Director General of Culture of the Ministry Hilmar Farid said here Sunday that the spirit of the dialog is to jointly participate in recovery efforts and to remain strong as Yogyakarta preserves its culture, in line with the theme of the G20 Indonesia Presidency "Recover together, recover stronger".
"Yogyakarta is an example of successful cultural preservation in Indonesia, and the guardians of culture from all over Indonesia gathered today. You are the main actors who preserve local wisdom and cultural practices that support a sustainable earth," he stated.
Farid along with Yogyakarta Deputy Governor Paku Alam X met with representatives of customary law communities from all over Indonesia at the Kepatihan Complex in Malioboro, Yogyakarta, on Sunday.
The meeting is a series of Ruwat Nusantara event, a part of the G20 agenda for culture, which is held in the Borobudur Temple, Magelang Regency, Central Java until September 14, 2022.
Towards the Kepatihan Complex, the representatives of the customary law communities are wearing their own traditional clothes set off in andong (horse-drawn carriages).
A total of 30 andongs were prepared to transport 100 representatives of the participating customary law communities.
Deputy Governor of Yogyakarta Paku Alam X welcomed the participants, and expressed admiration about the traditional clothes they wore.
"I am amazed to see a variety of regional clothes that you are wearing today. How rich and diverse Indonesian culture is. Welcome to Yogyakarta which is know as a city of culture. And today, it is visited by cultural elders from all over Indonesia," he said.
The joint actions in the field of culture are part of the objectives of the G20 activities.
The Ministry's Directorate of Belief and Customary Law Communities was lined up to present a narrative of customary law communities' resilience through their rituals and local wisdoms.
"Each of the customary law communities has their own way of surviving the 'bala' or something bad. COVID-19 is a 'bala' or disaster for everyone around the world, including them," said Julianus Limbeng, the PIC of Ruwat Nusantara event.
Customary law communities and their various customary rituals have been documented in the activities of Ruwat Nusantara.
"Through the Ruwat Nusantara, we see that rituals are not just symbols but must be manifested in daily life; about how we should maintain relationships with nature, other human beings, our ancestors, and the Almighty God," Limbeng said.
Through the Ruwat Nusantara activities, the Ministry encourages people to recall that the responsibilities of sustainable living today are in people's hands, especially members of younger generation.
The Ministry emphasized that now is the time to rebalance relationship between humans and the Earth they live on.
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