Efforts To Maintain Papua`s Cultural Diversity

Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - Made up of 193 ethnic groups that speak 193 different dialects, the population of Papua, Indonesia`s easternmost province, cannot be compared with any other region in the country in terms of cultural diversity.

In other parts of Indonesia, modernization has resulted in profound changes in many aspects of the people`s life but in Papua much of the traditional social structures, tribal customs and arts of the Asmat, Ka Moro, Dani, and Sentani have endured.

Besides, the source of various local wisdoms for humanity and better environmental management can be found among the tribes of Aitinyo, Arfak, Asmat, Agast, Ayamaru, Mandacan, Biak, Arni, Sentani, and others.

Ancient rituals are still performed for important social events in which each province and district has its own cultural festivals and shows for visitors and tourists to have the opportunity to glimpse the many visual and performing arts of Papua.

The most popular annual Lembah Baliem Cultural Festival and Lake Sentani Festival are the event that attract tourists from all over the world.

No wonder various efforts have been made to maintain and preserve the cultural diversity in Papua.

In the provincial city of Jayapura on Friday, Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu said a Papua cultural research center would soon be established in the city.

"Papua provincial government will soon establish a cultural research center in Jayapura to protect and preserve the local culture and arts," Governor Barnabas Suebu said.

Suebu said the center would be established as a follow-up to a number of recommendations that had been made in a four-day international conference on Papua cultural diversity in Indonesia`s cultural mosaic in Jayapura from Monday to Thursday (November 8-11, 2010).

With the presence of the center, the governor expressed hope that cultural experts at home and abroad could get together to discuss ways to preserve Papua culture and traditional arts.

In addition, he said Papua culture could continue to be preserved and maintained in the globalization and modernization era.

"Therefore we will provide the funds and the location where the Papua cultural center will be built," Governor Suebu said.

Commenting on the international conference on Papua cultural diversity which was concluded on Thursday, the governor said it was intended for the participants to study, to understand, to respect, and to promote the local cultural diversity in various ways.

UNDP Indonesia official Tuan Wisnu who attended the conference in Jayapura said several recommendations have been produced to maintain and preserve Papua`s cultural diversity.

"A drafting team, made up of academics, researchers, experts, and some participants of the conference, formulated a number of important recommendations," Tuan Wisnu said in Jayapura on Friday.

He said the recommendations covered among others the importance to respect and fully support Papua provincial government`s effort to conduct a conference of Papua cultural diversity, to encourage the local government to facilitate and inventorize Papua culture, and to develop Papua cultural heritage through a research and documentation, to encourage the local people including youth and women participation in cultural preservation, and to encourage the central government to preserve Papua cultural diversity.

More than 300 Academics and representatives from culture and tourism offices from Indonesia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia, and religious community of non government organizations in Papua participated in the conference, organized by Papua Province in cooperation with Tourism and Culture Ministry, UNDP Indonesia, WWF, and UNESCO.

Papua province is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and unique culture and traditional arts, but economically its people`s standard of living lag far behind those of their brothers and sisters in other parts of the country.

The central and regional governments have already made various efforts to improve the Papua people`s standards of living and preserve the province`s resources and cultural heritage, but so far without optimal results.

It is a non-governmental organization, the Asmat Progress and Development Foundation, that has shown a serious commitment to preserving the local cultural heritage and raising international awareness of and support for the progress of the Papuan people.

Governor Barnabas Suebu once said the abundance of traditional art potential in the province needed serious attention and the gentle touch of professional and skilled hands.

Suebu said skilled and professional people with a vision of the future were encouraged to explore, develop, and save the plenteous Papua traditions and cultural arts from extinction.

"Not only that, Papuan traditional arts really have precious market value, and they also support the future of the province`s tourism sector without the risk of losing their specific characteristics," the governor said.

Papua is actually rich in traditional arts and culture but unfortunately it lacks human resources to develop them, although the Asmat traditional sculptures have crossed the mountains and oceans to hit international markets.

Other effort to maintain Papua cultural diversity was that in June his year Governor Suebu installed the new administrators and supervisors of Bina Seni Budaya Papua foundation, namely Septer Manufandu as chairman, and Dominggus Rumadas, Habelino Sawaki, and James Mayor as members.

Governor Suebu then called on them to understand and to implement their respective tasks well, and make a good cooperation among them in a bid to save the local culture and traditional arts from extinction.

Preservation and promotion of Papua`s culture and traditional arts are also made through a so-called Lake Sentani Festival (FDS) which has been organized twice in the two consecutive years from 2008-2009, and the third of its kind was staged from June 19-23, 2010.

Themed `Loving Culture for Our Future,` Jayapura district head Habel Melkias Suwae said the Lake Sentani Festival was conducted to attract as many domestic and foreign tourists as possible to visit Papua. (*)

by:Otniel Tamindael-Antara