UN Month: “People and the City” Festival Celebrates Heritage and Sustainability

Indonesia Hidden Heritage Creative Hub, in collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Jakarta, launched "Festival Cerita Kota: People and the City" at the UN office in Jakarta today. The festival, which runs from 27 September to 28 October 2025 across seven Indonesian cities, transforms museums and public spaces into living classrooms to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through cultural heritage, creativity and youth participation.

To kick off the campaign, the event focused on SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. The talk shows and creative workshop explored what roles museums can play in promoting sustainability, including sustainable consumption. The event brought together voices from the Ministry of Creative Economy, Indonesian Heritage Agency, Jakarta Maritime Museum, Trash Hero Jakarta, as well as the United Nations in Indonesia.

Opening the discussion, the Vice Minister of Creative Economy, Irene Umar highlighted the significance of sustainability in cultural and creative industries.

“Actually, there are many SDGs, but the most important thing is that all of us, as fellow human beings, as President Prabowo Subianto said, that as fellow human beings, we have a job to preserve the planet, we have a job to do something for the planet, and for our fellow human beings. So let us come together, not only because of the SDGs, but because this is our fundamental duty as one of the nations in the world. As fellow human beings, let’s do something together!,” she said.

About half of the 200 participants were heritage experts, government officials and environmental activists from across Indonesia, with students from across Jakarta making up the rest of the attendees. The morning session focused on creativity, heritage and sustainable consumption, while the afternoon session discussed science, policy and collective action.

Nofa Farida Lestari, Executive Director of Indonesia Hidden Heritage Creative Hub, underlined the power of storytelling to advance sustainability: “People and the City is an opening programme that activates 17 museums, heritage sites, and community spaces spread across Indonesia, to reflect on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. At Indonesia Hidden Heritage Creative Hub, it is our mission to encourage all stakeholders to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.

Miklos Gaspar, Director of UNIC Jakarta, talked about environmentally friendly traditions in Indonesia, which museums can showcase and help revive. “Using banana leaves as packaging or bamboo sticks as materials for everyday items helps to revive old traditions and at the same time supports environmental goals,” he said. “SDG 12 is about the choices we make every day in what we consume, how we produce, and how we manage waste. This festival shows that museums and public spaces can be vibrant platforms for civic dialogue and creative participation.”

Looking beyond Jakarta, the Festival Cerita Kota will continue to travel across Bandung, Palembang, Cirebon, Sumbawa, Kendari and Ambon. Each city will host tailored activities such as workshops, story circles, film screenings, exhibitions, and heritage walks — each designed to align with specific SDGs including Climate Action, Quality Education, and Gender Equality. Various United Nations agencies, including UNEP, UNIDO, IOM and other agencies will contribute to these events.

By moving from city to city, the festival makes sure that conversations about the SDGs don’t stay locked inside in headquarters. Instead, they come alive in the places where people live, learn and gather. “In museums, on the streets, and in community spaces, these discussions spark awareness, connect generations, and open new ways to link heritage with the creative economy,” Lestari said.