On Thursday, April 18, 2024, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM participated in a series of UNESCO Jakarta events together with Tidar University and Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta to commemorate World Heritage Day 2024. UGM Archaeology students joined the one-day event held at Campus II of Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta. This activity is an effort from UNESCO to raise public awareness, especially among young people or students, on the diversity of cultural heritage and draw people’s attention to the vulnerability of existing cultural heritage and steps to protect it. This activity also demonstrates collaboration for the management of cultural heritage sites that include aspects of conservation and interaction with heritage preservation communities for sustainable development.

The event began with an opening in the lobby of the Campus II building of Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta with an exhibition consisting of local crafts. The local works were inspired by Indonesia’s cultural heritage, such as leather wallets in the shape of Borobudur, typical Borobudur wedang powder, card games about cultural heritage conservation, miniature Prambanan temples, and others. The opening began with a group photo followed by representatives from UNESCO Jakarta, UGM, Tidar University, Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta, and Borobudur Conservation Center. The event then proceeded to the Campus II Auditorium for the opening by the representatives and a special opening by the Head of Culture Unit UNESCO Jakarta, Moe Chiba followed by a representative from Borobudur Conservation Center, Mr. Brahmantara. Followed by a panelist session by two main speakers.

The first and second main speakers, Mr. Brahmantara from Borobudur Conservation Center and Ms. Dian Nisa Anna Rahmayani, from Sangiran Conservation Center gave a panel presentation session entitled, “World Heritage Management, Community Engagement and Current Challenges”. This panel presentation presented how a cultural heritage site is managed and the interaction of the management institution to the community with current challenges. Cases used as examples were the management of Borobudur, Sangiran, and the presentation of various cultural heritage site mapping techniques.

The students of the three universities attended the event by sitting in groups and enlivened the event by voicing yells from each group and participating in two game sessions at the interval. Both games were in the form of cultural heritage site puzzles that emphasized the role of group cooperation to solve the puzzles together. Students were given 15 minutes to complete the puzzle. The winners of the puzzles were then awarded prizes after the event ended.

The commemoration of World Heritage Day held by UNESCO Jakarta supported by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan (NFUAJ) had an important impact on the community, especially on students. The introduction of local culture and crafts as well as the exposure of how to manage a cultural or world heritage site is the essence of building collective awareness. Awareness to maintain and preserve cultural heritage that becomes regional and national identity.

Posbindu PTM is one of the promotive and preventive community-based health efforts in the context of early detection and monitoring of NCD risk factors which is carried out in an integrated, routine and periodic manner. Posbindu PTM activities are basically community-owned activities that are fully implemented from the community, by the community and for the community, one of which is the community in the academic environment of Higher Education. Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM takes a role in health services, one of which is the establishment of Posbindu PTM. Coinciding with the 78th Anniversary of FIB UGM, Saturday, March 2, 2024, the launching of Posbindu was carried out by the Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM with the name Posbindu “SEBAYA” (Healthy and Cultured).

The main purpose of Posbindu PTM activities is to increase the participation of institutions in the prevention and early discovery of NCD risk factors, especially for the academic community of FIB UGM. The series of activities carried out are:

Socialization of PTM Integrated Coaching Post (Posbindu)
Socialization of Healthy Living Community Movement (Germas)
Employee Health Check (Cholesterol, Blood Sugar, Uric Acid)
Health Consultation

Let’s go towards a healthy youth, a delicious old age without NCDs with CERDIK behavior (Regular health checks, Get rid of cigarette smoke, Diligent activities, Balanced diet, Adequate rest and Manage stress)!

Poetry is an activity that is favored by various groups, including young students. The freedom to create beautiful works of writing and literature that describe snippets or moments of life is poured through stanzas and lines that are not constrained by rigid rules. In the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM, the space to create poetry is made a place through student activities, the Semi-Autonomous Body Sanggar Lincak FIB UGM.

Starting from a collection of poetry fans among FIB UGM students who later formed a poetry community, Sanggar Lincak provides a space for FIB UGM students to gather and create together to produce poetry works with associations held every week at FIB UGM. Routine activities held by Sanggar Lincak such as Poetry Reading Classes and Rabun Senja which are open to the public, are an attraction for UGM Faculty of Arts students to participate and take part in poetry activities with other faculty students.

