It is a mindset that we want to revive through the G20 forum.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia is encouraging the revival of local wisdom, cultural practices, and traditions that promote environmental sustainability and sustainable living through its G20 Presidency.

"There are many traditions of Indonesian people, especially the ones with high sustainability awareness," Director General of Culture at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Hilmar Farid, said during a Merdeka Barat 9 Forum virtual discussion, which was accessed online from here on Thursday.

The philosophy behind those traditional practices is to use resources moderately so that the community can maintain environmental sustainability without starving themselves.

Such traditions are not only found in Indonesia, but also in other places across the globe -- and not only in rural areas, but also in urban centers, he said.

The traditions are carried out and passed down through rituals, art practices, and cultural expressions, which are part of a system. Many of the traditions ensure that there is no exploitation that can disrupt environmental sustainability.

"It is a mindset that we want to revive through the G20 forum," the director general remarked.

Hence, the Indonesian G20 Presidency is looking to accommodate this idea by pushing for a global funding scheme for cultural restoration so that traditional practices can translate into concrete actions.

This has been discussed in a series of G20 Senior Officials Meetings (SOM) on Culture, Farid informed.

"Currently, the only challenge which we are still discussing is the mechanism of how the global funding will finance all of these practices so that they can run effectively," he added.

Indonesia, through its Presidency of the G20, is encouraging the intensification of sustainable lifestyles and the acceleration of community empowerment and economic development based on arts and culture.

According to the official website of the Indonesian G20 Presidency, the Ministerial Meeting on Culture is scheduled to take place at the Borobudur Temple complex, Magelang district, Central Java province, on September 12 and 13, 2022.

A cultural carnival, a G20 orchestra, and ‘ruwatan bumi’ (a traditional ceremony held to express gratitude to God) will also be organized for the meeting’s participants.

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Translator: Prisca Violleta, Uyu Liman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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