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AKARTA: A seminar involving international speakers on silat martial arts literature is scheduled for Nov. 5 at the Tarumanagara University in West Jakarta.

Held in collaboration with the Masyarakat Tjerita Silat (the society of silat account lovers), the event will discuss the literature’s potential to shape the nation’s character, society head Sutrisno Murtiyoso said on Friday.

“Silat literature offers a myriad of moral messages such as patriotism, justice, brotherhood, loyalty among friends, defending the weak and the powerless and many others,” Sutrisno said at a press conference.

Tarumanagara University research and academic publication institute head Jap Tji Beng said that the strong ideals were missing from Indonesian’s daily lives.

“This is the perfect time to reconsider the merit of silat literature and their potential to improve Indonesia as a nation,” Jap said.

Speakers include Singapore Chinese Heritage Center director Leo Suryadinata, French researcher Claudine Salmon, INSEAD silat literature researcher Edward Buckingham and Airlangga University sociologist Dede Utomo.