Menbud Fadli Zon Terima Anugerah Praba Nawasena Budaya 2025: Ini Amanat Pejuang Budaya

JAKARTA This award is not just an appreciation for my personality. This is a collective mandate from cultural actors throughout the country. Those who are loyal to safeguarding their ancestral heritage, although often not highlighted. This was revealed by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, when receiving the 2025 Cultural Praba Nawasena Award from PUI Javanology, Sebelas Maret University (UNS), Tuesday night, June 3, 2025.

Fadli Zon was awarded the Cultural Statesman of Indonesia title at the Javanese Cultural Awards 2025, for his long work in promoting culture, especially the preservation of Javanese culture. He is considered to represent a figure who not only collects cultural objects, but also voice his meaning through writings, international forums, and institutions.

This award was given by the Daily Executive of the UNS Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Fitria Rahmawati. According to him, PUI Javanology initiated the Javanese Cultural Awards and the Jawametric program as an effort to build a relevant and sustainable Javanese cultural ecosystem.

"With these two flagship programs, we want to measure, map, as well as reward those who work for culture," Fitria said in front of artists, academics, and cultural figures in a written statement received Wednesday, June 4.

Fadli Zon is considered worthy of receiving awards based on real work: from the establishment of the Fadli Zon Library which holds thousands of manuscripts and collections of keris, the Fadli Zon Cultural House in Aie Angek, West Sumatra, to the Fadli Zon Creative House in Depok which collects 8,000 wayangs. He is also known as the General Chair of SNKI (Indonesian National Secretariat), HSBI (Indonesian Cultural Art Association), and the Indonesian Philatelist Association.

Not only active in the physical realm, Fadli also wrote and edited. One of his first writings was published at the age of 20 in Prisma's journal entitled Sosok Ronggowarsito at the Javanese Political and Cultural Art Pentas. He had sat on the Redaction Council of Horison and a number of print media, and received various cultural titles from Kraton Surakarta Hadiningrat and Puri Agung Singaraja.

In his remarks, Fadli underlined the importance of synergy between the government and educational institutions. "PUI Javanology is not just a study center, but an academic reflection meeting point and the production of cultural innovation. This is a model that should be replicated," he said.

No less important, Fadli welcomed the Javammetric program as a strategic step in building a cultural institutional structure. This is not just a measuring tool. This is the foundation of building a culture that is integrated with people's lives, both at the local and global levels.

Deputy Mayor of Surakarta, Astrid Widayani, who was also present, emphasized that this award is not just a ceremony. This is proof that the culture of life is not just a tradition, but because someone takes care of it continuously," he said.

A similar award was also given to Prof. Sumarsam, Ph.D. from Wesleyan University, United States, for his contribution in introducing Javanese gamelan to the international world.

At the end of his speech, Fadli invited all parties to make culture a living force. 'Traditional heritage should not be a dead object. It must live, move, and be meaningful for future generations.'