CTSS IPB University Invites Young People to Weave the Nation’s Identity Through Local Knowledge
The Center for Transdisciplinary and Sustainability Sciences (CTSS) at IPB University, in collaboration with the Samdhana Institute, once again held a General Lecture and Announcement of the Winners of the 6th Local Knowledge Essay and Documentary Video Contest with the theme “Weaving the Face of the Country, Strengthening Identity”.
This event serves as a reflective forum that invites the public, especially the younger generation, to reweave the nation’s identity through traditional wisdom and local knowledge in Indonesia.
The Chairperson of CTSS IPB University, Prof Damayanti Buchori, explained that the initial idea behind CTSS was to develop studies on local and traditional knowledge, which are increasingly being eroded by modernization.
“This topic emerged because we realized that there was a degradation of the local knowledge system, while some communities still preserved and maintained it,” she said.
Since 2020, she said, CTSS has initiated a Local Knowledge Essay and Documentary Video Contest to “reclaim” the values of traditional wisdom that had been marginalized.
“We are trying to learn from the past, from local knowledge and ecology, which are part of our nation’s cultural heritage,” she added.
Similarly, Prof Rizaldi Boer, Chairman of the International Research Institute for Environment and Climate Change (LRI LPI) at IPB University, believes that CTSS plays a major role in developing sustainability science.
“We are trying to encourage the younger generation to understand how humans and the environment interact in managing natural resources. Much of this local knowledge is well documented through these essays and videos,” he said.
Meanwhile, Vice Chair of CTSS IPB University, Prof Husin Alatas, reported that this year there were 454 entries, 59 of which were documentary videos. Participants came not only from within the country, but also from abroad, such as Turkey and the Netherlands.
“Through this contest, we want to foster critical awareness among the younger generation so that they continue to appreciate their own identity and are not eroded by the flow of information and technology,” he said.
The contest, which is open to students and the general public, is a concrete step by CTSS IPB University in strengthening the database of local wisdom in Indonesia.
The event also featured a General Lecture with guest speakers Dr Yulia Sugandi and representatives from the Hugulama Traditional School, who presented on the topic “Learning from the Hugulama Traditional School: Preserving Traditional Knowledge.” Additionally, Ahmad Arif, M.Si., gave a presentation titled “Managing Traditional Knowledge as a Cultural Strength for Future Sustainability.” (dr) (IAAS/LAN)
List of Winners of the 6th Local Knowledge Essay and Documentary Video Contest
Short Documentary Video Winners
| First Place | Sincos Production | Kasepuhan Gelar Alam: Balancing Modernization and Tradition |
| Second Place | Cahaya Nusantara Community | Weaving Life Together |
| Third Place | Semesta Production | Sirancah: Water, Prayer, and an Enduring Legacy |
| Most Favorite | Sincos Production | Kasepuhan Gelar Alam: Balancing Modernization and Tradition |
Winner of Essay Category 1: Undergraduate students and equivalent
| First Place | Nabila Sabrina Gisela – Padjadjaran University | Repong Damar: Lampung’s Ancestral Response to the Global Ecological Crisis |
| Second Place | Putri Erika Febrianti – State University of Semarang | Pati Bumi Mina Tani: The Samin Sukolilo Tribe’s Farming Principles for Preserving Nature |
Winner of Essay Category 2: Master’s/Doctoral Students
| First Place | Wulansary – Indonesia University | Sahabat Bumi Community – Rethinking Folklore: Beyond Romanticism Towards Sustainability |
| Second Place | Fikri Haekal Akbar – Antasari State Islamic University of Banjarmasin | Integration of Cultural and Ecological Values in Pagatan Weaving as a Practice of Consumption and Production Based on Local Wisdom in Tanah Bumbu Regency |
Winner of Essay Category 3: General
| First Place | Alif Utama Mahanani – Ibnu Abbas Islamic High School, Klaten | Hamemayu Hayuning Bawana Through the Jenang Solo Festival Ritual and Collective Memory Construction in Surakarta as an Effort to Restore Culture-Based Food Sovereignty |
| Second Place | Rabin Marselino Yarangga – Sorong City | Papua is Not an Empty Land: Revealing the Threat of Palm Oil to Local Wisdom and the Sustainability of the Afsya Tribe |
