WASHINGTON, D.C. —
As an ancestral heritage and cultural richness, batik has become an everyday part of Indonesian society. Batik clothing, for example, is not only comfortable to wear every day, but has also become formal clothing at the presidential palace, international forums and world bodies.
However, while many Indonesians ‘take it for granted’ or feel that batik is something ordinary, this is not the case with citizens of the world. This was seen in the celebration of Batik Day at the World Bank headquarters, in Washington DC, last Tuesday (3/10). Hundreds of staff and guests of this prestigious body were willing to queue just to learn how to make batik.
Tany Cabbins, a World Bank staff member of Indian descent, was fascinated by the richness of Indonesian batik motifs.” (VOA/Eva)
Tanya Cabbins, a World Bank staff member of Indian descent, was very fascinated by the batik-making process she was involved in. “The manufacturing process is really cool! I didn’t know that the batik I had painted would turn out like this. “I mean, the process of removing the wax, making the fabric color and so on is extraordinary,” he explained.
A similar thing was conveyed by Dianne Warner, a World Bank staff member who comes from Jamaica and was willing to queue to get a white cloth the size of a quarto paper which she first had to paint using a canting.
“I like bright batik colors, like the one on display. So when I was told that I could create one for myself, I wanted to know the process. “I am happy to be here, introduced to Indonesian culture, especially batik,” he commented.
Tatiana Daza, a World Bank staff member who comes from Ecuador, and who learned about the existence of batik for the first time and tried making it, cannot express her excitement in words.
“This is the first time I have seen something like this. I have always wondered how to make designs on this beautiful fabric. “Now I know the secret and I’m very happy… I’m happy to have the opportunity to know more about Indonesia and I’m sure Indonesia has a lot to offer,” he said.
Ratna Camry, opens a batik learning room for visitors to “Batik Day” at the Worldbank Building, Washington, DC (VOA/Eva)
Ratna Camry, an Indonesian citizen who opened a batik learning room, which was packed until the afternoon, said she did not expect what she taught to attract so many visitors.
“We brought from home about 500 small pieces of cloth ready to be painted with batik, but it turned out we didn’t have enough. So you have to quickly prepare it again. “We opened the booth since 10 am, and until now there hasn’t been a stop of people wanting to learn batik,” he explained.
World Bank’s First Post-COVID Public Event
The celebration of Batik Day at the World Bank, which was attended by more than 300 guests, including ambassadors from friendly countries, was not only filled with batik exhibitions and other creations, but also arts and culinary events typical of Indonesia. This is the first event held openly at the World Bank after the widespread outbreak of the corona virus.
Head of External Affairs in the Infrastructure Practice Group at the World Bank, Muhammad Al Arief, said, “Batik is UNESCO’s cultural heritage. Celebrating Batik Day in the World Bank building is very appropriate considering that people from 189 countries work here. So it’s like a mini-UN. Apart from batik, there is cultural performance. “This event is also to encourage staff from Indonesia.”
“The World Bank supports this event because this organization really values diversity (keragaman.red), including cultural diversity (diversity culture.red). This is an initiative of the Indonesian executive director and his staff, as well as the Indonesian Embassy and many supporting parties. The enthusiasm is extraordinary. We hope “This is a momentum to not only tell about batik but also the dynamics of our nation.”
Minister of Finance: Most of the 47,000 Batik SMEs are managed by women
In remarks delivered via video, Indonesian Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani reminded how the massive use of batik has helped move the rice pots of more than 47,000 craftsmen and owners of small and medium enterprises (UKM).
“And most of these SMEs are managed by women,” he said, adding “so encouraging the development of batik SMEs also means empowering women’s businesses.”
The Batik Day celebration at the World Bank presents batik crafts from several SMEs assisted by the private sector, for example Bank Exim and Bank Central Asia BCA. Since 2021, BCA has built the “Gemah Sumilir Batik Village Tourism Village” in Pekalongan and the “Pingersari Tourism Village” in Yogyakarta, and has helped provide training and services, including leadership techniques and budget management.
Ready to Encourage the Progress of SMEs
Indonesian Ambassador to America who also doubles as Deputy Minister of BUMN, Rosan Roeslani. (VOA/Eva Mazrieva)
Interviewed by VOA towards the end of the event, the Indonesian Ambassador to America who also doubles as Deputy Minister of BUMN, Rosan Roeslani, expressed his party’s readiness to encourage the progress of SMEs.
“Batik has become part of our daily lives… Therefore, existing batik UKMs must continue to be encouraged to progress, especially because there are so many women involved here. “This is a very powerful moment of empowerment that we must encourage and empower,” he explained.
Data from the Ministry of Industry last August shows that the batik industry has a very important role in driving national economic growth. The export value of batik and batik products between January and April 2023 alone reached US$26.7 million. This value is much higher than exports throughout 2022 which reached US$64.56 million. The government is targeting the export value of batik and inner products this year to rise to at least US$100 million.
Indonesia has established four “Batik Geographical Indications,” which are a form of protection for intellectual property, or batik motifs that are characteristic of a region. The four geographical indications are Nitik Yogyakarta Written Batik, Besurek Batik in Bengkulu, Pekalongan Batik Sarong and Complongan Written Batik in Indramayu. (em/mis/hour)