2026_07_13_CDI Resolution on Artificial Intelligence
World’s largest center-right political network urges cooperation with R20 AI initiative
“CDI [a]ffirms that Artificial Intelligence should be imbued with universal ethics and humanitarian values, so that AI may liberate and empower humanity, rather than tyrannize or destroy it”
~ Centrist Democrat International
(Steven Lek, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
BRUSSELS, Belgium — On 13 July 2026, the General Assembly of the world’s largest center-right political network, Centrist Democrat International (CDI), unanimously approved a Resolution on imbuing AI with universal ethics and humanitarian values submitted by Indonesia’s National Awakening Party (PKB). Held at the European Parliament in Brussels (photographs, above and below), CDI’s European affiliate, EPP (the European People’s Party) hosted the Assembly. The largest political group in Europe, EPP member parties govern 16 EU Member States.
Roberta Metsola of Malta, President of the European Parliament, and EPP President Manfred Weber of Germany both addressed the CDI General Assembly in Brussels. Continue reading full communiqué…
2026_06_27_Abdurrahman Wahid and His Legacy in the Arab World
Egyptian government publicly endorses Nahdlatul Ulama and the legacy of KH. Abdurrahman Wahid
“We consider Nahdlatul Ulama to be an extension of al-Azhar al-Sharif, based on the commendations given by al-Azhar scholars to the works of its founder, the great scholar Hasyim Asy’ari… Abdurrahman Wahid’s grandfather”
~ Shaykh Dr. Osama al-Saeed al-Azhari
Minister of Religious Endowments,
Arab Republic of Egypt
ISMAILIA, Egypt — On 27 June 2026, Egypt’s Minister of Religious Endowments, Shaykh Osama al-Saeed al-Azhari, headed the Examination and Discussion Committee at a widely publicized Master’s thesis defense examining the life, thought, legacy, and global significance of long-time Nahdlatul Ulama Chairman (1984 – 99) and former Indonesian President KH. Abdurrahman Wahid (“Gus Dur”), whose enduring legacy includes the Humanitarian Islam movement.
The unusual decision to have a sitting minister and presidential advisor host the Examination Committee for a thesis defense at Suez Canal University highlights the significance of Nahdlatul Ulama and its Humanitarian Islam initiative to the administration of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. In 2024, al-Azhar University hosted a major conference that celebrated its Indonesian alumnus, KH. Abdurrahman Wahid. The conference highlighted Wahid’s role in pioneering a theological framework and successful model of Islam that supports a patriotic, modern, inclusive, multireligious, and multi-ethnic nationalism. Continue reading full communiqué…
2026_06_26_University of Notre Dame — Rome
Religious Humanism Conference in Rome explores points of convergence between Christian Democracy and Humanitarian Islam
“At a time when some in the West have come to subscribe to a new cultural relativism that denies the possibility of shared humanitarian values, Nahdlatul Ulama has called for Muslims to join with Christian Democrats and others to recognize and affirm shared values across cultures and faith traditions”
~ Keynote address by Professor Robert W. Hefner,
Boston University
President of the American Institute
for Indonesian Studies
(Stefan Bauer, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons)
ROME, Italy — From 25 – 26 June 2026 prominent scholars from North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia convened at the University of Notre Dame Center — located on Via Ostilia in the shadow of the Colosseum — for a conference discussing the origins, development, and enduring legacy of various forms of religious humanism, including the contributions of the global Humanitarian Islam movement.
Titled “Religious Humanisms, Inclusive Citizenship, and Democracy,” the international symposium was hosted and co-sponsored by the University of Notre Dame Rome and its Rome Summer Seminars on Religion and Global Politics program, along with the G20 Religion Forum (R20), the Jakarta-based Institute for Humanitarian Islam (IFHI), and a number of institutions historically associated with Christian Democracy in Europe. These include the Luigi Sturzo Institute, named after the founder of Italy’s Christian Democracy movement; the Hanns Seidel Foundation, which is affiliated with Bavaria’s dominant political party, the Christian Social Union (CSU); LUMSA, a Catholic university whose founder, Luigia Tincani, was an influential religious sister who played a decisive role in Christian Democracy’s rebuilding of Italy and its educational system following decades of fascism and war; and John Cabot University. Continue reading full communiqué…
2026_04_28_Anne Frank Center for Latin America and the R20
Anne Frank Center for Latin America and the G20 Religion Forum (R20) help forge a multi-religious path towards Middle East peace
Un camino multirreligioso hacia la paz en Medio Oriente
“Si verdaderamente queremos resolver este conflicto [israelí-palestino], es contraproducente dar conferencias a la otra parte sobre por qué nosotros tenemos razón y ellos están equivocados. Es imposible reconciliar nuestras narrativas históricas en competencia. En cambio, debemos crear narrativas nuevas y convincentes que reconozcan la dignidad humana intrínseca y los derechos de ambos pueblos.”
