Chiara Callysta Sucittananda - SMA YSKI

Culture And Youth
I remember a time I came across a short on YouTube. It showed a foreigner learning various cultural
aspects of our country. You might see that as an achievement, but do you know what's wrong? Unlike
foreigners, we, the people of Indonesia, lack interest and enthusiasm for learning about our culture. From
arts to traditional stories and even Indigenous languages, they're all starting to get overlooked and
replaced because of globalization. Then, what should we do? And what's the importance of this all?
Well, honorable judges, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Chiara Callysta Sucittananda, also known as Chiara. I
am standing here to deliver a speech entitled "Culture And Youth."
It's important to know that our tradition is undeniably dying. The lack of enthusiasm and interest in
rediscovering our culture shows that today's youth need to realize the importance of preserving it. Steps
will be required to encourage youth to preserve their culture. We'll have to build interest and widen their
knowledge regarding Indigenous cultures. After interest is built, culture can be preserved and understood
better with practice. Technology could help us introduce culture, reaching wider audiences. Culture-
focused communities play a part in culture preservation as well.
We must start taking these actions because, well, look around you. We live in Java, so we should know
Javanese, its do's and don'ts, and its overall culture. In reality, many young people have yet to learn to
speak Javanese. I could even bet that only a handful of people watching this are still interested in learning
about cultures.
Preserving cultures is essential because they contain moral values we can learn from in this era. Take
Wayang Kulit for example, each story has moral values that can still be applied to this day. Nonetheless,
this phenomenon had me questioning, "How do we encourage people, especially youth,to preserve and
share cultures more?" I'd like to discuss four points to answer that question: interest inculture, practice of
culture, utilization of technology, and community involvement in preserving culture.
First and Foremost, you need to bring back your interest in indigenous cultures. A starting point is to
reignite interest in your own regional culture and learn about it. Say, you, the people who are watching
this video, are mostly Javanese. You can start showing interest by matching up your interests to the
cultures. If you like dance, drama, singing, or even art, you can make use of that. You can dance
traditional Jaipong dance, or for drama, you can play Topeng Dalang, sing like a traditional Sinden, and
even paint Wayang Kulit. This first step is crucial because, as the famous writer and philosopher Lao Tzu
wrote, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." So, what are you waiting for? Take
that first step and dive deep into the world of indigenous cultures. You can also share your interest in
culture with your friends while you're at it.
Furthermore, practicing cultures is the best way to preserve and understand them truly. Interest without
the practice of culture is unfortunate because the art of the culture stops there, and it doesn't get passed on.
Its beauty is only admired until it's gone, but we can avoid that. I’m sure you're familiar with Mahatma
Gandhi's quote, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." That being said, if we want
change and want to invite more people to preserve cultures, we’ll need to do it ourselves first by
practicing it. Start simple, you could talk in your indigenous language or tell traditional stories to your
family and friends. That way, you'll encourage people closest to you to start learning and practicing too.
Maybe by then, your friends will also do the same, and then we can accomplish the goal of spreading and
preserving culture.
Thirdly, another way of preserving culture is by putting technology to good use. So, instead of getting
addicted to your phones every day, you could find ways to utilize gadgets to introduce and bring back
cultures. Make videos, or post some pictures using social media. For example, you can post campaigns on
cultural preservation, talk about the importance of it, and try to persuade people to do the same. Posters
are also an option, as they are eye-catching enough for audiences to stop and analyze it. Get creative, and
you could attract more people to join you on this mission of preserving culture.
Last but not least, once you attract more people's interest, you could join a community or create one that
focuses on sharing cultures. Being together can help us reach out to more people, and we can also get
insight from other people about each other's cultures and traditions. There is no harm in joining a group,
it's fun and beneficial because we get to appreciate and accept each other despite our differences in
heritage.
Audiences, we know that culture and tradition are left behind despite being accessible to all because of
globalization, especially by teens or youth. It is essential to preserve culture as it teaches moral values,
that's why the youth are encouraged to preserve culture. Having interest in our own culture can be the first
step to culture preservation, as we learn about cultures here. Practicing culture is the next step to share
and preserve, as culture and tradition get passed on. Technology can also help by introducing culture to
wider audiences and attracting people to join in on maintaining culture. Having a community can also
help us learn about other cultures and traditions. I'll close my speech with a powerful quote from Pope
John Paul II: "The future of any culture lies in the hands of the young. It is they who must learn its values
and live its traditions.".
Thank you.

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Culture And Youth

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