Minister of Youth and Sports, Dito Ariotedjo, advocated for the recognition of pencak silat at the global sports initiative event ‘Securing the Legacy: Debriefing from Paris 2024 for Future Major Sporting Events Marking’ held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Pencak silat, acknowledged by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia, transcends martial arts, embodying the values of discipline, resilience, and peace. It instills in its practitioners the ability to defend and protect while promoting harmony and peace.
Minister Dito underscored Indonesia’s perspective that pencak silat symbolizes global resilience and is making efforts to raise its international profile, potentially even as a part of the Olympics. He believes that sports, exemplified by pencak silat, mirror principles of security resilience and can contribute to nation-building, social cohesion, and conflict resolution. Indonesia is actively involved in the UN Office for Combating Terrorism’s Global Sports Programme by leveraging traditional and modern sports to empower youth and enhance resilience.
The event also drew attention to key lessons from the 2024 Paris Olympics, stressing the crucial role of robust security infrastructure and preparedness for major sporting events. Minister Dito highlighted the necessity for innovative security frameworks, intelligence sharing, and global partnerships to effectively address security challenges. Indonesia is committed to strengthening public-private collaborations, elevating sports safety standards, and fostering international cooperation to combat violent extremism through sports.
President Prabowo Subianto’s vision of introducing pencak silat to the Olympics was endorsed, urging support from all stakeholders. He underscored the importance of preserving pencak silat as a vital component of Indonesia’s cultural heritage and striving for its inclusion in the Olympics. These advocacy efforts align with Indonesia’s dedication to nurturing cooperation for peace and unity through sports. The country’s commitment to promoting sports as a symbol of peace and resilience resonates with the shared objective of establishing a secure and inclusive global sporting environment.
