Discussion on Writing Tales and Ecological Sustainability: Reviving the Relationship between Myths and Nature in the Modern Era

• By Admin
• Jumat, 31 Oktober 2025

Denpasar, October 31, 2025 — As part of the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF) 2025, a discussion session entitled “Writing Hikayat and Ecological Sustainability Together” was held in the Prof. Dr. Ida Wayan Bawa Room, I Gusti Ngurah Bagus Building, 3rd Floor, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Udayana University. The event took place from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM WITA and was attended by students from various programs within the Faculty of Cultural Sciences. The discussion featured two main speakers: Asief Abdi, a writer and naturalist known for his works in Sivitas Kothèka, and Taufik Agus Purnomo, a lecturer in Cultural Anthropology at Udayana University. The event was moderated by Andi Legawa.

During the session, speakers discussed the relationship between narrative, myth, and ecology through literary and anthropological approaches. Asief Abdi introduced the concept of mythobotanical tales, which are stories that link humans, myths, and plants as a reflection of ecological relationships that have long existed in the culture of the Indonesian archipelago. Meanwhile, Mr. Taufik Agus Purnomo emphasized the importance of viewing local traditions and myths as spaces for ecological learning that remain relevant amid the global environmental crisis.

The event was lively and enthusiastic. The entire room was filled with participants who actively discussed and asked critical questions. The students showed great interest in the topic of environmental sustainability through the perspective of culture and literature. Through this activity, it is hoped that the younger generation, especially students of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, can develop an awareness that writing is not merely an aesthetic activity, but can also be a means of preserving nature and local wisdom passed down through stories (Linggar Rahmawati).