UNS – Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta will host the 4th Ngumpulke Balung Pisah (Javanese language, means: reunion or gathering) Javanese Diaspora Event meeting. The world Java Diaspora meeting will be held on June 20-23, 2019.
During his visit to Netherlands, UNS rector, Prof. Ravik Karsidi said that his presence in Netherlands was to fulfill the invitation of Stichting Comite Herdenking Javaanse Immigratie (STICHJI) to attend a meeting with the Javanese Diaspora at Gedung Bangsa Jawa, Amsterdam, Netherlands. STICHJI is a diaspora organization of Javanese people in Netherlands led by Harriet Mingoen. In presence, there are more than 25,000 Javanese descendants scattered in the Netherlands, Suriname, Singapore, Malaysia, Madagascar and New Caledonia.
“The Ngumpulke Balung Pisah meeting was previously held three times, in 2014, 2015, and 2017. The latest meeting was held in Yogyakarta, which was initiated by the Javanese Diaspora Association led by Indrata Kusuma Prijadi. The upcoming meeting, in 2019, will take place at UNS,” Ravik explained.
At the meeting which was attended by approximately 90 Javanese representatives from Netherlands, Suriname, New Caledonia, Madagascar, Malaysia and Singapore, UNS signed a joint commitment with the STICHJI and Javanese Diaspora Association which included an agreement to develop knowledge about the history of Javanese Diaspora migration, Javanese cultural heritage and values of Javanese local wisdom through research, academic and social activities.
“One of the concerns that emerged in the discussion was that the younger generation of Javanese descendants in the Netherlands and Suriname had increasingly abandoned Javanese culture and only few people that are still able to speak Javanese,” Ravik said.
Ravik added that UNS will support efforts to preserve Javanese culture among the Javanese Diaspora community including language issues and understanding traditional values.
“UNS is ready to become a home for Javanese brothers and sisters worldwide, we invite you to go back to Solo for visiting your relatives and even home,” Ravik said while giving a speech using Javanese language.
UNS delegation also took time to carry out Javanese radio broadcasts on Radio Jawa in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Ravik also expressed his hope at the forum that can contribute to the development of world civilization and even become the center of world civilization with Solo as its center. This is one of the efforts of UNS in its focus on developing Javanese culture. humas-red.uns/Tni/Dty