Luis Venriko Mumu, a student in the Nuclear Engineering Program at the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FT UGM), has achieved a prestigious international recognition at the Youth Multimedia Arts Competition held in Bangkok, Thailand, from Dec. 15 to 17, 2025.
Carrying the theme “Envisioning a World Without Nuclear Weapons,” the competition was part of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Bangkok Treaty, which underscores Southeast Asia’s commitment to becoming a nuclear-weapon-free zone and free from other weapons of mass destruction.
Mumu won first place in the Visual Arts: Traditional Arts category through his work entitled “When Fear Smiles.” In addition, he was selected as one of four Grand Prize Winners, each representing the best in their category.
Through this achievement, he secured the opportunity to visit Hiroshima, Japan, and to attend the Youth Leader Fund Conference, scheduled to take place in mid-2026.
According to Mumu, his involvement in the competition gave him a new perspective on nuclear disarmament. He believes that envisioning a world without nuclear weapons reflects ideals of peace, harmony, and a life free from fear.
“Through my work, I want to invite people to change their perspective from fear to hope, from threat to opportunity, from victim to human,” he explained on Tuesday (Jan. 13).
During the three-day event, Mumu shared that all finalists participated in a series of activities, including the award ceremony, art exhibitions, visits to nuclear facilities and hospitals, art skill development workshops, cultural exchanges, and discussions and networking sessions with nuclear experts from Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.
The finalists were also invited to participate in the Commemorative Event and Youth Arts Exhibition, which served as both a celebration and a gathering of finalists from various competition categories organized by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD), in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.
“The Commemorative Event and Youth Arts Exhibition was a celebratory platform and a meeting point for finalists from the short film, photography, and visual arts categories, including traditional, graphic, and AI-based works,” he added.
For Mumu, young people play a vital role in shaping a safer world.
Therefore, he emphasized the importance of concrete action by today’s youth, starting from continuously enhancing literacy, countering misinformation, and actively voicing aspirations through creative and responsible advocacy.
He also highlighted the need for young people to be involved in policy, technology, and humanitarian fields.
“Young people have immense power through digital platforms, whether social media or other channels, to disseminate messages of peace more widely and to prevent the spread of misinformation,” he said.
This participation and achievement demonstrate the active contribution of Universitas Gadjah Mada students on the international stage, while also reaffirming the commitment of Indonesia’s young generation to promoting a safer, more peaceful world free from nuclear weapons.
Author: Cyntia Noviana
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Photographs: Luis Venriko Mumu
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya