Bali (Antara Bali) - The cultural visit to one of
Indonesia's World Heritage Sites, Subak in Jatiluwih, Tabanan, Bali in
Oct. 10, marked the commencement of the World Culture Forum 2016 (WCF)
held in Bali, Indonesia. In conformity with theme, 'Culture for an
Inclusive Sustainable Planet', the visit aims to help all of the
participants comprehend the cultural development phase in Bali.
The
visit began with the trip to Batukaru temple to witness the holy water
invocation ritual to the Gods and then was proceeded with the
interactive dialogue session with the Director of Balinese Paddy Field
Conservation Foundation, Phyllis Kaplan and the lecturer of
International Relations department of Udhayana University, Wiwik
Dharmiasih.
Phyllis stressed the importance of the irrigation
system for the survival of mankind. "Balinese Paddy Field Conservation
Foundation developed the Economic Development with The Farmers program
to encourage the farmers to produce the organic products. The program
aims to develop and conserve the traditional irrigation system (subak),
so that farmers can continue to make benefit of the system that has been
established by the ancestors,†he explained.
This was echoed by
Wiwik, said that Subak is an important asset in Bali, which must not
only be maintained, but also preserved its continuity. “In this modern
time, there are many farmers who advise their grandchildren not to
become a farmer, but to become a doctor or other, instead. Thoughts like
these will ultimately make Subak become neglected. The infrastructure
development for paddy fields will help stimulate society to start
farming and producing their own products, without having to import goods
from other countries, “said Wiwik.
Subak is how Balinese people
call water irrigation system, which was formed as a management system to
ensure that water can irrigate rice fields in a village. Like other
traditional organizations in Bali, Subak is also based on the philosophy
of Tri Hita Karana. A philosophy which teaches that happiness can be
achieved if human beings are able to maintain harmonious relations
between the three elements, namely Parhyangan (Deity), Pawongan (Human),
and Palemahan (Nature).
The participants also gain knowledge
from the speakers concerning the obstacles to the survival of Subak
system. One of the main reason is the demands of the rapid development
in various fields, mainly tourism, which is not always in line with the
values of local wisdom embraced by local community. Therefore, Subak
became one of the issues to be discussed at the World Culture Forum
2016, to put an example on the complexity of the problems faced in
preserving local knowledge in line with the demands of development in
Bali as a world tourism base. Therefore, the consideration to the effort
to inform Subak to the world community is echoed into valuable
knowledge because it is expected to bridge the interdependence between
man, nature and divinity. (WDY)
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