Culture Minister Urges Young Generation to Preserve Indonesian Heritage
Indonesia’s Culture Minister Fadli Zon attended a training programme for 1,000 Genjring Party dancers organised by the Central Board of the People’s Movement for Sanathana Dharma Nusantara (Gema Sadhana) at Graha Sabha Gema Sadhana in Jakarta.
Fadli expressed appreciation to Gema Sadhana and all parties who initiated the training involving a thousand dancers from various arts studios and cultural communities. According to him, involving young people in large numbers represents not merely a quantitative symbol but rather an expression of discipline, spirit, and commitment to maintaining national identity and values through the art of dance. Fadli stressed that this activity constitutes a concrete step in preserving and regenerating traditional dance arts as part of efforts to advance national culture.
“Indonesian culture is extremely rich. We possess hundreds of regional languages and thousands of ethnic groups. Therefore, culture must be preserved and advanced, including through artistic expressions such as dance as we witness today,” said Fadli in a written statement on Sunday, 1 March 2026.
The government continues to encourage the strengthening of the dance arts ecosystem comprehensively, from talent development and community centre reinforcement to expanding access to national and international networks and performance venues. The Culture Ministry continues to support young people so they can become successors who advance the nation’s culture.
Through this activity, the Culture Ministry invited all young people to continue protecting and advancing Indonesian culture as both an inheritance and a source of strength for the nation’s future.
“You are all successor generations who will bring our culture ever further forward and increasingly recognised in the world. Let us pray that Indonesian culture continues to be present among the public and grows stronger within global civilisation,” Fadli said.
The Central Board of Gema Sadhana is a civil organisation actively encouraging the strengthening of Nusantara cultural values and spirituality. Through the 1,000 Genjring Party Dancer Training programme, Gema Sadhana sought to create a space for cross-generational collaboration in the spirit of cultural preservation and strengthening national character.
In line with the Culture Minister, Chair of Gentra Lestari Budaya and Chair of the Activity Committee Ratu Ratna Dewi Kartika stated that the training represented a major moment of collaboration among arts studios in the Jabodetabek region.
“This is both a source of pride and great motivation for young artists to continue creating and achieving,” said Ratna.
Chair of the Board of Trustees of Yayasan Shri Sanathana Dharma Aalayam Selwendren also expressed gratitude for the successful organisation of the activity and emphasised the importance of synergy in protecting cultural spaces.
“We believe this place belongs to all of us, to the Indonesian nation. The spirit shown by our young dancers today demonstrates that culture is something we must cherish and pass on to future generations,” stated Selwendren.
Meanwhile, Chair of the Central Board of Gema Sadhana Kobalen affirmed his organisation’s commitment to being at the forefront in supporting young people in arts and culture.
“You are never alone; we are at the forefront to support and ensure that Indonesian arts talent receives appropriate space and support. The Culture Minister’s support today is concrete evidence of the state’s attention to the future of our performing arts,” Kobalen explained.
Also present at the event were Special Staff to the Culture Minister on Intellectual Property Rights Putri Woelan Sari Dewi, Director of Cultural Heritage I Made Dharma Suteja, Gema Sadhana officials, studio supervisors, and community representatives.