2023 is an important moment for Indonesia. This is the fifth time Indonesia has received the ASEAN Chairmanship relay in ASEAN history. In this regard, Indonesia launched various initiatives to improve the welfare and interests of ASEAN members, including involving the proactive role of young people to promote intercultural collaboration and integration through the ASEAN +3 Youth Cultural Forum.
The ASEAN Youth Cultural Forum is an annual event held by ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member countries to facilitate the exchange of culture and experiences between youth from various leading universities in the ASEAN region, China, Japan and Korea. This forum provides an opportunity for ASEAN youth to discuss various topics related to culture, arts and national identity.
As a well-known university in Indonesia, it is a matter of pride for Universitas Indonesia (UI) to be selected as the host of the eighth ASEAN +3 Youth Cultural Forum (ASYF). This event was held for five consecutive days on 14th–19th of May 2023. After opening the series of events with various cultural performances from various countries in Asia at the Balairung UI (15/05), the following day was also enlivened with an academic talk show from Ratri Anindyajati as Director of the Indonesian Dance Festival at the UI Convention Hall on Tuesday (16/05).
Through the Academic Lecture session, Ratri shared her journey and motivation to introduce various Indonesian cultures throughout the world to ASYF delegates. According to her, everything can start by building a creative mindset or creative thinking. “The term creative is always identified with art, as if it can only be done by artists, even though this has a much broader meaning. Creativity is how we think, how we see the world from a different perspective or ‘out of the box’,” said Ratri. She added that building creativity in thinking can be trained through daily habits. “It’s as simple as we dare to have different ideals, choose a different path in life, not linear as society generally says – go to school, work, then get married and have a family,” explained Ratri. “You choose your own path, you are the artist of your life, thus manifest your dreams” said Ratri as a motivation.
This series of events was continued with the excitement of the ASEAN Art & Cultural Bazaar which was held in the open courtyard of the UI Student Activities Center (pusgiwa). There was a lot of noise from the booths of each country’s delegation, introducing each other to clothing, food, dances, knick-knacks, and traditional games. Occasionally they sing and dance together while exchanging stories about the cultural history of each country.
Delegates from the Philippines, Marinel Palaganas and Jackie Mercado said that through ASYF, ASEAN’s young generation gets a platform to learn from each other and build a better understanding of culture and traditions throughout the ASEAN region. “This is my first time coming to Indonesia, I am very happy and honored to be able to be surrounded by various cultures, beliefs, and mingle with them at the same time. This is a great opportunity, I think we have many similarities and cultural differences. So, I really enjoyed it,” said Marinel.
This forum can also strengthen cooperation and connectivity between ASEAN member countries in the fields of culture and arts. “In my opinion, events like this are very important, especially for the younger generation like us, who have just faced a pandemic. We need this to reconnect with each other,” said Jackiey. In the cultural exhibition, the delegates brought traditional knick-knacks and decorated them in their respective stands. Some of them even teach how to make it. Sky, one of the Thai delegates, said that he was happy that the visitors were enthusiastic about the culture on display. “We are very happy to be here, we can invite many delegates and visitors to learn to weave Tung Sai Moo, a traditional decoration from Northern Thailand. Visitors can also try several foods such as Kanom Ping and Look Yee, this is really cool,” answered Sky.
Closing the collaborative bazaar event, Head of Sub-Directorate for Interest & Talent Development, UI Student Affairs Directorate, Dr. Drs. AG. Sudibyo, M.Si. announced the winner of the best booth, achieved by Malaysia as first place and the Philippines as second place. “I hope this activity becomes a space for young people to get to know each other, so that it can increase cultural collaboration between countries,” said Sudibyo.
Writer: Dian Amalia / editor: Finda Salsabila
