RI to preserve local cultures

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)