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fter hosting the APEC Summit and Bali Democracy Forum, Bali will remain busy with other international events until the end of this year. The holiday resort island is now preparing the World Culture Forum (WCF) that it will host from Nov. 24-27.

'€œThrough the World Culture Forum, we hope Indonesia could be the world cultural leader,'€ Deputy Education and Culture Minister for Culture Wiendu Nuryanti said during the WCF preparedness meeting in the governor'€™s office in Denpasar, on Friday.

With the theme '€œThe Power of Culture in Sustainable Development'€, WCF will be attended by more than 1,000 participants from over 30 countries.

'€œThis will be the first world forum to discuss culture. Indonesia initiated the forum, and hopes to stand equal with the world economic forum in Davos, Switzerland,'€ Wiendu said.

During the WCF, cultural performances from all around the world will be performed, including from Bali and other regions in Indonesia. The subak farming and irrigation system will also be introduced during the event.

The WCF will open with a cultural night gala dinner at Garuda Wisnu Kencana on Nov. 24. Representatives of some famous world festivals will be integrated into the culture performance with around 700 dancers from the Indonesian Art Institute (ISI) Bali.

Those participating in the gala dinner are Rio de Janeiro Carnival from Brazil, Lantern Festival from China, Kerala Festival from India, Matsuri Festival from Japan and Mehter Takimi from Turkey. Five Indonesian best-of-the-best festivals will also participate: Jember Fashion Carnival from Jember in East Java, Reog Ponorogo Festival from Ponorogo in East Java, Ogoh Ogoh Festival from Bali, Hudoq Borneo Festival from East Kalimantan and Asmat-Agats and Baliem Valley Festival from Papua. '€œAll participants in the performance have confirmed their attendance. As many as 1,200 people will be invited to enjoy the cultural performance,'€ Wiendu said.

The conference will start on Nov. 25 at Westin Resort and Spa in Nusa Dua. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to officially open the forum, which will be attended by 12 cultural ministers from 12 countries, including China, Russia, Poland, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

As many as 64 speakers from 30 countries will talk during several parallel sessions held over two days, discussing global culture, including its relationship with the economy, democracy and environment.

During WCF, participants will be invited to several sites on the island, including the monkey forest, Museum Rudana and House of Masks and Puppets in Gianyar.