RI to preserve local cultures

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Experts warned against the rapid flow of modernization "swallowing up" traditional cultures here, calling for "a management of culture with a vision".

Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Stephen Hill said in a press briefing here yesterday that Indonesia's traditional cultures may disappear unless they are developed and managed by creative people with vision.

UNESCO, he said, will support Indonesia's efforts to preserve its cultures. "We should prevent the younger generation from losing touch with their traditional culture," he said.

The rapid flow of information between countries is among the factors Hill mentioned as contributing to the possibility of cultural extinction.

He said that one of the features that should be present in the management of traditional cultures is creativity. "If Indonesian people maintain their perception of traditional cultures as being mere relics of the past without taking the trouble to explore them in a more creative manner, then these cultures will disappear," he said.

An expert with UNESCO, Phillipe Delangge, cited evidence supporting the fact that some traditional cultures are facing extinction. In many cities, he said, children no longer speak their native language, as most parents prefer that they speak the Indonesian language only.

"We don't consider this a modern attitude, as it creates disadvantages for many communities," he said. "The best alternative is that the children should be allowed to naturally speak both their mother tongue and the Indonesian language."

Recent research conducted by UNESCO revealed that a number of local languages in the archipelago are fading quickly because they are no longer used by their people.

"It's terrifying," Delangge said.

The press briefing was held in connection with plans to hold a seminar on cultural erosion at Gadjah Mada University next Tuesday. UNESCO and The Jakarta Post will sponsor the three-day discussion.

Both Hill and Delangge agreed that the survival of a culture depends on whether people care.

"Indonesia still has the opportunity to observe and preserve traditional cultures," Hill said. "This campaign will succeed if it's handled by creative people with high commitment." (har/31)