ormer president Megawati Soekarnoputri has opened the World Culture Forum (WCF) in Nusa Dua, Bali, standing in for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who had been slated to open the four-day event himself.
The opening ceremony on Thursday, scheduled to kick off at 9 a.m., was delayed. At around 9:30 a.m., the master of ceremony announced Megawati, as "the fifth president of Indonesia", without mentioning the cancellation of Jokowi's presence.
After a series of opening events that included a traditional dance performance, remarks by Minister of Education and Culture Muhadjir Effendy and recorded speeches by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and UNESCO director general Irina Bokova, Megawati officially opened the event by striking the gong prior to delivering her keynote speech.
"I am representing President Joko Widodo, who could not be present at this event. He extends his warm greetings to all of you," Megawati said.
In her address, she highlighted the contribution of culture to creating peace, preserving nature and breaking down boundaries in global relations, which were marred with conflicts.
"Culture must be our common road, so that the earth is preserved […] for the life of us all."
She stressed the state ideology of Pancasila with its five guiding principles as the path for the culture of this nation, which is characterized by remarkable diversity with more than 1,000 ethnic groups. (dmr)
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