The first-ever Religious Group of 20’s Summit was held in Indonesia recently ahead of the upcoming G20 conference scheduled for November 15-16 in Bali, Indonesia. The 300 world religious leaders in attendance were urged to work towards putting an end to wars so that future generations can live in peace.

The G20 Religion Forum (R20), mobilized global leaders to help ensure that religious functions are a genuine and dynamic source of solutions, rather than problems, in the 21st century.

The key objectives of the summit are to prevent the weaponization of identity, curtail the spread of communal hatred, safeguard human beings from violence and suffering precipitated by conflict, encourage honest and realistic conversation within and between religious communities and infuse geopolitical and economic power structures with moral and spiritual values.

The President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, who inaugurated the forum, said he hoped that the summit would produce “concrete steps to ensure that religion functions as a source of solutions to the problems facing religion and humanity”. He called on the leaders to end conflict and create a peaceful world for the future.

The Pope’s message, delivered by the Papal Nuncio to Indonesia Cardinal Piero Pioppo, included a command, “We must affirm that extremism, radicalism, terrorism and all other incentives to hatred, hostility, violence and war, whatever their motivations or goals have nothing to do with the authentic spirit of religion and must be rejected in the most decisive terms possible.”

Shaykh Mohammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League and co-host of the R20, said misunderstandings have led many to believe that religious identity conflicts with national identity. He said, “Islam categorically rejects the conflict and clash of civilizations.”

The Anglican Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Archbishop Henry Ndukuba, in his opening address said, “We in Nigeria need the help of people of goodwill from all religious communities to stop the flow of arms and resources to these extremists. We need the help of religious leaders, who refuse to give religious sanction to their activities.”

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