Beyond Prejudice: Understanding Differences, Learning Together,
Creating Harmony

He has led the development of the Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy program, which aims to strengthen social cohesion in a diverse society. He has been invited to speak on religious literacy and social cohesion at various international forums across 20 countries. He authored the chapter on Indonesia in The Routledge Handbook of Religious Literacy, Pluralism, and Global Engagement (2021). Previously, he worked as a technology and management consultant at Accenture in Indonesia and Singapore. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (USA). The Henry Martyn Institute: International Centre for Research, Interfaith Relations and Reconciliation (HMI) in Hyderabad, India—established in 1930—awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity for his contributions towards building a peaceful and harmonious society.

Dr. Sarlota Singerin is originally from the Maluku Province, Indonesia. She studied Physics Education at Pattimura University before earning a Master's degree in Educational Management from Satya Wacana Christian University and a Doctorate in Educational Management from Semarang State University. Specializing in educational administration and teacher development, she has been actively engaged in teaching and research at Pattimura University, while also contributing to school leadership training, educational reform, and human resource development. She has served in various professional capacities, including as an assessor for the National Accreditation Board for Higher Education (BAN-PT) and as a member of the Education Commission of the Maluku Protestant Church. Since 2026, she has been serving as Head of the Maluku Provincial Education Office. In recent years, she has also promoted educational approaches that respect religious diversity and has been collaborated for CCRL (Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy) initiatives organized by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and the Leimena Institute.

Miwa Asadi holds a master’s degree in public administration from Portland State University. While studying in the United States, she encountered Islam and chose to convert. After returning to Japan, she was involved from the outset in the establishment of the Shizuoka Muslim Association in 2010, together with her husband, Yasin, and others. In 2013, she founded i.SOLUTIONS to broaden the scope of Muslim-related initiatives and became its representative. She also serves as Shizuoka Prefecture’s Fujinokuni Tourism Promotion Advisor for Muslim affairs and has advised on halal accommodations and hospitality in tourism and food service. As Secretary General of the Shizuoka Muslim Association, she works to promote understanding of Islam and foster multicultural coexistence by connecting Muslims with local communities. She lives in Shizuoka City.

Born in Kobe’s Nagata Ward, Seon-gil Kim studied civil engineering at university and became involved in issues concerning the human rights and education of Zainichi Koreans while still a student. After graduating, he worked for a private company and began volunteering in a Kawasaki community with a large Zainichi Korean population while assigned to Tokyo. Around 1990, he joined the social welfare corporation Seikyusha, where he took part in negotiations with local governments concerning the rights of Zainichi Koreans. Following the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, he returned to Kobe and began supporting foreign residents and migrants. In 1997, he established the Kobe Foreigners Friendship Center (KFC). Its activities support foreign residents across generations, including a meal gathering for older adults, Japanese-language learning, programs for children, and multilingual care services. In 2015, KFC received the Japan Foundation Award for Global Citizenship.

After graduating from the Faculty of Letters at Kyoto University, she joined the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), where she focused on educational development programs. Over the course of her career, she held several senior leadership positions, including Senior Vice President, Director General of the Human Development Department, Director of the JICA Research Institute, and Chief Representative of the Bangladesh Office. She pursued further studies at the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning and completed the DEA program at Paris V University, later earning a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Development at Nagoya University.
She has played a pivotal role in designing and implementing Japan's international education cooperation initiatives, while also contributing to academic research on educational development and the internationalization of higher education. Her work has been widely published in academic books and journals.
Since 2025, she has served as Executive Director of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, where she leads strategic dialogue and exchange programs with Asia, supports peacebuilding efforts, and oversees Japan-China exchange initiatives.
She concurrently serves as Senior Research Advisor at the JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development, Director of the Honda Foundation, Director of the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services, Director of Care International Japan, and Councilor of the Broadcast Program International Exchange Center, among others.

Jin Fujimoto specializes in contemporary Indonesian studies, focusing on religion and social issues in Indonesia, particularly interfaith dialogue, religious extremism, public diplomacy, and customary law (adat). After graduating from Meiji University’s School of Political Science and Economics, he completed a master’s program at the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies (CRCS), Universitas Gadjah Mada. He has worked as a journalist for the Jakarta Shimbun, a Japanese-language newspaper in Indonesia, as well as at the Japan Foundation Jakarta Japanese Cultural Center, an international cooperation NGO, and the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE). He joined the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in 2024. He currently works on the “Reconciliation and Religious Education in Former Conflict-Affected Areas” program and an initiative on community mediation in Indonesia’s Papua region.