At historic R20 gathering in Bali, religious leaders launch 'Spiritual Ecology Movement'

Ahead of the Group of 20's first-ever Religious Forum Summit (R20) in Indonesia, global religious leaders converged to launch a 'Spiritual Ecology' movement, aimed at fostering balance within nature and society.

The launch was held on Monday jointly by Lesbumi (the Institute of Indonesian Muslim Cultural Artists), an autonomous branch of Nahdlatul Ulama which is considered the world's largest Muslim organization and which has spearheaded the concept of R20.

The launch ceremony began with a ritual purification ceremony and offerings made by Balinese Hindu priests prior to planting of 20 trees considered sacred within Hindu cosmology.

The event was held at the Puja Mandala, a religious complex consisting of five houses of worship built side-by-side, including a Hindu temple, a mosque, Protestant and Catholic churches, and a Buddhist vihara. Swami Bhadreshdas, an ordained Hindu monk of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) also attended the ceremony.

Following the Hindu ceremony, R20 co-chair Shaykh Muhammad bin Abdul Karim al-Issa, Secretary General of the Mecca-based Muslim World League was given an enthusiastic welcome by school children, local Muslim leaders, and traditional musicians who had gathered at the Puja Mandala's mosque.

Accompanied by prominent Muslim leaders, Shaykh al-Issa led the gathering in an Arabic language prayer prior to planting, with his own hands, one of the 20 sacred trees upon the grounds of the mosque and then toured the Puja Mandala complex, and entered Jagatnatha temple to greet Balinese Hindu priests.

The G20 summit (Group of 20 leading economies, this year headed by Indonesia) includes an official main event called R20 (Religion Forum) will be held from November 2-3, this year for the "first time ever" in Bali, Indonesia. The R20 aims to mobilize global leaders to help ensure that religion functions as a genuine and dynamic source of solutions, rather than problems, in the 21st century.

The R20 has been recognized as an official G20 engagement group, and the R20 Summit in Bali is the main event in this year's G20 program. Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, is scheduled to address the opening session of this year's R20 Summit on November 2.

The G20 consists of 19 countries plus the European Union, and India has been a member since its inception in 1999.

India will assume the Presidency of the G20 for one year from December 1 to November 30, 2023.

India is currently part of the G20 Troika (current, previous and incoming G20 Presidencies) comprising Indonesia, Italy and India. During India's imminent Presidency, India, Indonesia and Brazil would form the troika. This would be the first time when the troika would consist of three developing countries and emerging economies.

( With inputs from ANI )

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