Yogyakarta, 17 March 2022 – The city of Yogyakarta, widely known as the City of Students rich with various customs and culture, is chosen as the host city of the First Meeting of G20 Education Working Group (EdWG) 2022. This meeting is held for three days from 16 to 18 March 2022. On the first day of the meeting, the G20 EdWG delegates is served by a royal-style dinner at the Yogyakarta Palace, called Ladosan Dhahar Kembul Bujana.
Ladosan Dhahar Kembul Bujana is a fine dining that adapt the Javanese royal family tradition in the past. It is a group dining tradition that provides special services to the members of the royal family. The waiters wear traditional cloth identical to the courtiers of kraton or palace, in which the women wear kemban or Indonesian female torso wrap combined with jarik or Javanese batik garment. Meanwhile, the men wear peranakan shirt, jarik, and blangkon, Javanese traditional headgear made of batik fabric. The food is carried by waiters in wooden containers known as jodhang, carried on their shoulders who walks in front holding a royal yellow umbrella (Songsong).
By adapting the tradition of Ladosan Dhahar Kembul Bujana, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) served the EdWG G20 delegates in the Welcoming Dinner event on Wednesday evening, (16/3), which took place at Bale Kambang, one of the historical residences of Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono VII in 1877-1921, which now functioned as a museum.
The procession of Ladosan Dhahar Kembul Bujana for the G20 EdWG delegates started with a parade of seven couple officers walking from the main kitchen to Gadri or Bale Kambang. The person carrying Jodhang is led by a Bekel or Cucuk Lampah, then followed by a singer on the left, along with other four people bringing Jodhang, and finally a female waitress in charge of serving dishes at the guest table. Previously, the delegates watched the Srimpi Pandhelori dance accompanied by Gendhing Pandhelori music from the gamelan, a traditional dance specially performed during special events at the Yogyakarta Palace.
The food in the Ladosan Dhahar Kembul Bujana set menu include the favorite appetizers and desserts of the Sultans, from Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono VII to IX. A total of 11 menus were served to the G20 delegates, namely Javanese non-alcoholic beer, Roti Jok Semur Ayam, Ledre Pisang, Salad Mentimun, Wangi Pandan Rice, Dendeng Age, Sapitan Lidah, Zwaart Zuur, Lombok Kethok Sandung Lamur, Setup Pakis Taji, and Rondo Topo.
The Chair of the G20 Education Working Group, Iwan Syahril said, through the Ladosan Dhahar Kembul Bujana tradition, he hoped the delegates could have an unforgettable experience in Yogyakarta. "Tonight, we would like to introduce you about the hundreds of years of culture and traditions which are manifested in sociability, dance, and cuisine," he said, in his opening speech before the dinner. Iwan also expressed his deepest gratitude to the Government of the Special Region of Yogyakarta for supporting the hosting of the G20 First EdWG Meeting.
Character Building Education and Cultural Values in the City of Students to Strengthen Tolerance
Dining tradition for the G20 EdWG delegates was attended by the Deputy Governor of Special Region of Yogyakarta, Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Aryo Paku Alam X, who delivered remarks from the Governor of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X. In his remarks, the Deputy Governor of Yogyakarta said that Yogyakarta is not only known as the City of Students, but is also often referred to as "The Heart of Java". He said that the integration of education with culture has resulted in the Yogyakarta people's courtesy.
"If we look back at its history, the Special Region of Yogyakarta was indeed built on the values of diversity and tolerance. Prambanan Temple, which you will visit tomorrow, has become a witness to the value of tolerance that was upheld by religious adherents in past civilizations. For example, Prambanan Temple is a Hindu temple, while the nearby Sewu Temple is a place of worship for Buddhists," said KGPAA Paku Alam X.
Moving to a more contemporary era, the Kota Baru area in Yogyakarta has become a node of tolerance between Muslims and Catholics, where the Martyrs' Mosque is located next to the Catholic Church of Saint Antonius Padua. KGPAA Paku Alam X said the two religious entities can live in harmony, enrich, and strengthen Yogyakarta's current culture of tolerance. "Of course, we must agree from the beginning that education must be designed to respect differences, because in the end, it is tolerance that will elevate our humanity to a higher level. This vision is in line with what Hellen Keller said, 'the highest result of education is tolerance'," he said.
He hoped that the G20 EdWG 2022 can inspire the development of education through the cooperation of G20 member countries. "I am sure that all participants are enthusiast in sharing their thoughts and bright ideas to advance global education," he said.
