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 advocate for pencak silat as a cultural heritage of Indonesia. He underscored the significance of pencak silat beyond martial arts, embodying values of discipline, resilience, and peace. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, pencak silat instills values of defense, protection, harmony, and peace among its practitioners.
Minister Dito highlighted Indonesia’s perspective on pencak silat as a symbol of global resilience and its efforts to raise international awareness, including its potential inclusion in the Olympics. He emphasized how sports such as pencak silat represent security resilience principles and can contribute to nation-building, social cohesion, and conflict resolution. Indonesia’s commitment to the UN Office for Combating Terrorism’s Global Sports Programme illustrates its intention to utilize both traditional and modern sports to empower youth and enhance resilience.
The event also drew lessons from the 2024 Paris Olympics, stressing the importance of robust security systems and readiness for major sporting events. Minister Dito emphasized the necessity of innovative security frameworks, intelligence collaboration, and global partnerships to address security challenges effectively. Indonesia seeks to strengthen public-private collaborations, elevate sports safety standards, and promote international cooperation in combating violent extremism through sports.
President Prabowo Subianto’s vision to introduce pencak silat to the Olympics received mention, with a call for support from all stakeholders. He stressed the importance of preserving pencak silat as Indonesia’s cultural heritage and striving towards its Olympic inclusion. These efforts align with Indonesia’s dedication to fostering peace and unity through sports collaboration. The country’s commitment to sports as a promoter of peace and resilience aligns with the shared objective of creating a secure and inclusive global sports environment.
