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How Indonesia can pave the way for peace in Ukraine
Ending the war in Ukraine will not only provide space and time for the world to resolve other socioeconomic problems, but also to prevent bigger crises from occurring.
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The price of war: A man walks past the ruins of a building destroyed in the course of the Russia-Ukraine war in Mariupol, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on Nov. 9, 2022. The war has lasted over eight months now, with no end in sight.
(Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko)
Hamburg was sunny yet cool on the morning of Nov. 4. It was 8 degrees Celsius and winds gusted through the German port city, sending chilly air through even the thickest of jackets. Yet the weather did not stop Indonesia’s sixth president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) from continuing his journey to Bremen.
SBY felt optimistic. He had just communicated with Jakarta and received a clear message. His recommendation on Nov. 2 to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to accept Danilo Turk, president of Club de Madrid and former president of Slovenia, was approved.
SBY's recommendation was a follow-up to the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 meeting of 40 former heads of state and government who are also members of the Club de Madrid in Berlin. Club de Madrid is the world’s largest association for former heads of state and government in democratic countries.
They gathered in Berlin to find solutions to today's global problems. SBY himself initiated the forum, together with The Yudhoyono Institute, in collaboration with the Club de Madrid, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Liz Mhon Center.
The discussion, titled the Berlin Policy Dialogue 2022, was warm and constructive, and the group agreed on five agendas.
First, the need to end the war in Ukraine, which has heated up the geopolitical situation, widely threatened international security and worsened the looming global economic shock.
Second, the need for reformation in the United Nations. Primarily, how to prevent excessive use of veto rights, which may hinder opportunities to solve global issues.
