By: Budi Dewantoro )*
Do you know about the Bali Democracy Forum is often called the BDF? Perhaps many audiences do not really know this forum, but make no mistake, this forum turned out to attend a variety of representatives from 95 countries and six international organizations to discuss democracy in the world. BDF XI in this, President Jokowi incentive to encourage the creation of synergy between democracy, religion, and tolerance throughout the world.
Things that should be shared, President Joko Widodo in the opening BDF theme “Religion, Democracy and Tolerance” is despite the challenges, all religious people in Indonesia holds the full values of peace. In addition to Islam, Indonesia is home to Christians, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist and Kongfucian.
Before Jokowi delivered the opening speech, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi in his speech expressed BDF will become a means of promotion of democracy in the Asia-Pacific region. Through this forum, we can learn about democracy without patronizing, but by sharing the experience.
Retno also stressed that Indonesia becomes a witness of how Islam, democracy, and pluralism can work in harmony. Even so, there are still many things that need to be improved. Bali Democracy Forum becomes an important forum to maintain and improve the harmony.
Speaking about democracy in the world, former Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Kofi Annan praised the pluralistic Indonesian society undergoing national life in harmony.
He was amazed because life in Indonesia could run without conflict means that, even inhabited 1,300 ethnic and uses about 700 languages. Although the majority in Indonesia are Muslims, people of other religions can live peacefully and peacefully in this country.
Kofi Annan said that the spirit of unity in diversity, pluralism confirm national unity can be run either in a country. Kofi Annan warned of a threat to democracy and pluralism. One of the threats that come from extremist groups in some regions of the world.
According to Kofi, extremist act brutally and contrary to the values of humanity. They also assessed frequently abuse religion as a basis to launch acts of violence.
Religions basically teach goodness. However, sometimes a lot of parties who abuse it. Religion should be used as a guide, or a guide to human life.
As said by President Jokowi that Indonesia is the home of all religions, diversity is here and fastened in the frame of national unity, but the thing that we should be aware together is their view of the extremists who want to spoil the harmony of democracy in Indonesia, it is very dangerous and should be our common concern as a citizen of Indonesia.
