Cultural legacies must be conserved

Cultural legacies must be conserved

By I Wayan Juniarta

SANUR, Bali (JP): Bali is rich in cultural heritage but the
rapid growth of development projects and the tourism industry has
threatened these centuries-old legacies.

The government, international organizations, non-governmental
organizations and academic circles are concerned by the
destruction of numerous historical and religious sites in Bali to
make way for various development projects.

To take immediate action to preserve and conserve Bali's
cultural heritage, a number of world organizations are jointly
holding the International Symposium on Conserving Cultural
Heritage for Sustainable Social Economy and Tourism Development
at the Grand Bali Beach Hotel in Sanur from July 9 to July 14.

The symposium, organized by the Bali Cultural Office, United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Asia
West Pacific Network for Urban Conservation, Lestari Foundation,
the consultant company SAGRIC International, Wastuwidyawan and
the World Bank, focused on how to conserve Bali's precious
culture.

During his opening speech, President Abdurrahman Wahid
stressed the importance of maintaining cultural diversity to
strengthen and unite Indonesia.

The President admitted his administration faced a daunting
task in balancing the need to preserve cultural heritage and
increasing the economic potency of its people.

"Sometimes we have to sacrifice one thing in order to gain the
other. We often consider the future more important than the past.
But, of course, we cannot abandon or destroy our cultural
heritage," the President said.

When the chairwoman of the Hindu Observer Forum, Dewa Ngurah
Swastha, complained about the destructive effects tourism had on
Balinese culture and identity, Abdurrahman responded sharply.

"The Balinese have the right to enjoy good living standard as
well as the right to develop their own cultural identity. It is
important to preserve the existing cultural identity, but at the
same we cannot avoid the flood of cultural elements from
outside."

The President also was critical of a statement by the chairman
of Bali Travel Mart 2000, Jro Gde Karang T Suarshana, who hinted
that Balinese culture was superior than other cultures.

Suarshana also stated Bali's status as a secure and safe
island was threatened by the continuing flow of non-Balinese
workers and fortune-seekers coming to Bali looking for a better
life.

"I think you are a chauvinist. No culture is superior than
others," the President maintained.

The head of the Bali Cultural Office, Ida Bagus Pangdjaja,
underlined that for many years Bali had been famous across the
world for the beauty of its tourist attractions and its unique
culture. Yet little attention had been paid to preserving and
conserving the island's diverse and rich cultural heritage.

"The meeting is aimed at attracting the world's attention to
the efforts of conserving Bali's cultural heritage," said
Pangdjaya.

In fact, the Bali Cultural Heritage Project (CHC) is part of
the Bali Urban Infrastructure Program (BUIP), which is funded by
the World Bank, Pangdjaja said.

BUIP is a project which is attempting to develop and improve
vital urban infrastructure and preserve Bali's unique culture and
environment.

The president of the World Bank, Jamaluddin Kasum, explained
that BUIP was perhaps the bank's most comprehensive project in
support of the preservation of cultural heritage anywhere in the
world.

Minister of Settlement and Territorial Development Erna
Witoelar spoke about the policy and strategy of cultural heritage
conservation in her ministry. The director general of culture in
the national education ministry, I Gusti Ngurah Anom, spoke about
the role of heritage conservation in culture revitalization, and
Deputy Minister of Tourism and Arts I Gde Ardika gave his
thoughts on the role of tourism in cultural heritage
conservation.

Speakers from Korea, China, Nepal and Malaysia also shared
their expertise and experiences in conservation.

Helen Creese and Thomas M. Hunter Jr., experts in Balinese
culture, presented papers on the importance of preserving
ancient Balinese manuscripts. A number of other people addressed
other issues. Pitana spoke about the Balinese traditional
villages, Desa Adat discussed empowerment, Sutjaja addressed the
Balinese language, Windu Sancaya delved into the palm-leaf
manuscript Lontar, Dibia spoke on the conservation of Balinese
classical dances and Made Suacana presented a data-based
computerization of Balinese culture.

During the symposium, some members of the Bali CHC project
team delivered papers on conservation plans and strategies for
several of Bali's cultural sites, including Besakih Temple,
Singaraja, Gilimanuk archaeological sites and Mandala Manthika
Subak Museum in Tabanan.

Other conservation projects include the reconstruction of
Taman Ujung in Karangasem, the protection and management of the
Bali Museum's textile collections, the conservation and
translation of the Gedong Kirtya's palm-leaf manuscripts and
minor restoration work on eight important Hindu temples.

"These are community-based projects which involve as many
local elements as possible, to balance the efforts to conserve
Bali's culture and to develop it as a tourist destination which
benefits locals, the government and visitors," said Andi
Siswanto, technical director of the Bali Cultural Heritage
Project.

However, without strong political will and an understanding of
Balinese culture, such projects may end up failing.