On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, Sanggar Lincak invited Public Relations of Faculty of Arts UGM to participate in regular weekly activities. Abyan Irsyad Fawzi, as the Head of BSO Sanggar Lincak guided the routine activities with 6 other students to create poetic creations with a special theme on that day, “Religiosity”. The students were given 15 minutes to compose their poetry creations and then read their respective poems. Each student was also given the opportunity to explain the background of the poem they composed.

Not only explaining the background, each student also shared their experiences and responded interactively to each other’s poems. This aims to build a sense of community and a safe space to not only poem, but tell stories. To know more about BSO Sanggar Lincak, students can visit through this Instagram link.

On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, Archaeology students of Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM participated in an online workshop titled, “Borobudur World Heritage Site in Cultural Landscape Portrait” held by UNESCO Jakarta. This online workshop invited students from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Tidar University, and Atma Jaya University. This activity aims to enable students to learn more about the impact and influence of Borobudur Temple on the cultural landscape in the area around Borobudur Temple, both tangible and intangible in the scope of culture.

The digital workshop began with a speech by Ms. Moe Chiba, Head of the Culture Unit, UNESCO Jakarta. Followed by presentation sessions by Heri Setiawan from the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education Indonesia, Cultural Heritage Museum, Panji Kusumah from the Eksotika Desa community, hosted by Hairus Salim, Anthropologist from Universitas Gadjah Mada. An introduction to the impact and influence of Borobudur Temple on the cultural landscape was reflected on the history and efforts made. The preservation of Borobudur Temple as a cultural heritage, whether for local, national, or international communities through the designation of world heritage by UNESCO No. 592 in 1991.

The uniqueness of Borobudur Temple in its designation as a world heritage site by UNESCO is in the criteria that have been achieved. Generally, a cultural heritage site is designated as world heritage by fulfilling one of the ten cultural criteria, but Borobudur Temple fulfills three criteria (criteria 1, criteria 2, and criteria 6). The criteria achieved build Borobudur world heritage in a historical narrative that represents the brilliance of the creativity of the Borobudur community in its history of building the temple along with the cultural traditions of local values that are still inherent. This uniqueness is also supported by the existence of rural areas around the temple area which also provides unique characteristics of Borobudur Temple.

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Dr. Realisa Darathea Masardi was invited as a speaker by the Community Studies Unit (USIK) of Parahyangan Catholic University to discuss transnational migration. The discussion, which addressed the handling of refugees in Indonesia, was conducted via Zoom meeting on March 27, 2024, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Participants included not only students from Unpar but also anthropology students from UGM, as well as researchers and migration activists in Indonesia. This migration study was discussed because it has become a growing global issue, with numbers increasing each year.

Dr. Realisa explained refugees by referring to The 1951 Refugee Convention, which defines a refugee as someone unable or unwilling to return to their home country due to factors such as persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. She also noted that the causes of refugee situations have expanded to include extreme climate change, conflict, and economic crises.

Dr. Realisa, affectionately known as Mbak Lisa, discussed the findings of her dissertation research on refugee issues and her encounters with refugees in Jabodetabek, Medan, and Bogor. While discussing refugees, she also shared insights from her brief research on the Rohingya. According to her, since the 1990s, Indonesia has served as a transit point for asylum seekers before they set sail for Australia. However, in 2013, Australia implemented Operation Sovereign Borders, resulting in refugees facing waiting periods of 4-11 years.

Dr. Realisa also discussed Indonesian regulations on refugees and asylum seekers, specifically Presidential Regulation No. 125 of 2016 concerning the handling of refugees from abroad. This regulation only covers discovery, shelter, security, immigration supervision, and funding. It does not mention the rights and access afforded to refugees. The regulation outlines three durable solutions: voluntary repatriation, deportation, and resettlement. Local integration is not an option, which makes it difficult for refugees to sustain themselves, relying on assistance from relatives.

The discussion proceeded very well, touching on topics such as community empowerment of refugees through opening online stores managed by their community, educational scholarships provided by various universities to refugees, and experiences of the refugees, among others.