“Openness in culture will distance us from exclusive behavior, actions, and attitudes, so we become inclusive with human values because cultured people are usually polite and do not indulge in lust or selfishness. This is in line with the meaning of fasting which, among other things, is to curb lust,” said Achmad Solechan, S.Si., M.Si. as Head of the Sub-Directorate of Student Services at the University of Indonesia (UI).
Achmad Solechan’s statement was delivered at the Ngabuburit Budaya event, on Friday (22/3) at Makara Art Center (MAC) UI. Ngabuburit Budaya with the theme “Instilling National Values through Culture” is part of the 2024 UI Ramadhan Syiar program organized by MAC UI in collaboration with Bakul Budaya Community and the Directorate of Career Development and UI Alumni Relations.
The Ngabuburit Budaya talk show session was attended by cultural observer and chairman of the DKI Jakarta Oral Tradition Association, Yahya Andi Saputra; and UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Lecturer, Dr. Rahmat Hidayat, S.S., M.M.A. The two of them interactively shared their views on the importance of preserving local culture and traditions and the challenges in this modern era.
Traditional knowledge is now unfamiliar to Indonesian people. Even though in the academic sphere content or material related to cultural cultivation is still studied, forms of local wisdom are rarely seen in daily practice. In this case, Bang Yahya offers a way to revive love for Indonesian culture, one of which is through the kitchen.
“By using typical Indonesian cooking utensils, such as dandang (cormorant) and bakul (basket), one can revive local traditions that teach the importance of simplicity. “The current development of technology has changed people’s habits, especially in the kitchen, and degraded cooking utensils that were previously functional,” he said.
According to Dr. Rahmat, despite the diversity of ethnic groups in Indonesia, there are basic patterns that make the Indonesian people connected to each other. From this, the concept of the Indonesia nation was built, as reflected in the 3rd principle of Pancasila, Indonesian Unity, which reflects the spirit of unity in diversity.
“Pancasila represents the local spirit that has lived, grown, and developed in Indonesian society. Therefore, Indonesian Unity should be based on Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, and interestingly, the people of the archipelago always seek harmony and peace between each other, including from a religious aspect,” said Dr. Grace.
The “Ngabuburit Budaya” event was also interspersed with performances from the Bakul Budaya Community, which performed a “Wonderland Indonesia” dance. This creative dance contains a variety of typical regional movements in the archipelago, accompanied by a mix of regional music presented in a medley. Every dance movement and rhythm is combined harmoniously with music that reflects the diversity of Indonesian culture. The dancers are wearing traditional costumes of Minang, Javanese, Betawi, Balinese, NTT, Bugis, and Papuan.
Through these artistic performances and cultural discussions, it is hoped that UI can also reflect cultural values and traditions and a stable and inclusive national identity. The enthusiasm of students to maintain and preserve Indonesia’s cultural diversity is also getting stronger to create a solid foundation for national unity and integrity.
