Re-Imagine the world !

By : Gede Widia Pratama Adhyaksa

Today, by youtube, I have been watching Obama’s Speech in Cairo at the oldest university in the world; the simbolic beacon of moeslem enlightment since hundred years ago, Al Azhar University. His speech was impressed me very much, particularly in term of mutual values among religions. His speech has also made me re-realized about the same problem which facing most of Indonesian in nowdays.

I definetly agree with him, addressing that “as long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace”, yes I believe it is true, and I do believe that if few of people especially in conflict area like Jerusalem realize and willing to adobt this principle then they would become more tolerance.

However, it is not that easy to say like that, we need more than just talking, according to his statement “I do recognize that change can not happen overnight”, so in order to move forward, we must say openly to each other the things we hold in our hearts. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from to each other; to repect one another, and to seek common ground. Yes, it’s easier to start wars than to end them, it’s easier to blame others that to look inward, it’s easier to see what is the different of someone than to find the things that we can share. But we must choose the right path instead of the easy path. We share as human beings are far more powerfull than the forces that drive us apart. Those are the reason why we must share our progress and our problems must be dealt with through partnership. Because the faith or religion are not part of the problems but they are parts of promoting peace.

Taking the statement from the 14th Dalai Lama; a man who has a strong convictions; on the occasion of the award of nobel peace prize, in Oslo 1989, He said ” All major world religions have the same potential to create good humen beings, it is therfore important for all of the religious traditions to respect one another and to recognize the value of each oher’s respective tradition”. Yes, I know that every person, every country, and every system has each own life of view by means we can nither apply nor justify either a tradition or a religion to another place which has different characters, but beyond those, there is a universal value can be shared. There is a rule that lies at the hurt of every religion which has been often said by my Father ” that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us”. So whatever we think of the past, must not be prisoners to it. We must try to find the core meaning within the meaning. We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written,

The holy Koran tell us : “O, mindkind ! we have created you male and female, and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another “

The Talmud tell us : “The whole of the Torah is the purpose of promoting peace “

The holy Bible tell us : “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called as sons of the God”

The Buddhism tell us : “cherish the oneness of all creations”

As what Mohamed ElBaradei said for his acceptence of Nobel Laureate, ” Some would say it is too idealistic to believe in a society based on tolerance and the sanctity of human life, where borders, nationalities and ideologies are of marginal importance. To those I say, it is not idealism, but rather realism, because history has taught us that war rerely resolves of differences. Forces doesn’t heal old wound, it is open a new one”

As a young man, We, more than anyone, have the ability to re-imagine the world we want !