Memahat Aksara Jawa di Ruang Digital

Summary

The video highlights the preservation and digitalization of Javanese script, spearheaded by Setia Amri and the Segajah Bung community in Yogyakarta. Facing challenges like declining literacy and limited digital use, Amri integrates traditional practices with modern technology, including Unicode fonts, keyboards, and educational methods inspired by the Iqro system. Through community workshops, school programs, and digital platforms, young generations are encouraged to read, write, and creatively engage with Javanese script. The initiative not only safeguards cultural identity and ancestral philosophies but also adapts the script for contemporary use, ensuring its relevance and survival in a digital world.

Takeaways

• 📝 Javanese script faces the risk of extinction, as only about 1% of Javanese speakers can read and write it despite the language being widely spoken.
• 💻 Digital technology and social media are being used as modern tools to preserve and promote Javanese script among younger generations.
• 🏛️ Setia Amri, a philologist and cultural advocate, founded the Segajah Bung community to revive and maintain the use of Javanese script.
• 📜 Efforts include retyping Serat Mocopat manuscripts in Javanese script and printing them using digital devices to retain cultural authenticity.
• 🔤 Incorporating Javanese script into digital systems has been challenging despite Unicode registration since 2009, due to limited functional use beyond decorative purposes.
• 🏆 Standardization initiatives, such as the Javanese script congress and SNI certification, have enabled the script to be used more effectively on mobile phones and computers.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Community engagement focuses on young people, making the script 'cool' and accessible through workshops, classes, and interactive activities.
• 🎨 Students are encouraged to learn Javanese script creatively via calligraphy, poster designs, comics, and typing exercises to integrate it with technology.
• 🏫 Formal educational institutions are used as agents of change, embedding Javanese script learning in school curricula and cultural labs to increase familiarity.
• 🌏 Preserving Javanese script is seen as preserving civilization itself, as using other scripts for a language can lead to cultural and philosophical loss.
• 🤝 Collaboration with other communities and society at large is crucial to spread the use of Javanese script digitally and culturally.
• 📈 The ultimate goal is to move Javanese script from limited-use status to a fully recognized digital script, ensuring it remains relevant for future generations.

Q & A

Why is it important to preserve Javanese script according to the transcript?

Preserving Javanese script is important because when languages with their own scripts are forced to be expressed in other scripts, some cultural and philosophical elements are lost. Maintaining the script helps retain Javanese identity, values, and historical literacy.

Who is Setia Amri and what role does he play in preserving Javanese script?

Setia Amri, born in Wonosobo in 1981, is a philologist and a servant at the Yogyakarta Palace. He founded the Segajah Bung community and has dedicated himself to preserving and digitizing Javanese script to prevent it from becoming extinct.

How does digital technology help in preserving Javanese script?

Digital technology allows Javanese script to be used on computers, gadgets, and the internet. By integrating the script into digital devices and social media, it can reach younger generations and remain relevant in modern society.

What challenges exist in digitizing Javanese script?

Challenges include limited Unicode support, insufficient technical understanding of digital systems, and the fact that Javanese script is currently categorized as a limited-use script, making it more decorative than functional in everyday digital communication.

What was the purpose of the first Javanese script congress in 2021?

The congress aimed to create and standardize fonts and keyboard layouts for Javanese script to ensure they could be used consistently on digital devices and obtain SNI (National Standardization Agency) certification.

How does the Segajah Bung community engage young people with Javanese script?

The community organizes weekly chanting sessions of ancient manuscripts, teaches reading and writing Javanese script, and involves youth in creative activities like calligraphy, posters, and digital writing to make learning the script engaging and relevant.

Why is integrating Javanese script into schools important?

Integrating the script into schools ensures that students become familiar with reading and writing it at an early age. This approach builds literacy and appreciation for the script before students enter adulthood, helping to sustain cultural heritage.

What innovative methods did Amri use to teach Javanese script in schools?

Amri created a fast-learning method inspired by the Iqro method for reading the Quran. He also combined Javanese lessons with IT, allowing students to type, read, and create content using Javanese script on computers.

How does Amri view the relationship between Javanese script and civilization?

Amri believes that preserving Javanese script is synonymous with maintaining civilization. Losing the script would mean losing access to the culture, values, and knowledge passed down through generations.

What role do parents play in teaching Javanese script at home?

Parents often struggle to teach Javanese script at home due to their own limited literacy in it. Unlike Indonesian, which children are exposed to from an early age, Javanese script is less familiar, making school and community programs essential.

What is the significance of creating 'cool' branding for Javanese script?

Making Javanese script appear 'cool' to younger generations encourages engagement. If the script is seen as modern and relevant, youth are more likely to explore, use, and preserve it.

How do community collaborations contribute to the preservation of Javanese script?

Collaborations with other communities, workshops, seminars, and digital initiatives help spread awareness, provide technical expertise, and increase the script’s presence in daily digital life, ensuring wider adoption and sustainability.