Minister of Youth and Sports, Dito Ariotedjo, recently attended the global sports initiative event ‘Securing the Legacy: Debriefing from Paris 2024 for Future Major Sporting Events Marking’ at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. During the event, he took the opportunity to promote pencak silat as a significant cultural heritage of Indonesia. Pencak silat, recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, embodies values of discipline, resilience, and peace, extending beyond just martial arts. Minister Dito highlighted how practitioners of pencak silat learn to defend and protect, emphasizing harmony and peace.
Indonesia sees pencak silat as a symbol of global resilience and is actively working towards increasing its international recognition, including advocating for its inclusion in the Olympics. Minister Dito believes that sports, like pencak silat, can play a crucial role in promoting nation-building, social cohesion, and conflict resolution, reflecting principles of security resilience. Indonesia has pledged its support to the UN Office for Combating Terrorism’s Global Sports Programme, leveraging traditional and modern sports to empower youth and enhance resilience.
The event also shed light on key takeaways from the 2024 Paris Olympics, underscoring the significance of robust security infrastructure and preparedness for major sporting events. Minister Dito emphasized the importance of innovative security frameworks, intelligence-sharing, and global partnerships to effectively address security challenges. Indonesia aims to bolster public-private collaborations, elevate sports safety standards, and foster international cooperation to combat violent extremism through sports.
President Prabowo Subianto’s vision to introduce pencak silat to the Olympics was also highlighted, calling for support from all stakeholders. He stressed the importance of preserving pencak silat as Indonesia’s cultural heritage and pushing for its inclusion in the Olympics. Indonesia’s efforts to promote pencak silat align with its commitment to fostering peace and unity through sports. The nation’s dedication to promoting sports as a beacon of peace and resilience resonates with the shared goal of establishing a secure and inclusive global sporting environment.
