INAUGURAL IRO CONFERENCE ON PEACE
Dr Roland Chia spoke at the Inaugural Conference on Peace organised by the Inter-Religious Organisation on Sat 30 May 2026 on the theme “Anchored in Peace: Singapore’s Faith Communities in a Fractured World.” The conference was open to the public and saw an attendance of about 120 participants.
In his presentation, Dr Chia argued that global conflicts—particularly in the Middle East—can intensify social and religious tensions worldwide, leading to antisemitism, Islamophobia and social polarisation. While Singapore has avoided serious violence, its multi-racial, multi-religious society and high digital connectivity make it vulnerable to such external pressures.
The social peace Singapore enjoys is not accidental but the result of deliberate nation-building, resilient institutions, and mutual respect.
Beyond pragmatic governance, Dr Chia suggested that religious traditions offer deeper resources for fostering harmony. Using Christianity as an example, he highlighted two key insights.
First, the belief that all humans are created in God’s image, granting every person intrinsic dignity and worth, which opposes dehumanisation and identity-based hostility. Second, the ethic of loving one’s neighbour as oneself, which rejects scapegoating and encourages respect even towards those seen as ‘other’.
Other faiths offer similar values: Islam’s teaching that saving one life is like saving all humanity, Judaism’s tikkun olam (repairing the world), and Buddhism’s metta (loving-kindness).
Dr Chia emphasised that faith communities must be active mediators of meaning, not passive recipients of global events. Religious leaders should help members critically evaluate online information, reject hate speech, and model civil discourse.
Building deep relationships among faith communities—through dialogue and cooperative action—and fostering mutual respect and trust among leaders are essential. Ultimately, when people of different faiths stand together in solidarity, society can remain cohesive, resilient, and peacefully united despite global turmoil.
Other speakers include:
- Dr Mathew Mathews, Principal Research Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)
- Dr Mohammed Hannan Hassan, Council of Elders, Harmony Centre of Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS)
- Mr Sengkuttuvan Kanniyappan, Chairman, Hindu Advisory Board
Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, Minister of State, Ministries of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and Manpower, was the Guest-of-Honour.
The conference was organised in partnership with MCCY and IPS.
