Press Release

World Culture Forum 2016: Culture for an Inclusive Sustainable Planet

KEMENDIKBUD, JAKARTA– World Culture Forum (WCF) will be held again, entering the

second time since the inaugural last held in 2013. This year, World Culture Forum (WCF) will

be held for five days in Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, Nusa Dua, on 10 s.d. October 14,

2016.

WCF as international event, organized and initiated by Indonesia through Ministry of

Education and Culture, is an avenue to discuss strategic issues and recommend policies to

the sustainable development, particularly with respect to peace, prosperity, preservation,

and development of quality of life high level of global civilization. The selection of venue in

Bali, is considerate to be the central place to discuss the development of world culture. The

Forum is part of continuous major efforts geared to encourage and promote culture as a

driver and enabler of sustainable development. The central theme of the WCF 2016 is

“Culture for an Inclusive Sustainable Planet”. The Forum will bring local wisdom and culture

from Indonesia and the world, bridged by technology to become global values for

sustainable future development.

Over 1,500 participants are expected to attend the upcoming forum. Along with the Grand

Plenary and 6 Symposia, the Forum will feature Ministerial Forum, Youth Forum, and the

Cultural Tour in Bali. The Forum will have a special meaning for participants as it will allow

them to re-experience, re-conceptualize and rejoice the culture. WCF 2016 invite Heads of

State, Nobel Laureates, Ministers of Culture, top experts, senior policy-makers, NGOs, Youth

and Academia, cultural practitioners and other stakeholders to attend this significant global

gathering. WCF is expected to revisit local wisdom for the subsequent transformation into

global values that will foster international understanding.

Director General of Culture, Ministry of Education and Culture, Hilmar Farid expressed that

WCF 2016 is expected to be a forum for participants to experience the cultural richness of

interaction with Indonesia. “Indonesia as the home of incredibly rich culture, should be

viewed not merely a cultural heritage, but as a fundamental element of the future,” said

Hilmar. Ministry of Education and Culture Indonesia hopes that WCF 2016 could be the

bridge of three components; namely the first bridge between the past and the future, the

bridge of yesterday generation and future generation, and a bridge between legacy and

modern landscape.

Hilmar also said that over 1,500 participants from hundred countries will participate in this

forum. On the concept of the organization, Hilmar pledged that the field cultural visit and

the participation of youth through Youth Forum will be the distinction of the prior WCF. The

agenda of the cultural visit and youth participation are the integral part of the forum. “Arts

here are not a decoration but a way of expression, as well as visits to the field. Instead of

filling free time, the visit is a way for participants to experience what was discussed,” he

explained.

The Youth Forum of WCF began in early October 2016, or 12 days before a major forum

begins. This activity aims to make young people get enough opportunity to discuss

important issues among themselves. Then, the results of the talks will be presented at the

forum. A total of 200 young people were divided into 100 people who come from outside

Indonesia, and 100 people from Indonesia to discuss at this forum. “We tend to define the

culture from the old generation, but youth must be given the space to define and express

the culture by themselves,” said Hilmar.

WCF 2016 will be attended by Keynote Speakers such as Ban Ki Moon (UN Secretary

General), Irina Bokova (Secretary General of UNESCO), Megawati Sukarnoputri (Indonesian

5

th President), King Abdullah II (King of Jordan), and Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister of

Canada). Meanwhile, as a speaker at the symposium will present well-known names such as

Ridwan Kamil (Mayor of Bandung), Aleta Baun (Village Head Mollo of East Nusa Tenggara),

Celio Turino (Culture Points, Brazil), Jill Cousins (CEO of Europana), Shinsuke Ota (Japan

Water Agency), Wayan Windia (Expert Subak), and Desi Anwar (CNN Indonesia).

The names above will share their knowledge and experience in the symposiums to discuss

sub-themes WCF in 2016, among others: Reviving Culture for Rural Sustainability; Water for

Life: Reconciling Socio-Economic Growth and Environmental Ethics; Interweaving History,

Urban Space, and Cultural Movement; Culture in the New Digital World; Reconciling State,

Community, and Cultural Divides; and Cultural Diversity for Responsible Development.

These themes have been selected because they are viewed as the important issues of

sustainable development. **