Seminar LISAN XIII, Fadli Zon Says Oral Tradition is the First Archive of Civilization

Fadli Zon menilai tradisi lisan tidak bisa hanya diperlakukan sebagai peninggalan masa lalu. (IST)

JAKARTA - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon considers oral tradition cannot be treated only as a relic of the past. Oral tradition, said Fadli, is an early archive of civilization that stores knowledge, identity, and the value of people's lives.

This was conveyed by Fadli when attending LISAN XIII, an International Seminar and Festival of the Nusantara Oral Tradition at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta, Wednesday, August 5.

The activity which took place on 4-8 August 2026 was an international forum to discuss the protection of oral traditions as Intangible Cultural Heritage or WBTb.

Fadli said oral tradition has many forms. Among them are mantras, prayers, poems, songs, genealogies, stories of origins, proverbs, to performances.

According to Fadli, oral tradition is a way for people to organize social relationships, read nature, remember events, and continue life values.

"Oral tradition must be understood as one of the first archives of human civilization that connects between language, social context, memory, interpretation, and re-creation," said Fadli.

Fadli considered the theme of LISAN XIII relevant to the condition of the world which is facing many challenges. He said that the oral tradition can help people read the crisis, not just be remembered as a cultural heritage.

He also emphasized that oral tradition is one of the ten Cultural Promotion Objects. Therefore, protection efforts need to be carried out continuously so that the tradition remains alive in the community.

Fadli said that culture has four main functions. First, as a binding force for the nation. Second, a source of identity and character of the nation. Third, economic strength through cultural economy. Fourth, an instrument of diplomacy and Indonesia's soft power.

Soft power is the ability to influence others through culture, values, and appeal, not through pressure or military force.

According to Fadli, the protection of oral traditions requires a meeting space between maestros, traditional elders, and the younger generation. This meeting is important so that knowledge does not stop at one generation.

"These efforts require meeting spaces that bring together maestros, traditional elders, and young generations so that the process of knowledge transmission continues," he said.

He also assessed that the use of regional languages in daily life needed to be strengthened. Cultural actors, said Fadli, must also receive support so that they can continue to pass on knowledge to the next generation.

Fadli also highlighted technological developments, including artificial intelligence or AI. According to Fadli, technology presents challenges and opportunities for the preservation of oral traditions.

Voice recognition technology, digital documentation, language modeling, archival digitization, and teaching materials can be used to protect and pass on oral traditions in various regional languages.

The General Chair of the Oral Tradition Association, Pudentia MPSS, hopes that the LISAN XIII Seminar will be a space for sharing knowledge, experience, and good practices in the preservation of oral traditions.

"This seminar invites us to see oral tradition as living knowledge," said Pudentia.

He said folk stories, spells, rhymes, songs, proverbs, rituals, performing arts, and various cultural expressions contain human, ethical, ecological, collective memory, and ways for people to maintain a balance of life.

The LISAN XIII seminar is a biennial agenda of the Oral Tradition Association. This forum brings together researchers, academics, activists, cultural actors, and art communities from Indonesia and abroad.

This year, LISAN XIII carries the theme of the Role of Oral Tradition as Intangible Cultural Heritage in Caring for Humanity, Nature, and Life from the Past to the Future.

The agenda includes scientific seminars, traditional art performances, exhibitions, book launches, and the launch of a special web containing metadata of oral traditions in the Modern Endangered Archive Program.

Fadli hopes that LISAN XIII does not stop at seminars and publications. He encourages further research, development of digital archives, strengthening of community networks, and concrete steps to protect oral traditions that require urgent handling.

"As long as the oral tradition is still spoken, the memory of Indonesian culture will remain alive," said Fadli.