VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla stated that any conflict-hit country or territory should dare to involve a third party to act as a mediator to help resolve its problems. Kalla conveyed his ideas when giving a public lecture entitled "Dissatisfaction between Conflict and Civilization," as he had received the Honoris Causa Doctorate degree in the fields of peace and development from Hiroshima University of Japan on Wednesday. He received the title for his peace efforts to resolve a number of conflicts in Indonesia. The title was one of several similar titles that Kalla has received in various fields, such as politics, economics, management, government, and decentralization, both domestically and abroad.

"Every conflict always involves a big ego from each side, and each party has a vanity to continue the fight. Hence, a mediator can serve as a bridge to lower the ego and arrogance," he stated in a written speech received by ANTARA News in Jakarta on Wednesday. He remarked that every time a conflict occurs, especially an internal conflict within a country, the government must involve itself to stop it. The government should not assume that every community group in conflict always has a way of resolving the conflict.

"In a conflict, the assumption does not apply. The country must use its authority to stop the conflict as soon as possible, without any condition. The state should not give an opportunity to prolong the conflict," he remarked while sharing his experiences on resolving conflicts in Indonesia to academic leaders in Japan. He also stated that during a conflict, the principle of take and give must be implemented, which is used to persuade the parties to stop the conflict.

"Resolving conflicts should not use the principle of zero sum game. The methods of giving and receiving are always successful for resolution of a conflict. The mediator must find the point, so that no one feels superior to the others," he explained. (ANTARA)