Appearing In CHANDI 2025, Hashim Djojohadikusumo Asks The Government To Seriously Invest Culture

Hashim Djojohadikusumo Chairman of the Museum and Cultural Heritage Board. (IST)

DENPASAR - Indonesia is the intersection of world civilization thousands of years ago. However, what we need is a healthy balance so that our original culture remains alive and loved. "Hashim Djojohadikusumo's words opened the plenary session of CHANDI 2025 at The Meru, Denpasar, Bali, Thursday, September 4 and immediately became a concern.

The chairman of the Museum and Cultural Heritage Board emphasized that the government must invest seriously in strengthening culture. Hashim highlighted the challenges of the strong currents of globalization, technology, and digital media that can erode the nation's identity. He asked the Ministry of Culture and related institutions to allocate special budgets for local artists, from animators, cartoonists, to content creators. Our creative work must be able to compete with the global cultural industry while at the same time fostering the love of the younger generation for their nation's heritage," he said.

Pleno titled Luh Gede Saraswati Putri for the Future: Heritage, Identity, and Innovation is moderated by Dr. Luh Gede Saraswati Putri from the University of Indonesia. There are four international panelists: Prof. Wim van den Doel (Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities), He Lu (Nanfang College Guangzhou), Janet DeNeefe (Director of Ubud Writers & Readers Festival), and Everise Bruneau (Muswas Guimet, France).

Prof. Wim views Indonesia as a superpower' of cultural diversity, with the example of the return of the Singosari Statue from the Netherlands in 2023. He Lu raises the philosophy of angklung as a bridge to cross-border friendship. Janet tells the story of the birth of the 2002 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival after the 2002 Bali bombing, which now provides space for young writers. Allise emphasized that museums must be more artistic in order to be close to a new generation, while reminding the threat of dark trade and radicalism towards cultural heritage.

Pleno was attended by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Fadli Zon, Deputy Minister Giring Ganesha, ministers and ambassadors of friendly countries. The discussion emphasized that cultural heritage is not just a relic, but a source of inspiration for identity and innovation. CHANDI 2025 appears as a strategic space to knit global solidarity in maintaining culture.