DIY Deputy Governor: IWFP Strengthens Religious Moderation
Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - The Deputy Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, KGPAA Paku Alam X, stated that the Indonesian Walk for Peace (IWFP), a spiritual walking tradition undertaken by monks to spread messages of peace, serves as an effort to strengthen religious moderation in daily life.
“IWFP aligns with the aspirations of the Yogyakarta Special Region Government in building religious moderation, namely mutual respect and honour among one another,” said Paku Alam X when receiving an audience from the IWFP 2026 Committee at Gedong Pareanom, Kepatihan Complex, Yogyakarta, on Monday.
According to him, IWFP is a tradition that deserves appreciation and deep reflection, with the hope that it can become a space for nurturing religious moderation values within society, while also strengthening peaceful interfaith life in DIY.
“From the beginning, these values have been an integral part of the life of the people of DIY. I welcome the implementation of IWFP positively and hope that the spirit of moderation continues to be championed,” he said.
He noted that DIY is one of the routes traversed by the monks as a stopping point, reflecting DIY as a region that upholds tolerance values and is capable of accommodating societal diversity with various beliefs and unique characteristics.
The Deputy Governor stated that although DIY has long been a home to religious diversity, there are still distractions and provocations from irresponsible parties that have the potential to divide and hinder the realisation of interfaith harmony.
“The presence of the monks in DIY is expected to further foster public awareness of the importance of religious moderation and strengthen commitment to maintaining harmony as fellow citizens,” he said.
He added that this long-standing tradition has an extraordinary impact, both in terms of religion and social life of the community, as well as tourism. He hopes that DIY can continue to be one of the stopping points for the monks in their journey.
“We hope this is not just once in DIY; who knows, it could be multiple times, thus becoming a tradition that sufficiently introduces DIY both locally and internationally,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Yogyakarta Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ahmad Bajiej, said that his office will join in welcoming and accompanying the arrival of 51 monks while they are in DIY, up to the release of the group in the Muntilan area, Magelang, Central Java.
“We are accompanying the committee, as well as providing recommendations that we are ready to support various events taking place here, whether with the Governor, Deputy Governor, or in accompanying the group of 51 monks,” he said.
He hopes that the Walk for Peace tradition, which crosses four countries and involves DIY in 2026, can achieve its main goal of bringing messages of peace, especially for the people of DIY.