By Tempo.co
Copyright tempo
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The Indonesia Hidden Heritage Creative Hub, in collaboration with the United Nations Information Center (UNIC) Jakarta, launched Festival Cerita Kota: People and the City at the UN offices in Jakarta today, October 2, 2025. Running from September 27 to October 28, 2025, across seven Indonesian cities, the festival transforms museums and public spaces into living classrooms to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through cultural heritage, creativity, and youth participation.To kick off the campaign, the event focused on SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Talk shows and creative workshops explored the roles museums can play in promoting sustainability, including sustainable consumption. The event brought together representatives from the Ministry of Creative Economy, the Indonesian Heritage Agency, the Jakarta Maritime Museum, Trash Hero Jakarta, and the United Nations in Indonesia.Opening the discussion, Vice Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar highlighted the significance of sustainability in the cultural and creative industries.“Actually, there are many SDGs, but the most important thing is that all of us, as fellow human beings, as President Prabowo Subianto said, that as fellow human beings, we have a job to preserve the planet, we have a job to do something for the planet, and for our fellow human beings. So let us come together, not only because of the SDGs, but because this is our fundamental duty as one of the nations in the world. As fellow human beings, let’s do something together!” she said.The 200 participants included heritage experts, government officials, and environmental activists from across Indonesia, with students from Jakarta making up the remainder of the attendees. The morning session focused on creativity, heritage, and sustainable consumption, while the afternoon session discussed science, policy, and collective action.Nofa Farida Lestari, Executive Director of Indonesia Hidden Heritage Creative Hub, underlined the power of storytelling to advance sustainability: “People and the City is an opening programme that activates 17 museums, heritage sites, and community spaces spread across Indonesia, to reflect on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. At Indonesia Hidden Heritage Creative Hub, it is our mission to encourage all stakeholders to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.Miklos Gaspar, Director of UNIC Jakarta, talked about environmentally friendly traditions in Indonesia, which museums can showcase and help revive. “Using banana leaves as packaging or bamboo sticks as materials for everyday items helps to revive old traditions and at the same time supports environmental goals,” he said. “SDG 12 is about the choices we make every day in what we consume, how we produce, and how we manage waste. This festival shows that museums and public spaces can be vibrant platforms for civic dialogue and creative participation.”The Festival Travels Across IndonesiaLooking beyond Jakarta, the Festival Cerita Kota will continue to travel across Bandung, Palembang, Cirebon, Sumbawa, Kendari, and Ambon. Each city will host tailored activities such as workshops, story circles, film screenings, exhibitions, and heritage walks—each designed to align with specific SDGs, including Climate Action, Quality Education, and Gender Equality. Various United Nations agencies, including UNEP, UNIDO, IOM, and other agencies, will contribute to these events.By moving from city to city, the festival ensures that conversations about the SDGs are not confined to headquarters. Instead, they come alive in the places where people live, learn, and gather. “In museums, on the streets, and in community spaces, these discussions spark awareness, connect generations, and open new ways to link heritage with the creative economy,” Lestari said.Editor’s Choice: Primatologist Jane Goodall Dies, Aged 91Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
