Asian Conference on Religion and Peace

YOGYAKARTA DECLARATION

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Preamble

The Sixth Assembly of the Asian Conference on Religion and Peace met in the ancient cultural city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, June 24--28, 2002, under the theme "Asia, the Reconciler." It had the participation of about three hundred people from 20 countries belonging to all the principal religions of Asia--Baha'i, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Shintoism, Sikhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, and others.

We regret to note that the Sixth Assembly of ACRP had to be postponed due to the September 11 terrorist attack. We unanimously say "Absolutely No!" to terrorism of any kind for any reasons.

There are many divisions and conflicts in Asia that divide the people. As in the previous five Assemblies held in Singapore, New Delhi, Seoul, Kathmandu, and Ayutthaya (Thailand), we profess that the people of religion should stand on the side of the poor, the oppressed, and the deprived. Religionists cannot be neutral. We are in solidarity with the suffering masses of Asia and we will continue to do what we can toward their empowerment and liberation from injustice and oppression, and the achievement of people-centered development rooted in respect for human dignity.

Asia continues to be torn by conflicts and confrontations, rivalry and repression. Everywhere the level of militarization, even nuclear, is increasing; political power tends to be authoritarian, causing an ever-enlarging vicious circle of more armament and more deprivation. In the midst of these dilemmas, we came to meet in Yogyakarta, seeking spiritual strength and religious insights to help us face the ongoing struggle.

Mutual understanding and respect among followers of different religions is growing. This is a great step in the right direction. We are now committed to continue our strides on the path we have chosen to widen the field of mutual understanding and respect, which is the basis for peace and harmony in Asia and the world. It is our challenge and our opportunity in this time of polarization and discord to build dialogue, to uphold and establish genuine respect for diversity as the best guarantee of peace, harmony, security, and peaceful co-existence, and so to create a new age of hope and reconciliation.

The Reality of Asia

We men and women of religion are gathered here in the midst of human misery. The agony of suffering echoes throughout Asia. The voices of grief of those whose human rights are violated are not heard. Human dignity is not heeded. Social justice is not taken seriously. Violence and conflicts occur too easily. In Asia, a vicious circle manifests itself in the form of discrimination, disparity, deprivation, and violence. These factors--found intertwined anywhere in Asia--constitute an intolerable social condition that cannot be tackled without, at the same time, dealing with the other interrelated problems.

The Spirituality of Asia

Asia is the cradle of all the great religions of the world. Spirituality, which animates the higher nature of humanity, abounds in Asia. It is a force that makes us one in spite of our diversity in the way of expressing it.

Asian spirituality has often led us into transcendental indifference and escapism from the ground reality of Asia, thus serving unwittingly the cause of the status quo. Spirituality, which we are trying to revive, through our common prayer and witness, is a source of strength in the midst of weakness, of hope in the midst of despair, and of love in the midst of hatred. It has to be channeled into saving and serving action on the part of those who are activated by it and the test of its genuineness is to be found in its renewing power of humanization.

In this context, the theme of the Sixth Assembly, namely "Asia, the Reconciler" demonstrates a newly added appropriateness and significance. The five Commissions, set up by the Assembly, discussed in depth the problems of

--Reconciliation for Peaceful Common Living: Disarmament and Security;
--Reconciliation for Just and Sustainable Development: Economy and Ecology;
--Reconciliation for Life Respecting Community: Human Dignity and Human Rights;
--Reconciliation for a Harmonious Family: Women, Children and Partnership;
--Reconciliation for a Culture of Peace: Education and Service for Peace.

The Commissions made recommendations for the removal of the difficulties and problems arising from violation of human rights, denial of human dignity, economic problems emanating from capitalist or socialist systems, oppression of women and children and anomalies in the education system that do not cater to the needs of the common people, but are biased in favor of powerful dominating sections, as well as for the promotion of education, protection of the environment, development of "natural capital," and internationalization of civil society networks.

In spite of the growing awareness about human rights and the setting up of various commissions in many countries of Asia, human rights are violated and the worst sufferers are the weaker sections of society, victims of discrimination, women, and children.

Stress was laid on the need for, and importance of, peace education and also for the promotion of education in general. Commissions also suggested the education of religious leaders to impress on their minds the importance of peace and also against promotion of violence, terrorism, and war.

Parents owe a responsibility toward family and society. Proper education and a congenial atmosphere at home goes a long way to educate children to develop into responsible citizens and to promote peace, harmony, and the responsible attitude necessary for peace and progress.

Education for a Culture of Peace

Education for peace is more urgent than ever before. As religious men and women, we pledge ourselves to stressing this and raising to public consciousness the foundations of peace-making within our own religious traditions, through education in temples, churches, mosques, synagogues, and homes. This will require our commitment to planning, training, and funding for peace-education programs. As religious people of action, we must deliberately link our personal lives and daily choices to our wider work as peacemakers.

In our religious institutions, and in schools, colleges, and universities, we will encourage new initiatives for peace education. Our public and community life must include knowledge and discussion of the realities of the arms race, the conflicts that lead to war, the means and strategies for nonviolent resolution of conflict, and the work of the United Nations and its agencies.

Essential to peace education is learning about and coming to understand those of different religions, ideologies, and cultures with whom we share our communities, our nation, and our world. In many cases, the opposite of conflict and violence is knowledge, and so educational efforts must be made that fear may begin to give way to trust. We must strengthen and deepen mutual understanding by sustained dialogue, and by undertaking common work together.

The Mass Media

With the explosion of communication technology, mass media have become a beneficial and powerful instrument of expanding knowledge and information. At the same time, mass media can be a baneful tool of moral degradation. To assure a humane use of mass media, it is the responsibility of religion to imbue them with ethical standards.

In the present-day society, mass media make it possible to bind a large number of people together, to bind group with group, nation with nation, so that it makes common destiny and solidarity of humankind much easier and closer.

In the light of the recommendations made by the Commissions, Women's Meet, Youth Groups, and the important leaders who participated in the Conference, it is suggested that appropriate and suitable measures be taken to control the numerous problems, including conflicts resulting in violence, tensions, terrorism, and war.

The following suggestions are made to tackle the situation:

1. To establish a "Center for Comparative Study of Religions and Cultures of Asia" to promote better understanding among the people of Asia. This will be an independent institution directly under the control and supervision of the ACRP Secretariat;
2. To launch youth exchange programs.
3. To show concern for the issue of human rights, especially people's right to livelihood and development, and facilitate study on the promoting of human rights.
4. To collect information affecting women and children and to deal with the question of their discrimination and oppression in many countries and to protect their interests.
5. To study the problems of victims of discrimination and ethnic minorities in Asian countries.
6. To make the ACRP an instrument of reconciliation and rapprochment to reduce or solve tensions in such crucial matters as the Indo-Pakistan conflict, the spread of terrorism and ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka and Nepal, and the North-South division of Korea.
7. To organize ACRP consultations and dialogues with American religious leaders and representatives of European Conference on Religion and Peace on matters such as the September 11 terrorism, nuclear proliferation, the use of violence on the part of governments, and so on.

In all humility, we call upon the power from Above to render us worthy and more useful to our fellow beings.

May our hopes and prayers for peace be realized, and the unity and commitment shown here be deepened.