ICRS Yogya will hold a conference with the theme "Songs of Peace and Reconciliation" on 31 March–3 April in Yogyakarta Plaza Hotel. As scheduled, this programme will present 14 musicology and theology scholars from parts of the world. Apart from Indonesia, the event will be attended by various countries including Egypt, Lebanon, North Africa, and the US.
Roberta R. King, Ph.D., committee member, said that this conference is a medium to review and compare music and arts among Muslims and Christians. “This event is aimed to explore how music, songs and culture relate to religious life. Can the three of them be used to increase awareness of religious faith and global outlook as a means to encourage interaction and tolerance between different faiths?,†said the teaching staff in communication and ethnomusicology at Fuller Theological Seminary, California, in Fortakgama Room, UGM, Tuesday (30/3).
Still in the same event, Roberta continued, a musical concert will be held at The Indonesian French Institute (1/4). The concert will present performances by Suarasama (Sumatera), Mustafa Said (Egypt), Marsius Tinambunan and Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana's choir, and Dr. William Hodges (US). The concert is the second after the first one “Define Love†in Beirut, Lebanon, in April 2009.
Dr. Sooi Ling Tan added that this event is supported by Fuller Theological Seminary through grants from Luce Foundation.The conference will be documented in a film and a journal.