Indonesian Interfaith – Intermedia dialogue
Panel on press freedom and media responsibility. From left: Agus Sudibyo, The Indonesian Press Council; Jati Savitri, MedCom.id; Gunnar Kagge, Aftenposten; Elisabeth Eide, JMIC; Shoaib Sultan, Norwegian Centre Against Racism. Rudi Sukandar, the Habibie Center, also participated. (Photos courtesy of the Embassy of Indonesia)
Together with The Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, the Embassy of Indonesia in Norway organised a two day seminar.
The seminar adressed the following issues:
(1) Managing pluralism: current trends and challenges; (2)Preventing intolerance and violent extremism: The role of governments; and (3) Press freedom and media responsibility; cyber extremism, radicalism and hate speech through media.
A prominent delegation of speakers from Indonesia presented their views, among them Professor Syafiq A. Mugnhi, special envoy to the President for Dialogue and Interreligious Cooperation and Civilization.
The conference was opened by Ambassador Professor Todung Mulya Lubis and Jostein Leiro, Ambassador for freedom of religion or belief from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Other Norwegian participants were Bishop Emeritus Gunnar Stålsett, Senaid Kobilica from the Muslim Dialogue Network and Bente Sandvik from the Norwegian Humanist Association.
Representatives from three ministries presented action plans on relevant issues, and representatives from media/NGOs discussed radicalism and hate speech and the role of the media.
The discussion recognized both shared values and different contexts, and marks another stage of a long-lasting dialogue between Indonesia and Norway.