This became valuable, something to be shared with their counterparts among OIC member countries. It is very clear that multiculturalism in Indonesia has been managed positively by Youth, in the effort to sustain their movement and play an active role in working hand-in-hand with other generations to achieve freedom from colonial rule.
It seems the role of Youth will always be needed. The world situation became very complex, due to a rapid transformation in information technology. It worsened when the world faced natural and unnatural disasters, including an unprecedented pandemic. Many disasters are cross-border ones. Global issues need global collaboration. To anticipate further destructive threats of natural and man-made disasters, global collaboration is needed, aiming to awaken human awareness toward their obligation to protect life and the environment sustainably.
To understand core issues of their lifestyle more precisely, and how they may impact the environment, humans need to understand their surroundings. They need to respect their interactions, namely, interaction between human and human, interaction between human and environment and interaction between human and the Creator. As the Holy Qur’an, Surah Ar Ruum 22, says “Among the signs of His power is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and the colors of your skin. Verily in that there are sign for those who know”.
For the above reason, the OIC Youth Cultural Conference cherishes a noble aim to avoid worsening of the world’s condition. Despite the many ethnic groups and races found in the world, the Almighty orders humans to act wisely in their environment. In this regard, youth, as a productive age, must be given a role to become an “agent of change” – change for a better condition and the three basic interactions as mentioned above.
The above perspective seems to be a priority at the level of the OIC Secretariat to move forward with OIC members. As emphasized by the OIC Assistant Secretary General, HE Tareeq Bakheet during the Press Conference held on July 7, 2023 at Ministry of Youth and Sport of Indonesia, the OIC Secretariat has just established a new Youth Department. This Department was formed to channel and coordinate the Youth Development Program among members of OIC and other fora.
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This new establishment of a Youth Department in the OIC Secretariat becomes an appropriate place for the Indonesian Government and Youth Stakeholders, under the supervision and coordination of Technical Ministry in Indonesia, to examine cases and play a more active role while working together with the Secretariat and other Members and OIC bodies, in supporting the OIC Youth World, especially in promoting and widening open literacy on a multicultural aspect, aligning with empowering youth, through a proper education and vocation.
The above combined approaches seem to be in line with multi-cultural reality of OIC member countries, and will be a strategic asset to collaborate in organizing a forum of communication and interaction. For the above noble aims, let us commend and support this committee for its successful and fruitful results, and join together to open literacy of our cultural heritage through youth participation in assisting the people of the world to regain their noble existence, namely, to work together in pursuing good deeds and avoiding or even forbidding destruction. It is hoped that the meeting will result in joint projects that widen open literacy in many technical fields, in order to create welfare, not only for society in member countries but also beyond OIC member countries. Wallahu ‘alam bi showab.