..Indonesia\u2019s greatest challenge lies in adopting this spirit a part\nof everyday culture.Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA) -<\/p>\n
The waves of heat rising from the asphalt of Jalan Ahmad Yani in\nSurabaya did little to slow the steady steps of the monks in their brown\nrobes.<\/p>\n
Moving at an unhurried pace, heads gently bowed and simple bags in\nhand, they navigated their way with a calmness that contrasted sharply\nwith the pace of the modern city.<\/p>\n
On the sidewalk, residents stopped for them. Drivers slowed, small\nvendors waved, children took photos with their phones, and people of\nvarious faiths offered drinks.<\/p>\n
In a world increasingly troubled by social polarization, identity\nconflicts, and political tensions, the monks\u2019 journey on the 2026\nIndonesia Walk for Peace (IWFP) felt like a timely reminder.<\/p>\n
The IWFP was more than a spiritual journey to Borobudur Temple to\ncelebrate Vesak. It also stood as a reflection of Indonesia as a diverse\nnation, united in its shared path forward.<\/p>\n
A total of 57 monks from Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, and Indonesia\nwalked more than 600 kilometers from Bali to Borobudur. They traveled\nthrough cities across East Java, stopping at monasteries, Chinese\ntemples, and even mosques, carrying messages of peace and\ncompassion.<\/p>\n
In Banyuwangi, they were welcomed by an interfaith community at the\nTik Liong Tian Rogojampi temple. In Surabaya, the group stopped at the\nAl Akbar National Mosque before continuing their journey to the temple.\nIn Bali, local governments and village communities accompanied them on\ntheir journey.<\/p>\n
The warm welcome came not only from Buddhists, but also from Muslims,\nChristians, Hindus, and the wider public also supported their journey.\nIn a digital space often filled with clashes over identity, such scenes\nfelt increasingly rare and reassuring.<\/p>\n
Related news: Vesak celebration in Singkawang promotes tolerance,\nnationalism<\/p>\n
Steps for tolerance<\/p>\n
Indonesia has often been praised as a diverse nation capable of\nmaintaining harmony. However, in recent years, challenges to tolerance\nhave become more evident.<\/p>\n
Social media makes differences more easily subject to debate and\ndispute. Identity politics emerges at almost every political moment.\nEven public spaces are often filled with suspicion towards different\ngroups.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the Indonesia Walk for Peace is compelling not only\nbecause of its spiritual journey, but it also brings tolerance in a\nconcrete and visible form.<\/p>\n
Tolerance has too often become a slogan, appearing in speeches,\nseminars, or banners commemorating national holidays. But on the road,\nthe monks demonstrated that true tolerance lives on through direct human\nencounters.<\/p>\n
When the group stopped at the Al Akbar Mosque in Surabaya, the\nmessage conveyed was not merely symbolic. It symbolized a deeper\nmeaning: places of worship are no longer viewed as exclusive spaces\nbelonging to one group, but rather as points of human encounter.<\/p>\n
There, religious identities are not erased, but instead embraced in\nreverence.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, in fact, has a long-standing tradition of this practice.\nIn many regions, people are accustomed to living side by side without\noverly stressing differences in belief.<\/p>\n
Villages in Java, Bali, Maluku, and even Sulawesi have historical\nexperiences of interfaith mutual cooperation. However, urban\nmodernization and the rapid flow of digital politics are slowly eroding\nthese spaces for encounter.<\/p>\n
People now meet more often through screens than on the streets. As a\nresult, empathy is easily diminished as social relationships become\nalgorithmic. Differences are no longer understood as a normal social\nreality, but rather as a threat to be confronted.<\/p>\n
At this point, the monks\u2019 journeys have great symbolic power. They\nwalk slowly among the community, opening up space for direct\ninteraction, and reminding us that peace is not born from lengthy\nlectures, but from a willingness to be present together.<\/p>\n
The Indonesia Walk for Peace demonstrates that peace diplomacy is\nmore powerful in simplicity, conducted on foot through villages,\ngreeting ordinary people, and building emotional connections between\nnations in simple ways.<\/p>\n
Related news: VP Gibran urges unity, tolerance amid global\ntensions<\/p>\n
Silent walk<\/p>\n
The IWFP resonates with present-day Indonesia as it offers a space of\nsilence within an increasingly noisy cultural landscape. Meanwhile,\nmodern life continues to accelerate, with people racing for\nproductivity, popularity, and attention.<\/p>\n
In such a situation, the monks\u2019 journey feels like a silent critique\nof the modern world. They walk dozens of kilometers each day without\nluxury, large processions, and the demands of popularity.<\/p>\n
Even when the four monks become exhausted on their way to Surabaya,\nthe group continues their journey at a simple pace. In this context,\nspirituality becomes most concretely expressed in resilience, patience,\nand discipline.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is actually facing a deeper social problem than mere\nintolerance. Society is increasingly divided due to the lack of space\nfor reflection. Public conversation is overly filled with anger, while\nthe space for listening is slowly disappearing.<\/p>\n
The IWFP offers a different approach. It does not come with\npropaganda or a large-scale campaign. It delivers peace from the simple\nact of walking.<\/p>\n
In many Asian traditions, spiritual journeys are closely linked to a\ncontemplative meaning. Traveling means realizing that life does not\nalways have to be rushed.<\/p>\n
Values such as patience and self-control are even more important in\nthe modern era.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the public\u2019s enthusiasm for the IWFP is not merely a\ntribute to Buddhist rituals. It is a broader social longing: a longing\nfor peace, for warmer human relationships, and for a public life free\nfrom strife.<\/p>\n
Indonesia may still encounter issues of intolerance. However, the\npublic\u2019s response to monks demonstrates that the nation\u2019s social\nfoundations remain strong.<\/p>\n
At the grassroots level, people are often more prepared to live in\nharmony than elite debates in digital spaces.<\/p>\n
R<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-walk-for-peace-promotes-religious-tolerance-and-national-unity-1780906840", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }