Yogyakarta- A nation which is still in progress towards modern life needs support from the community that can accept, absorb, and integrate new values. Those new values are those that emphasize on rationality, efficiency, freedom, democracy and transparency.
The initiators of Indonesian independence had chosen cultural transformation strategy to make Indonesia a strong and modern nation. Cultural integration deals with two ways through cultural dialogue and community status change.
“The modern Indonesia nation is a nation which emphasizes on rationality, efficiency, freedom, democracy and transparency but still based on and inspired by Indonesian personality values,” said a member of faculty of Philosophy Faculty UGM, Dr Sri Soeprapto, in National Seminar Exploration of Nusantara Philosophy, Contribution of Ideas of University for Regional Development, at 3rd floor of Auditorium of Faculty of Philosophy UGM, Tuesday (14/12). The seminar was opened by UGM Rector, Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M.Eng., Ph.D.
Soeprapto said that regional culture integration to become national culture needs to understand the meaning of elements and function of its factors. Cultural integration process needs to be realized by perceiving the national culture structure in static-dynamic combination. “Dynamic reconstruction can be done on cultural elements that are specific and concrete, but its synthesis is still rooted on general, abstract and theoritical structure,” he added.
Therefore, regional valuable values are expected to a find synthesis form by doing adaptation, integration, defending system and directing national life. Projective thinking is needed in order that this values integration system can give theological orientation towards modern Indonesia’s community development.
“This theological orientation is not only to strengthen national integration, but also to determine the national personality that is not exclusive but refers to universal values,” Soeprapto emphasized.
Other speaker, Jepara Regent, Drs.Hendro Matojo, M.M., added that the utilization of local wisdom as a tool to improve development is used as appropriate development model for Indonesia, including Jepara Regency. Local wisdom is the main capital of community to build themselves without destroying social custom that is adaptive with the surroundeding environment.
Local wisdom is built from social values which are respected in social structure of community itself and has function as controlling manual and rule to act in various life dimensions when communicating with others and nature.
“In outline, local wisdom of Jepara community can be categorized into three, these are tradition and culture, history and community’s way of life,” Hendro explained.
Local wisdom can be seen as one of strategies in sustainable development because the community can know further about what should be done and needed in conducting development based on the region’s potential.
On the other hand, lecturer of Nusantara Literature, Drs Manu J.Seputra, on that occasion discussed more about the meaning of Nusantara as field of study for Philology and Philosophy. Scientific study of literature in Nusantara culture is one of urgent tasks in the field, not only as up- to-date hobby but also as a tool to gain better understanding about literature in general as element of culture and community in Nusantara culture and as a device to improve understanding of individual texts.