There are a lot of formal archives and other reports from the government, but this (personal archives) actually allows us to understand the dynamics of history much better.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Personal archives or recordings of past events can help people understand historical dynamics much better than formal reports, Director General of Culture at the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry, Hilmar Farid, has said.

"There are a lot of formal archives and other reports from the government, but this (personal archives) actually allows us to understand the dynamics of history much better. Sometimes, formal reports do not reflect the dynamics of life during that time," Farid expounded at an archives exhibition and public discussion on “Reading Sodjatmoko from Home and Memory,” here on Monday.

According to him, most people are not aware that personal archives may have significance for others, so archiving past events has become vital.

For this reason, Farid said that he was happy because Soedjatmoko's family had decided to collect records in the form of documents, photos, and letters belonging to him.

According to the National Research and Innovation Agency’s (BRIN’s) website, Soedjatmoko (1922–1989), a politician and intellectual, lived in an era when the term third world was still commonly used in global conversations.

As a thinker, he was well aware of the low level of welfare among his own people and the gap between developed and underdeveloped countries. His writings imply that freedom is a prerequisite for achieving justice.

According to Farid, Soedjatmoko's archives make a tremendous contribution, both to the historical period when he lived and to important current issues.

In 1965, Soedjatmoko compiled his essays in An Introduction to Indonesian Historiography, which cited authorities from around the world in the field of history.

Soedjatmoko had the ambition to distinguish himself from two things, namely colonial history whose narrative focused on the Netherlands and nationalist history, which often used knowledge of the past for present-day rhetoric, he added.

"I think this archive is going to open up incredible conversations," he remarked.

The archives exhibition will be made available online on the website www.membacasoedjatmoko.com and held on-site at Soedjatmoko's residence in Menteng, Central Jakarta, from January 10–14, 2023.

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Translator: Suci N, Kenzu
Editor: Sri Haryati
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