Minister of Youth and Sports, Dito Ariotedjo, utilized the global sports initiative event ‘Securing the Legacy: Debriefing from Paris 2024 for Future Major Sporting Events Marking’ at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to showcase pencak silat as a cultural heritage of Indonesia. He emphasized that pencak silat represents more than just martial arts, embodying values of discipline, resilience, and peace. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, pencak silat not only teaches self-defense but also promotes harmony and peace among its practitioners.
Minister Dito underlined Indonesia’s perspective on pencak silat as a symbol of global resilience and expressed efforts to elevate its international recognition, including advocating for its inclusion in the Olympics. He believes that sports, like pencak silat, embody principles of security resilience and can play a role in nation-building, fostering social cohesion, and resolving conflicts. Indonesia is committed to leveraging traditional and modern sports to empower youth and enhance resilience through its support for the UN Office for Combating Terrorism’s Global Sports Programme.
The event also drew insights from the 2024 Paris Olympics, emphasizing the crucial role of strong security infrastructure and readiness for major sporting events. Minister Dito highlighted the importance of implementing innovative security frameworks, fostering intelligence sharing, and establishing global partnerships to effectively address security threats. Indonesia aims to strengthen collaborations between the public and private sectors, improve sports safety standards, and promote international cooperation to combat violent extremism through sports.
President Prabowo Subianto’s vision to introduce pencak silat to the Olympics was mentioned, calling for support from all stakeholders. The focus was on preserving pencak silat as a cultural treasure of Indonesia and striving for its representation in the Olympics. These initiatives align with Indonesia’s commitment to fostering peace and unity through sports collaboration. The country’s dedication to promoting sports as a symbol of peace and resilience mirrors the shared goal of creating a safe and inclusive global sporting environment.
