Sharing Culture And Religion Concepts, Vice President Supports Indonesian-Japan Student Exchange

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin during a meeting with Kyoto University President Nagahiro Interesto at Kyoto University, Japan, Wednesday (8/3/2023). (ANTARA)

KYOTO - Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Ma'ruf Amin encourages the exchange of students and students between Indonesia and Japan to strengthen cultural and interfaith understanding.

"To strengthen cultural and interfaith understanding, I invite the establishment of a cooperation platform between Japan and Indonesia related to strengthening cross-religious understanding, including student exchanges or students between Indonesia and Japan," said the Vice President in Kyoto, Japan, as reported by ANTARA Wednesday, March 8.

This was conveyed by the Vice President when giving a public lecture before the Civitas Academics of Kyoto University, Japan, Wednesday.

The Vice President hopes that there will be visits by Indonesian students to Japan to see the progress of Japan and the very good culture of religious tolerance in Japan.

On the other hand, according to him, Japanese students come to Indonesia to see firsthand the culture of tolerance for religious life in Indonesia.

In a public lecture entitled Indonesia's Experience in Strengthening Interfaith Dialogue and Moderate Islam as a Contribution to Creating World Peace', the Vice President said that in multiethnic and multifaith society, the need for dialogue is one of the pillars to care for, strengthen national unity and integrity.

"Dialogue is the recognition of the necessity of differences in the sense of diversity in absolute humanitarian life which requires the principle of recognition of the existence and rights of others," he explained.

This dialogue, said the Vice President, is needed not only in a nation but also between nations.

The Vice President explained that cross-religious and cultural dialogues must pay attention to problems that are of the interest of human civilization.

Some of them, he said, promote coexistence between religious adherents, respect religious freedom for each individual, build social ethics, and globally in dealing with potential interfaith conflicts.

"Including, spreading moderate culture in an effort to resolve the phenomenon of extremism and violence in the name of religion, as well as increasing human dignity," he explained.

In addition, the Vice President continued, dialogue must contribute to poverty reduction and lag behind education, environmental damage prevention, and resolution of other problems.