Indonesia leads sustainable development drive as local wisdom used as global theme

Indonesia serves as the hub of the United Nations'initiative in promoting the adoption of sustainable development drive in the Southeast Asia region with Balinese local wisdom of Tri Hita Karana adopted as philosophy model of the global drive implementation, an Indonesian minister said here on Sunday. "The Tri Hita Karana is a wisdom embraced by Balinese people in conducting their daily life. It stands for three values that promote harmony living between men and the creator, men and others and men and the nature," Indonesian Creative Economy and Tourism Minister Marie Elka Pangestu told a press conference here in the afternoon. She said that Tri Hita Karana philosophy constitutes values that make people respect the environment, socially inclusive and containing ethics on how they relate to three beings stipulated in the philosophy. The appointment on Indonesia to take such a responsibility came into place after Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated UN-initiated Sustainable Development Solutions Network- Southeast Asia (SDSN) SEA in the first edition of the International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) that focused on tourism earlier Sunday. The two-day conference was held on the sidelines of the APEC meetings. Despite convincing statistic figures that Asia and the Pacific region harbors 45 percent of global trade and dominates up to 60 percent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Marie said that implementation of sustainable development was considered necessary as the region emits 60 percent of global emission. "The Balinese Tri Hita Karana truly embodies the idea of sustainable development drive. Bali becomes the inspiration, take the leadership in global's devotion to sustainable development in years to come," Jeffrey Sachs, director of the UN SDSN program said at the event.