VP: “Bridges” opens room for East-West dialogue

Jakarta-wapresri.go.id. “Bridges” program organized by the International Peace Foundation (IPF), according to Vice President Jusuf Kalla, will open new horizons for university students and teachers, particularly in science and technology, moreover, the series of events in the program will bring together Nobel laureates in the areas of peace, physics, chemistry, and health.

“We need sort of dialogue between the East and the West to seek a strategy of how to face the world to come,” said the Vice President in the Launch for the 6th ASEAN Event Series of “Bridges – Dialogue towards a Culture of Peace” held at the Lobby Lounge of Bimasena Club, Dharmawangsa in Jakarta on Wednesday (Oct. 12/10).

The Vice President hoped the Bridges’ series of dialogues can be well organized and achieve the expected goals, particularly in support of peace, science, and technology.

Earlier, in his speech, IPF founding chairman Uwe Morawetz explained, series of events in the 6^th ASEAN “Bridges – Dialogue Towards a Culture of Peace” in Indonesia will be held in January-March 2017.

“With the theme “Building a Culture of Peace and Development in the World Global”, Bridges will bridge the perspective of Indonesia and countries abroad in a variety of issues including politics, economy, science, culture and the media,” said Mr. Morawetz, adding that Bridges will specifically highlight the various challenges related to globalization and regionalism, and their impact on development and international cooperation.

Bridges works together with several public and private universities in several cities in Indonesia, such as Airlangga University, Bandung Institute of Technology, University of Padjadjaran, Binus School of Simprug, and Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, to facilitate and strengthen dialogue and communication among peoples of Southeast Asia with a variety of diverse cultures and religions.

The final target of this series of events is to build long-term relationships between universities in Southeast Asia in a joint research program and collaboration of science, technology, and education, which is expected to be the basis for development, peace, freedom, and security in the region.

In the Q & A session after the launch ceremony, a Reuters reporter asked the Vice President of the greatest economic challenges being faced by the Indonesian government and the current policy of tax amnesty extension.

In response, the Vice President reminded that today is not only Indonesia that is facing a sluggish economy. Even large countries such as China, USA, and other countries in Europe, he added, also experience the same thing.

“But remember, in the midst of the global world as it is today, there is not a problem in a country that does not have an impact on other countries. Due to the global economic downturn, the price of the commodity has been down. What we must do now is to increase productivity and also reduce the problems in the country, such as legal issues, corruption, and problems in bureaucracy,” said the Vice President.

Related to tax amnesty that is carried out until March 2017, the Vice President hoped that more taxpayer will be involved in this government program.

Another questioner asked the Vice President about the concept of peace that he will offer in the future.

According to the Vice President, peace is the end of a conflict, and it may differ depending on what the conflict is and where it takes place.

“I believe, we can resolve any conflict through dialogue, not war,” he asserted.

“Bridges” is a series of events initiated by IPF which is based in Vienna, Austria. Its program in Indonesia is organized in collaboration with several leading universities in Indonesia.

“Bridges” has previously been held in Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore.

Several Nobel laureates have confirmed their presence at Bridges in Indonesia, including Prof. Eric Maskin, an American economist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics, Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the 11th European Union who was awarded the Nobel in peace, Prof. Jerome Isaac Friedman, a Nobel laureate in Physics, and Dr. Peter Agre, a Nobel laureate in biology.

http://www.wapresri.go.id/bridges-bangun-dialog-perdamaian-timur-barat/