Austrian Embassy and Leimena Institute Promote Efforts to Build Social Cohesion

Austrian Ambassador to Indonesia, Dr. Thomas Loidl (standing), delivers remarks when opening the Roundtable Discussion on Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy at the Austrian Embassy, ​​Jakarta, May 14th, 2025.

Jakarta, IL News – The Austrian Embassy in Jakarta and the Leimena Institute co-hosted a Roundtable Discussion on Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy: Building Social Capital Through Interreligious Dialogues, Wednesday, May 14th, 2025. This event featured a variety of Indonesian experts, who discussed efforts and best practices to build social cohesion amidst the challenges of a polarized and divided world.

The discussion aimed to provide an opportunity to exchange experiences and to provide meaningful perspectives from Indonesia, which is succesfully implementing the Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy (CCRL) program since 2021. Participants who attended consisted of 17 diplomatic representatives of European Union and other countries in Jakarta.

“In our increasingly divided and polarized world, interreligious and intercultural dialogue is needed more than ever to inform our national policies and international cooperation. This forum contributes to this important effort,” said the Austrian Ambassador to Indonesia, Dr. Thomas Loidl, in his welcoming remarks to open the event.

Professor of Philosophy from the Driyarkara School of Philosophy (STF), Father Dr. Franz Magnis-Suseno, Director of Public Diplomacy of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ani Nigeriawati, Executive Director of the Leimena Institute, Matius Ho, and Austrian Ambassador to Indonesia, Dr. Thomas Loidl.

Religious figures who participated were Professor of Philosophy from the Driyarkara School of Philosophy (STF), Father Dr. Franz Magnis-Suseno, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Former President’s Special Envoy to the Middle East and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Alwi Shihab, and Member of the Steering Council of Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP), Prof. Dr. Amin Abdullah. Further panelists  were the Director of Public Diplomacy of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ani Nigeriawati, Coordinating Special Staff of the Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs, Farid F. Saenong, and Executive Director of the Leimena Institute, Matius Ho.

Although Austria and Indonesia have different characteristics, the two countries share the same values ​​in respecting religious and cultural differences. The Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs established a task force for interreligious and intercultural dialogue in 2007, and Indonesia has been the first partner country with which it conducted an interreligious and intercultural dialogue in 2010. Most recently, the 8th dialogue-round between Austria and Indonesia was held in Jakarta and Bandung in July 2024.

Participants and speakers at the Roundtable Discussion on Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy: Building Social Capital Through Interreligious Dialogues.

In line with that, Indonesia’s success in implementing the CCRL program is a real example for the world regarding efforts to build social capital, namely mutual trust between adherents of different religions. The CCRL program has so far been attended by more than 10,000 teachers from 38 provinces in Indonesia. The success of the CCRL program cannot be separated from the cooperation of the Leimena Institute with more than 30 partners consisting of educational institutions, religious organizations, and the government including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.

The discussion, moderated by the Deputy Head of Mission of the Austrian Embassy in Jakarta, Michael Wislocki, for about 2.5 hours, was very productive and received a positive response from the participants. As an archipelagic country with very complex religious, ethnic, and cultural differences, Indonesia’s experience in managing diversity is a valuable example for many countries. [IL/Chr]