Appreciation to the First Meeting OIC Youth Cultural Activity in Indonesia
Personal Opinion of Moehammad Amar Ma’ruf, A Career Diplomat at the Ministry of the Republic of Indonesia.
The first ever of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting on Youth Activity just being happened in Indonesia under the patronage of the OIC Secretary General and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia.
The Indonesian Government through Ministry of Youth and Sport in coordination with all related Ministries, Regional Governments and Higher and Professional Institution is hosting the OIC Youth Conference on Cultural Activity that promoting cooperation on multicultural program among members. The program is opened on 7 to 14 July 2023 held in Special Region Jakarta Province and East Kalimantan Province.
The conference has attracted most of the members of OIC which consist of 57 countries from all continent in the world. The program of the conference has been made by the Committee to give clearer picture of diversity of Indonesia, including ethnics, culture, religions, panoramic, etc.
The program gives a chance for Secretariat OIC and participants to dig more potential cooperation in the field of education, social empowerment, entrepreneurship for the Youth in order to be proactive in solving challenges faced by OIC member countries with the spirit of collaboration.
It is admitted that OIC members countries consist of different level of economic development. Some of them are classified as the highest income, middle income countries and the rest classified as lowest income countries.
The Committee has also provided mock up conference of OIC meetings for students in Indonesia in order to be familiar with the role of procedure how some issues being discussed and get common ground/resolution for the sake of member countries. This activity also encourages the passion of Indonesia student to be diplomat who uphold collaborative actions in solving multilateral or global problems.
The OIC is the second larger after the United Nations. This organization is initially established to face the agitative action of Israel troops toward the burning of Al Aqsa Mosque and the oppression of Palestine legitimate right toward their land.
Nowadays, the organization revitalizes its performance by promoting technical cooperation among members. It is admitted that the issues of Palestine and Al Quds still there but economic and technical cooperation and assistance are very dynamic for the spirit of humanity, welfare of ummah and committed to maintaining world peace.
To achieve that objective, OIC member countries mostly have the same experiences on their nationhood history. Most members of OIC was being colonialized with other nations. But this colonialized period is abolished with resistance of local leaders and their society which actually are in diverse in their culture.
In the case of Indonesia, despite many religions and culture live in Indonesia, with the spirit unity in diversity Indonesian founding fathers and society struggle to gain its independence from the colonial.
The independence is a remarkable and historical moment that cannot be separated from the Indonesian Youth movement. The Indonesia Youth has successfully connected independence movement against colonialism acts with their massive action in the form of Youth Pledge (Sumpah Pemuda) in 1928. From this point of view, the Indonesian Youth has shown level of tolerance despite they live in different cultures and ethnics. Indonesian Youth has pledged and committed together to become as on Nation, one Nation and One Language.
This becomes a good value to be shared with their counterpart among OIC members countries. It is very clear that multicultural in Indonesia has been managed positively by the Youth to sustain their movement and play an active role in working hand in hand with other generations to achieve freedom from colonial.
It seems the role of Youth is always be needed. The world situation become very complex due to a rapid transformation in information of technology. It is worsened when the world faces natural and unnatural disasters, including unprecedented pandemic. Most disasters are cross border. It has become global issues that need a global collaboration. To anticipate further destructive threats of Natural and Unnatural disasters, it needs global collaboration. This collaboration is aimed to awaken human awareness toward their obligation to protect their life and environment sustainably.
To know more precise core issue of the lifestyle that may impact to the environment, human need to understand its surrounding. The human needs to respect their interactions, namely interaction between human and human, interaction between human and environment and interaction between human and its Creator. As the Holy Qur’an Surah Ar Ruum 22 says that Among the signs of His power is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and the colors of your skin. Verily in that there are sign for those who know.
For the above reason, the OIC Youth Cultural Conference holds a noble aim for protecting the world condition become worsen. Despite many ethics and races found in the world, the Almighty orders human to act wise with their environment. In this regard, the youth as a productive age must be given role to become agent of change. Change for better condition and interaction in the three basic interaction as mentioned above.
The above perspective seems to be a priority in the level of OIC Secretariat to work forward with the members of OIC. As it is emphasized by the OIC Assistant Secretary General, HE Tareeq Bakheet during the Pers Conference held on July 7, 2023 at Ministry of Youth and Sport of Indonesia said that the OIC Secretariat has just established new Youth Department. This Department is formed to channel and coordinate the Youth Development Program among the members of OIC and other fora.
This newly establishment of the Youth Department in OIC Secretariat seems become one of proper places for Indonesian Government and Youth Stakeholder under supervision and coordination of Technical Ministry in Indonesia to show case and play more active while work together with the Secretariat and other Members and OIC Bodies in supporting the OIC Youth World, especially in promoting and widening an open literacy on multi culture aspect aligning with the empowering youth through proper education and vocation.
The above combination approaches seem in line with multi culture situation in OIC member countries and it will be a strategic asset to be collaborated through organizing forum of communication and interaction. For the above noble aims, let us appreciate and support this committee for the successful and fruitful result, and joint together to open our literacy on our cultural heritage through youth participation in assisting the people of the world gain their noble existence, namely to work together in pursuing good deeds and avoiding or even forbid to do destruction.
It is hoped that the meeting will create joint projects that wide an open literacy on many technical filed in order to create welfare not only to the society in members countries but also outside OIC member countries. (AK/RE1/P2)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
