UNAIR NEWS – The Student Executive Board (BEM) of Universitas Airlangga’s Faculty of Humanities recently organized an international seminar titled Small Action, Big Impact: Preserving Cultural Heritage in the Era of Environmental Crisis. The event was held at Maleo Hall in the Medang Building on Dharmawangsa-B Campus of Universitas Airlangga on Monday, September 2, 2024.
In collaboration with Airlangga Global Engagement (AGE), BEM FIB aimed to provide education on environmental and cultural issues to students. The seminar was attended by dozens of local students and ten international students from various countries around the world.
Linking cultural preservation to environmental sustainability
Tegar Putratama Fahriza, President of the Student Executive Board, delivered a brief welcome speech at the event. He expressed his excitement about the seminar and hoped participants would gain new insights, particularly concerning environmental issues.
“This seminar, which is part of the CUBES 2024 series, aims to educate the public on how humans adapt to their environment, create new cultures, and raise awareness of the importance of cultural preservation for environmental sustainability,” he stated.
Featuring environmental and cultural experts
The seminar featured three speakers renowned for their expertise in environmental and cultural topics. The first speaker, Adriani Valianda Tobing, Coordinator of Earth Hour Indonesia, presented on Humans and Climate Change. She highlighted the significant role human actions play in the current climate crisis.
When people engage in environmentally damaging activities, such as disposing of waste in rivers or cutting down forests, these behaviors contribute to climate changes that ultimately harm humanity. Thus, there must be a harmonious relationship between societal cultural practices and environmental protection efforts.
“I believe there is a connection between community culture and the environment. A close example is the traditional culture in Papua, where they are taught to protect the environment by cleaning rivers and preserving forests,” she explained.
Echoing Tobing’s views, the second speaker, Asisi Suhariyanto, stated that the connection between culture and the environment has existed since the era of classical Nusantara. The founder of Asisi Channel highlighted the crucial role humans play in protecting the environment.
The final speaker, Prigi Arisandi, stressed that protecting the environment is a noble pursuit. “I believe that those who protect the environment are like people who are buying their way into heaven,” said the founder of Ecoton.
Author: Selly Imeldha
Editor: Edwin Fatahuddin
