Tri Tito Joins Vice President's Wife at Dekranas 46th Anniversary Celebration
Tri Tito Karnavian, Executive Chairman of the National Handicraft Council (Dekranas), attended the 46th anniversary thanksgiving ceremony of Dekranas at Trans Studio Mall (TSM) in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Friday (10/7).
At the event, which carried the theme “Sustainable Craft Creation, Artisans Going Global”, Tri wore traditional South Sulawesi attire, the baju bodo.
The ceremony was attended by more than 3,000 participants comprising Dekranas and regional Dekranasda officials from across the regions. It was officially opened by the General Chairwoman of Dekranas, Selvi Gibran Rakabuming, who wore a similar costume.
In her address, Selvi expressed appreciation to Makassar, South Sulawesi, as the host city for the pinnacle of the Dekranas anniversary celebrations. According to her, Makassar holds strong appeal in terms of culture, tourism and cuisine.
“Makassar always captures attention. Besides its tourist attractions, its food is also extraordinary. Today we appear in colourful outfits reflecting the distinctive character of the Makassar people. Everyone looks beautiful and stunning. As the Makassar people say, cantik na ngaseng, and as the Bugis say, mancentik manengki,” said Selvi in a written statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Selvi stressed the importance of changing the organisation’s orientation. According to her, the success of empowerment work is no longer measured merely by the number of activities carried out, but by the real benefits felt by artisans.
She also said that Indonesia has great potential to become one of the main players in the global handicraft industry, supported by its rich cultural heritage and abundant natural resources. The potential of raw materials such as ceramics, natural fibres, stone, wood and metals must continue to be developed into value-added products with global competitiveness.
Selvi reminded the audience that the handicraft industry faces increasingly complex challenges, ranging from international market competition and rapid technological developments to shifting consumer trends.
Therefore, she said, handicraft products must not only possess aesthetic value, but also meet quality standards, be attractively packaged, produced sustainably, and continue to showcase Indonesian cultural identity.
“Dekranas and Dekranasda must not merely be event organisers. They must become companions, mentors and facilitators who help open access to capital, design training, packaging, digitalisation, global marketing, financial management and export licensing,” said Selvi.
After opening the event, Selvi Gibran and Tri Tito toured the handicraft and traditional textile exhibition. The exhibition featured stalls from provincial, regency and city Dekranasda offices throughout Indonesia.