Jakarta to host Southeast Asia's first "Harmony in Diversity Award"

Jakarta has been chosen as the first host city for the "Harmony in Diversity Award 2026," a significant new award ceremony for Southeast Asia focused on celebrating diversity. Scheduled for July 14-15, 2026, the event aims to bolster regional community ties through solidarity, trust, and mutual concern.

During a welcoming dinner, DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung stated that the award reflects a collective commitment to enhancing peace, friendship, and unity among Southeast Asian citizens amidst a complex global landscape. He emphasized Jakarta's unwavering dedication to tolerance, showcasing the city's status as a home for diverse populations.

Anung pointed to the provincial government's policies that facilitate various celebrations for all community groups, including Christmas Carol Kolosal, Lunar New Year festivities, Ogoh-ogoh parades, Jakarta Bedug Kolosal, and Vesak Day. "Diversity is Jakarta's primary source of strength," he declared.

The award ceremony will honor inspirational individuals who have contributed to strengthening citizen unity and fostering harmony across diverse cultures, religions, ethnicities, and languages. The inaugural award in 2026 will be presented to Cardinal Orlando Beltran Quevedo for his mediation efforts in Mindanao conflicts, notably through the "Bishops-Ulama Conference," demonstrating how interfaith and inter-community dialogue can pave the way for lasting peace.

The event also served as a gathering for influential figures in Southeast Asia, including former Singaporean President Halimah Yacob, Founder and Chair of 5P Global Movement Arsjad Rasjid, and former Indonesian Foreign Ministers Retno Marsudi and Marty Natalegawa.