The freedom of religion enshrined in Indonesia's state constitution and the state motto \"unity in diversity\" propagate pluralism. The majority of Muslims practice a locally influenced, moderate Islam. However, intolerance has increased among the population. Narrow-minded or uneducated views toward other religious groups are evident in social media, sermons, publications, and public and political discourse. The authorities do not make sufficient efforts to protect the rights of minority groups, including Muslim minorities such as the Ahmadiyah. Radicalism also occurs on the part of minorities, such as Christians. In various regions of Indonesia, incidents related to violence, persecution, and oppression of religious minorities occur regularly. In addition, religion is instrumentalized by anti-democratic forces: Ex-militants from the years of Suharto's autocratic rule ally themselves with Islamist groups in order to assert their own political power interests. Even the Christian-Chinese governor of Jakarta was convicted of alleged blasphemy against Allah and deprived of his power. Wahhabi-oriented educational institutions and mosques oppose tolerance and pluralism. Radical groups sprout from them and sometimes resort to terrorist means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In particular, young people and young leaders within the sphere of influence of our partner organizations are empowered to build nonviolent and equal relationships across ethnic and religious boundaries, to launch their own interfaith initiatives, to prevent violent conflicts, and to mitigate the potential for violence in situations of violence and conflict at various levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n