The 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 as a platform to promote pencak silat as a cultural heritage of Indonesia. He emphasized the values of discipline, resilience, and peace that pencak silat embodies, going beyond just martial arts. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, pencak silat teaches practitioners important skills of defense and protection while promoting harmony and peace.
Minister Dito highlighted Indonesia’s view of pencak silat as a symbol of global resilience and expressed the country’s efforts to introduce it to a broader international audience, including as a part of the Olympics. He believes that sports, like pencak silat, play a role in reflecting principles of security resilience and can contribute to nation-building, social cohesion, and conflict resolution. Indonesia has shown support for the UN Office for Combating Terrorism’s Global Sports Programme by committing to using traditional and modern sports as tools to empower youth and increase resilience.
In the discussion of lessons learned from the 2024 Paris Olympics, a strong emphasis was placed on the importance of robust security infrastructure and preparedness for major sporting events. Minister Dito underlined the necessity for innovative security frameworks, intelligence collaboration, and global partnerships to effectively manage security challenges. Indonesia’s goal is to enhance public-private partnerships, elevate sports safety standards, and promote international cooperation in countering violent extremism through sports.
President Prabowo Subianto’s vision to bring pencak silat to the Olympics was also mentioned, accompanied by a call for support from all interested parties. The significance of preserving pencak silat as Indonesia’s cultural heritage and the commitment to striving for its inclusion in the Olympics were stressed. Indonesia’s efforts to promote pencak silat align with its dedication to fostering collaboration for peace and unity through sports. The country’s commitment to sports as a symbol of peace and resilience reflects a shared goal of creating a safe and inclusive sporting environment globally.
