Students of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), associated in Generasi Bakti Negeri (GBN) community performing a social service in Sebatik, Nunukan, Kalimantan Utara, will organize Festival Tanah Perbatasan, Saudara Sebatik Festival 2 (Border Area Festival) on 14 September 2016. It will be conducted in Sungai Limau village abutting on Malaysia, and it will involve people of Sebatik.
Chief of the festival, Afiq Adzana, informed that the festival is one of the social service programs in Sebatik. “People living in border areas are confronting issues of nationalism. For instance, people get confused to use rupiah or ringgit as the currency, to use the Indonesian language or Malay, and others. Thus, and this festival aims at preserving Indonesian culture in the border area,” he stated on a press release on Friday (9/9).
He mentioned that the festival also becomes an entertainment and a forum for the border people to learn. “GBN community attempts to display Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity -ed.) as the identity of Indonesia. Even though we possess different languages, cultures, and ethnics, we are united, one flag, one nation Indonesia, one language,” he told.
A festival theme of ‘WARNA’ standing for Warna-Warni Nusantara (Colors of Nusantara) represents cultural diversity of Indonesia. Besides, the festival schedule was free silk-screening, marching band, UKM bazaar, mosaic formation, musical drama performance, dances, documenter film, firework party, and others.
“There will be a lantern park in the festival firstly conducted in the province. The night will be attended by Regent of Nunukan, Hj, Asmin Laura Hafid, S.E., M.M., Military Sub-district Commander (Danrami) of Sebatik Captain CHB A.M. Sudirman, government officials, and public figures of the village,” Afiq mentioned.
The festival is on Kitabisa.com. “Who would like to contribute to the festival may donate through accessing www.kitabisa.com/festivalperbatasan. I wish that the festival will raise children’s and people’s awareness of Indonesian culture. In fact, the people in the border area are more familiar to Malaysian culture than their home country,”Afiq ended.
