Diversity Key to Resolving Problems

A comprehensive cultural strategy will produce an inclusive society of strong characters. Strong Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan have successfully implemented such a strategy and become nations of excellence amid increasing globalization.

DEPOK, KOMPAS — Indonesians requires a comprehensive cultural strategy so that the view that diversity is a strength that unites the nation can be truly integrated to people’s behavior. If the nation can achieve this, it will not be difficult to resolve problems such as corruption, intolerance and radicalism.

Cultural strategy is far more than just about the arts. Instead, it should be focused on producing a collective mindset for all Indonesians across many life aspects, including education, health, economics and food security. Therefore, the first important thing to achieve is setting out agreed-upon national values, such as mutual assistance, independence and inclusivity, all of which can help us achieve our collective goals.

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Bambang Wibawarta

“We have [a strategy], but it is partial and non-collective, at best. There is not a comprehensive idea,” University of Indonesia (UI) deputy rector Bambang Wibawarta said. Bambang, who is also a professor at the university’s school of humanities, was speaking at the 2018 Indonesian Cultural Consensus Grand Assembly at the UI Library in Depok, West Java, on Friday (2/11/2018). The grand assembly’s theme was “Who and What Are Indonesians”.

Attending the event were Muslim cultural observer and Mizan publisher founder Haidar Bagir, Buddhist organization Nichiren Syosyu Indonesia (NSI) chairman Suhadi Sendjaja and Indonesian Cultural Consensus activist Olivia Zalianty.

Bambang said that Indonesia had a Law of Cultural Advancement, but it had no clear strategy on how to manage diversity as a strength. He said that many advanced Asian countries, such as South Korea and Japan, had had comprehensive cultural strategies for a long time.

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Suhadi Sendjaja

Character building

In the 1970s, when South Korea decided to be more internationalized, it had planned a character-building strategy for its people through a cultural strategy so that it could truly reap huge economic benefits.

Bambang said that he was certain if Indonesia could develop a cultural strategy that the people could absorb well and implement in their daily life, many of the nation’s problems would be easily resolved. He said that such a strategy would enable Indonesians to really understand what it meant to be an Indonesian and, therefore, fostered the awareness of nurturing values such as unity and togetherness.

“By having the same values, people by default will be more tolerant. By default, people will take care of their homeland and will not be corrupt as they will understand that such actions will only harm their own people. Good values will automatically be internalized,” he said.

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Haidar Bagir

Pluralism

Haidar said that who and what Indonesians are is a matter of choice. For him, he said, observing the nation of Indonesia meant observing pluralism. There are senses of sameness and togetherness. People from other cultures can contribute good things and not at the expense of local unique cultures.

Haidar urged for Indonesia’s religious cultural strategy to be aimed towards integrating religious teachings with everyday life, instead of having them at arm’s length.

According to him, since long ago, Muslims across the archipelago have consistently used Islam as an existential part of themselves. “[It is an] Islam that provides buckets of water so that thirsty people can have a drink. It is an Islam that smiles on other people. It is an Islam that lives peacefully with the nature and with others,” he said.

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Olivia Zalianty

Sendjaja said that Indonesia was a nation founded upon a belief in God and humanitarian values. The people unite and choose to always conduct everything through deliberation and consensus. Furthermore, everyone in Indonesia works for the happiness of everyone.

Technological development and globalization have affected the nation and the state. “It is important to stimulate millennials to produce new ideas. We need figures that can renew our ideas,” Olivia said.

(GAL)