Indonesia

The March 01 issue of the National Geographic contains a dramatic article on Indonesia, subtitled "The world's fourth most populous nation boils with religious and ethnic strife. The mingling of mosque and state worries moderate Muslims, who are wary of Islamic fundamentalism." This fits into the theme of the opening session of our conference, chaired by Scotty McLennan: "Religion as a Cause of War. Human Rights in the Middle East". The Taliban government of Afghanistan, which has just decreed the destruction of famous statues of Buddha, is the worst offender. Examining dispassionately the origins, not the practices, of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, clearly the first is pacifist, the other two have a built-in military component. The problem is that it is almost impossible to get people to discuss these issues dispassionately. Moreover, it is the practice which counts, not the origins or the doctrine.

The Indonesian people are aware of globalization. One said "I´m a victim of foreign corporate reorganization". Indonesia is an excellent test case for the world reaction to globalization, which will be the subject of a session chaired by Don Emmerson, an expert on that country. Or will it become "those countries"?

Ronald Hilton - 3/1/01