~ Maoz Inon, coautor de El futuro es la paz: un viaje compartido a través de Tierra Santa
Oración de las madres por la vida y la paz
Dios de la Vida,
Tú que sanas a los de corazón quebrantado
y vendas sus heridas,
escucha, por favor, la oración de las madres.
Porque Tú no nos creaste para matarnos unos a otros,
ni para vivir en un estado de miedo, enojo u odio en Tu mundo,
sino más bien para recordar Tu Nombre
y permitirnos unos a otros, generosamente, santificar
Tu Nombre de Vida,
Tu Nombre de Paz,
en este mundo.
~ Rabina Tamar Elad-Appelbaum y Shaykha Ibtisam Mahameed
Olivar a las afueras de la antigua ciudad de Belén-
(Mujaddara, CC BY-SA 3.0, vía Wikimedia Commons)
BEIT JALA, BELÉN, JERUSALÉN, NAZARET y TEL AVIV, Israel y Palestina — Del 2 al 9 de enero de 2026, una pequeña pero influyente delegación de líderes neerlandeses y argentinos afiliados a la reconocida Casa de Ana Frank visitó la Tierra Santa. Su propósito fue interactuar con autoridades religiosas israelíes y palestinas, educadores, activistas y otras figuras de la sociedad civil que están esforzándose por crear un marco viable para asegurar la coexistencia pacífica y la seguridad a largo plazo para ambos pueblos.
La delegación estuvo compuesta por tres individuos: Ronald Leopold, Director Ejecutivo de la Casa de Ana Frank en Ámsterdam, Países Bajos; Héctor Shalom, Director del Centro Ana Frank para América Latina en Buenos Aires, Argentina, que es el representante/socio de la Casa de Ana Frank para la región; y la Rabina Silvina Chemen del Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano Masortí (Conservador). La Rabina Chemen forma parte del Board del Foro de las Religiones del G20 (R20) y trabaja estrechamente con la organización Nahdlatul Ulama de Indonesia, que cuenta con 100 millones de miembros, en el desarrollo y la ejecución de The Road Not Yet Taken Initiative: A Multi-Religious Path Towards Middle East Peace. Continue reading full communiqué…
2026_04_21_NU/WEA Joint Communiqué
Faith Leaders Forge a Multi-Religious Path Towards Middle East Peace
NAZARETH, Israel and JAKARTA, Indonesia — On April 16, 2026, hours before a temporary ceasefire was declared in Lebanon, leaders of the world’s largest Muslim organization and the largest international network of evangelical Christians met to discuss conflicts roiling the Middle East and their global impact. Continue reading full communiqué…
2026_04_09_Anne Frank House/R20 Delegation to the Holy Land
A Multi-Religious Path Towards Middle East Peace
“If we truly wish to resolve this [Israeli-Palestinian] conflict, it is unproductive for us to lecture the other side about why we are right and they are wrong. It is impossible to reconcile our competing historical narratives. Instead, we must create new and compelling narratives that acknowledge the innate human dignity, and rights, of both peoples.”
~ Maoz Inon, co-author of The Future is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land
Prayer of Mothers for Life and Peace
God of Life
Who heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds,
Please hear the prayer of mothers,
For You did not create us to kill one another,
Nor to live in a state of fear, anger, or hatred in Your world,
But rather, to remember Your Name and magnanimously permit each other to sanctify
Your Name of Life, Your Name of Peace,
In this world.
~ Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum and Shaykha Ibtisam Mahameed
Olive grove outside the old city of Bethlehem
(Mujaddara, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
BEIT JALA, BETHLEHEM, JERUSALEM, NAZARETH, and TEL AVIV, Israel and Palestine — From 2 – 9 January 2026, a small but influential delegation of Dutch and Argentinian leaders affiliated with the renowned Anne Frank House visited the Holy Land. Their purpose was to engage with Israeli and Palestinian religious authorities, educators, activists, and other civil society figures who are striving to create a viable framework to ensure peaceful coexistence and long-term security for both peoples.
