Madura Culture Congress: Menbud Fadli Zon encourages local culture to become a global strength

BANGKALAN - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon emphasized that Madura culture must go beyond symbolic preservation and appear as a global power. The message was delivered in a keynote speech at the Madura Culture Congress themed Madura Globalization, Taking Root in Madura, Having an Impact on the World at Trunojoyo Madura University (UTM), Bangkalan, Monday (22/12).

Minister of Religion Fadli Zon considers this congress to be important as a strategic space across generations to respond to the challenges of globalization and digitization. According to him, culture should not stop as an archive of the past, but must be alive, relevant, and have a real impact on today's society.

In his presentation, Fadli revealed the achievements of national culture throughout 2025. Until October, Indonesia recorded 2,727 Intangible Cultural Heritage, 313 National Cultural Heritage, 3.8 million museum and cultural site visits, 47 cultural heritage restorations, 15 new museums, 152 Cultural Development Villages, and the strengthening of 741 cultural communities. The data, he said, shows the potential of culture as a source of national resilience and diplomacy.

He also touched on archaeological findings that place Indonesia as the epicenter of early human civilization. More than 60 percent of the world's ancient human fossils are found in the archipelago, strengthening Indonesia's position in global history.

To encourage a productive cultural ecosystem, the Ministry of Culture has allocated around Rp. 400 billion in the Indonesiana Fund until next year. This fund is open to communities, artists, and universities, including for the development of Madura culture such as kris, dance, masks, manuscripts, and cultural festivals.

Bangkalan Regent Lukman Hakim emphasized that this congress was not a ceremony, but a marker of the direction of Madura culture in the future. He assessed that Madura must appear as a subject of the future without losing its value roots.

UTM Rector Safi' added that UTM plays a role as a meeting space for diversity. He noted that East Java had received 46 designations for Indonesian Intangible Cultural Heritage, three of which came from Bangkalan.

The congress was also filled with the reading of poems by Zawawi Imron and an exhibition of UMKM Jamu Madura, emphasizing culture as an identity as well as local economic strength.