The Asian Conference on Religion and Peace (ACRP) was held this year for the first time in the Islamic country of Indonesia. Convened in Yogyakarta, where different peoples, cultures, and religions have long coexisted, the ACRP's six assembly answered its purpose of "unity in diversity."

Last October, the decision was made to postpone the sixth assembly originally to be held in November 2001 due to the unpredictable situation caused by the tragic terrorist acts against the United States in September and the subsequent military action in Afghanistan. 

The religionists of the ACRP had expressed their dissenting voices against the terrorism and showed their opposition in their postponement from last year. In this assembly, the majority of the religionists renewed their strong opposition against terrorism, because in the mass media around the world, religions have become related to the terrorism. 

The participating religionists not only condemned terrorism, but also pointed out the issues that were said to be sources of terrorism, such as economic differences, discrimination, and oppression. As religionists who place high values on human dignity, they sought a better way to world peace with respect to the standpoint of the social weakness. 

The action-oriented Asian Conference on Religion and Peace marked a step further toward world peace in the place of the cradle of Javanese culture--Yogyakarta, whose very name means "wish for peaceful prosperity."