The delegation consisted of three individuals: Ronald Leopold, Executive Director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Héctor Shalom, Director of the Anne Frank Center for Latin America in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which is the representative/partner of Anne Frank House for the region; and Rabbi Silvina Chemen of the Masorti (Conservative) Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano. Rabbi Chemen serves on the Board of the G20 Religion Forum (R20) and works closely with Indonesia’s 100-million-member Nahdlatul Ulama organization in developing and executing The Road Not Yet Taken Initiative: A Multi-Religious Path Towards Middle East Peace. Continue reading full communiqué…
2026_03_05_Congressional Hearing on the G20, Religion, and Human Rights
Co-Chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission voice bipartisan support for the G20 Religion Forum (R20)
“I urge the Trump administration to consider formally recognizing the R20 as a permanent G20 Engagement Group. The R20 would strengthen the cause of human dignity, amplify voices committed to peace, pluralism, and freedom, help counter religious extremism, and defend persecuted minorities. For these reasons, it deserves serious consideration and support.”
~ Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ)
Co-Chair of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Lantos Commission
“We need to do everything we can to promote religious freedom through the R20 and other methods.”
~ Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA)
Co-Chair, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On 5 March 2026, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission convened distinguished experts on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), international peace and security, Islam, Nahdlatul Ulama, and Indonesia to “explore how the Trump administration can highlight and drive human rights issues in connection with [America’s] G20 Presidency.” The Lantos Commission — named after the only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in the U.S. Congress — is a bipartisan congressional body dedicated to promoting and defending human rights globally.
As stated in the Commission’s Hearing Notice — U.S. Presidency of the G20 – An Opportunity to Champion Human Rights — the hearing’s major focus was “religious freedom, particularly the experience of Indonesia’s 2022 G20 Presidency, which incorporated an R20 International Summit of Religious Leaders as an official Main Event of Indonesia’s G20.”
The G20/R20 hearing was convened in the prestigious Armed Services Committee Hearing Room, located in Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. Significantly, from the perspective of many Christians and Muslims, the hearing also happened to fall during the holy seasons of Lent and Ramadan, which are roughly coterminous this year. Continue reading full communiqué…
2026_01_06_Religion News Service
Powerful interfaith coalition urges President Trump to put religion back on the G20 agenda
“The existing mechanism of the R20 offers an effective vehicle through which the U.S. and other G20 Members may cooperate with the world’s major religions to foster global peace, security, and prosperity.”
~ Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, in a letter to President Donald J. Trump
WASHINGTON, D.C., 6 January 2026 — As reported by Religion News Service, a coalition of 84 prominent U.S. religious leaders, scholars, and security experts “led by New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan; Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center; former Vatican ambassador Mary Ann Glendon; and First Liberty Institute President Kelly Shackelford, sent President Donald Trump a letter urging him to… ‘officially recognize the Religion 20 Summit (R20) as part of America’s presidency of the G20 in 2026.’”
The R20 Coalition Letter was sent to President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio by His Eminence Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, as one of his last acts before the announcement of his retirement from the post. Continue reading full communiqué…
2026_01_01_The Muslim 500 — 2026
Yahya Cholil Staquf is ranked among the world’s most influential Muslim leaders for the fourth consecutive year
“His leadership positions NU as a counterweight to extremism, offering a vision of Islam rooted in tradition, inclusivity, and peace… a model of moderate religious authority for the Muslim world.”
~ The Muslim 500
AMMAN, Jordan, 1 January 2026 — For the fourth year running, the world’s premier index of Muslim power and influence, The Muslim 500, has ranked Nahdlatul Ulama Chairman KH. Yahya Cholil Staquf among the 20 most influential Muslims on earth.
At number 19, Mr. Staquf is ranked four places behind Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (ranked number 15), and five behind Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, who is ranked number 14. Notably, he is judged to be more influential than Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who governs the Arab world’s most populous state (ranked number 22).
KH. A. Mustofa Bisri, former head of the Nahdlatul Ulama Supreme Council and Chairman of the Center for Shared Civilizational Values, was selected in the report to represent Indonesia under the “scholarly” category, with the The Muslim 500 stating that “These scholars, thinkers, and educators are well-respected leaders who have made significant contributions to the study and cultivation of Islamic knowledge and Muslim culture.” This is the sixteenth consecutive year that Kyai Bisri has been named as one of the world’s most influential Muslims. Continue reading full communiqué…
Irhamovic, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons