RFHD Initiative hosts dinner and opening panel discussion with ASEAN leaders revolve around hopes for peace for all
Hope triumphed, goodwill pervaded and resolve spread across the halls of BYU–Hawaii as models of faith and leadership joined together as one in the Aloha Center Ballroom to celebrate the beginning of “Human Dignity & ASEAN: Pursuing Peaceful and Inclusive Societies in Southeast Asia,” the third annual conference of the Religious Freedom & Human Dignity Initiative.
Dignitaries, delegates and religious leaders across Southeast Asia dined together with members of the initiative, representing the countries of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar and Brunei to pursue a single, unified goal: Discussing the vital role of religious freedom in strengthening societies and promoting human dignity.
To start off the week-long event, RFHD invited Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines executive secretary, the Rev. Fr. Jerome Secillano; World Evangelical Alliance global ambassador and former secretary-general from the Philippines Bishop Efraim Tendero; and Religions for Peace deputy secretary general from the United States Deepika Singh to be speakers for the opening panel discussion on the topic of “Religious Perspectives on Peaceful and Inclusive Societies in Southeast Asia.”
Elder Michael B. Strong, General Authority Seventy and counselor in the Philippines Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, welcomed the honored guests and shared his gratitude for their presence for the special gathering of people from the Asia-Pacific region.
“As leaders of our countries and communities, we must strive to build pluralistic societies where peace, unity and harmony thrives,” he shared.
“We see around the world that protecting religious freedom and human dignity correlates highly with increased social stability,” Strong shared. He said the key to stability is not uniformity in religious beliefs, but a shared commitment that all will be secured in their human dignity and be able to follow their foundational beliefs.
Closing with a quote by Ramon Magsaysay, the seventh president of the Philippines, Strong said, “Ours is a great friendship based on mutual respect and being on such a firm basis, it is an enduring one. I wish to reiterate my people’s faith in the righteousness and invincibility of the cause of freedom and human dignity to which we are dedicated.”
A sacred responsibility
Bishop Efraim Tendero said Southeast Asia is a vibrant mosaic of culture and faith, but its rich diversity can often lead to misunderstanding, distrust and sometimes violence. “The future of peaceful and inclusive societies in Southeast Asia depends greatly on how religious communities engage with one another, whether we build bridges of understanding or walls of division,” he shared.
Tendero retold his experience contributing to peace delegations during a religion-rooted rebellion in the Philippines, which was eventually resolved through peaceful agreements. He said evangelicals must be agents of healing, stepping into broken spaces to serve with love and humility. “Justice can be pursued without violence. When faith communities are rooted in love, they can help heal nations,” he shared.
“I believe that religious freedom is not merely a legal principle. It is a sacred responsibility that enables peace to flourish,” Tendero said. He invited everyone to not just admire peace but to invite it, and to not just talk about religious freedom but to protect it.
Proclaiming what we believe
As the first speaker, Rev. Fr. Jerome Secillano said he hoped he will set the tone for an honest, thorough and open-minded discussion on the theme. “The theme appears to be easy, but it is not. We are supposed to be harbingers of peace, but in reality we are sometimes accused of the opposite,” he said.
Secillano acknowledged the concerning rise of criticism of the Catholic Church and of religion as a whole. “We are called bigots, selfish, self-centered, intolerant, archaic, outdated, irrational, stupid and many other uncharitable names simply because there are issues where our stands are simply different from our accusers,” he voiced.
Secilliano raised the issue on the supposed public belief that the Catholic Church in the Philippines is hindering the progress of the nation by meddling with social affairs and should “just stick to proclaiming the Gospel.” “That is exactly what the Church is doing: Proclaiming the Gospel, the word of God, the word of Truth. Our proclamation doesn’t lean on what the public expects, nor is it contingent on political correctness or social constructs. We proclaim what we believe,” he said.
We are called... uncharitable names simply because there are issues where our stands are simply different from our accusers.
Solutions to conflicts
Deepika Singh addressed the ever-growing conflicts across the globe, naming Gaza, Ukraine and the danger of nuclear weapons, as examples, and said ending them requires deeper moral, ethical and spiritual transformations, and not just through political or economic means. “Shared human flourishing is only possible when peace, dignity and inclusion are realized for everyone and everywhere,” she said.
Singh said religions have played a critical role in building peaceful and inclusive societies, sharing cases where religious communities have advanced peace amidst turmoil. “For religion to have an impact on peace, we must have interest and interfaith dialogue, and these dialogues must be translated into action,” she shared.
Singh said we must embody the values we wish to see. “Real transformation requires investing in the leadership of those at the margin, especially women and youth,” she shared. Young people have demonstrated that they are not merely the future but also the present, and their leadership in peacebuilding, climate action, human rights and interfaith dialogue must be recognized and supported, she voiced.
Shared human flourishing is only possible when peace, dignity and inclusion are realized for everyone and everywhere.