point as a sort of historic moment.” Religious leaders include Joko Widodo, Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, Thomas Schirrmacher, Archbishop Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba, Reverend Yoshinobu Miyake, Rabbi Silvina Chemen, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Bayah, Jan Figel, Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bashar Matti Warda, Archbishop Thomas Schirrmacher, Andrés Pastrana and many more are part of event. 

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 05 2022

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