East Kalimantan Hosts The International Institute For Cultural Activities For Organizational Islamic Cooperation 2023

Cultural Activities of Islamic Cooperation Organization (OIC). (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - East Kalimantan Province will host an international event in 2023, in the form of organizing Cultural Activities for Organizational Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Regional Secretary of East Kalimantan Sri Wahyuni explained that the 2023 OKI Cultural Activities are not only cultural but also integrating youth activities in East Kalimantan, including youth support for religious harmony and moderation.

"So later we will synergize the activity with the Tenggarong International Folk Arts Festival (Tifaf) culture in Kutai Kartanegara, and in Samarinda there is a Pampang culture and the MSME center, as well as Balikpapan focusing on ecotourism," Sri Wahyuni said quoting Antara, Sunday, December 18.

He said the preparation meeting had been held. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Secretary for Youth Empowerment at the Indonesian Ministry of Youth and Sports Esa Sukma Wijaya and Assistant Deputy for Iptek Improvement and Youth Imtaq H Amar Ahmad, Head of East Kalimantan Dispora Agus Tianur, Head of Samarinda Muslimin, Head of Balikpapan City Dispora and representatives of the Kutai Kartanegara Tourism Office.

Sri Wahyuni expressed her gratitude and asked for support from Kutai Kartanegara, Samarinda and Balikpapan for the preparation of the 2023 OKI Cultural Activity which is planned to be held in July.

According to Sri Wahyuni, synergy and collaboration between provincial and district/city governments is needed, especially as a place for organizing these activities so that international activities can take place successfully.

"With the OIC Cultural Activity 2023, we hope that this youth activity will get space and motivate them, and can build cooperation, as well as promotional events for East Kalimantan Province," he explained.

He revealed that it is possible that Islamic countries that are members of the OIC have the potential for investment to continue cooperation after this activity.

"OIC Party members number 56 countries themselves, and it is possible for them to bring partners to come to East Kalimantan. Therefore, we prepare a series of events as best they can, so that later they can consider their partners who will be invited here," said Sri Wahyuni.

Secretary of the Deputy for Youth Empowerment at the Indonesian Ministry of Youth and Sports Esa Sukma Wijaya was grateful after holding a meeting with the East Kalimantan Provincial Secretary with the Head of the East Kalimantan Youth Department, Kadispora Samarinda, Kadisporapar Balikpapan and the Kukar Tourism Office.

"We want to design an activity called the OIC Cultural Activity 2023. Because this activity is a directive from the letter of the Secretary General of the OIC in Jeddah to the Menpora which states that Indonesia will host the OIC Cultural Activity 2023," he said.

He added that the Governor of East Kalimantan Isran Noor on Youth Pledge Day had conveyed to the Minister of Youth Pledge that East Kalimantan was ready to host the 2023 OKI Cultural Activity.

OKI activities in East Kalimantan, he continued, were combined with Kukar cultural activities in the form of Tifaf in July 2023 and the pattern was like routine activities every year.

Only the difference, he said, was if only 7 countries of Tifaf were invited, but the OIC activities would be expanded to 56 OIC member countries.

"We believe that East Kalimantan is more than ready, apart from having experience in carrying out international events, its human resources are also ready to work together and collaborate between provinces and regencies and cities," he admitted, while expressing the Minister of Youth and Sports' appreciation for East Kalimantan's readiness to host the 2023 OKI Cultural Activity.