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By Tabrani Yunis
World Book Day, the day when people in the world celebrate it on April 23rd every year. This celebration can mope popular in developed countries with its high reading culture. While in developing countries it is very rarely, even we almost never hear or read about the world book day. Probably because we rarely read and care about it. Thus, the book day of the world is not as thrilling as any other historic day such as the World Day of Labor (May Day is celebrated on the 1st of May) or women's day, every March 8th.
Actually, every year most countries in the world celebrate the World Book Day on April 23rd as UNESCO in 1995 in the General Conference decided and declared that April 23rd is the World Book Day. So, the existence of the World Book Day is the celebration of book and literacy held every year. Historically, the celebration of the World Book Day was the celebration of Saint George in Catalonia in the middle age. There was an interesting tradition of giving flowers for every book we bought in Catalonia, Spain. This tradition then in 1923 inspired the bookshop and booksellers initiated to change the tradition from giving the flowers to giving books to the buyers. It was also as the appreciation and honorable for Miguel de Cervantes, a writer who died on April 23rd. it was also for Shakespeare, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and Josep Pla who had died, while Maurice Druon, Vladimir Nabokov, Manuel Mejía Vallejo and Halldór Laxness were born on that date. So, it is assumed that the World Book Day celebration is the good momentum for appreciating the writers, publishing companies, and books distributors. It is also for the Government bodies, NGOs, and communities which work on the issue of books and literacy as the self enrichment, and improving the values of social, culture and humanity.
Well, if we trace the halls of the history of the world book day celebration, we will surely find different ways of celebrating it. Perhaps, we will tell how the celebrations in England, Belgium, Canada, Brazil and so on. We can see how the celebration was done in several cities in Indonesia. It is said that in the celebration of the world's first book day was held in 2006 initiated by Forum Indonesia Reading supported by various parties, be it government, business, academia, community and public. The celebration of the book day is now continuously celebrated by the people of Indonesia. Since set 23 April as the book day of the world, the city of Surabaya including a city that is very active celebrate the book day of the world. In 2012 the Surabaya City Government in Flora Bratang Park, Surabaya held a community reading conference (TBM), library book exhibition, photo exhibition, film screening from the Library and Library Board of Surabaya, books bazaar and reading car on 23-24 April 2012. Around 30,000 books were provided at a number of points in the 2.4 hectare park, also held storytelling competitions at elementary and general levels. Here, people can read, borrow, or even buy books at the bazaar at a discount.
In 2014 as it was written by Voice of America, April 21, 2014, "as many as 1,022 dancers from elementary schools throughout Surabaya dance a new dance creations titled Dance Book in the yard of City Hall Surabaya, Sunday (20/4), to invite the whole community, especially students to be fonder of reading books. 1,022 students from elementary school all over Surabaya crowded Surabaya Town Hall yard in Taman Surya on Sunday (20/4), to break the record of MURI with Book Dance Commemorating World Book Day. Of course not only in Surbaya, in other places were also many events in the framework of the book day of the world
However, Surabaya, it was a diligent in literacy movement. Recently Surabaya, as written by Satria Darma, a literacy activist based in Surabaya, said that he received a very prestigious award, namely the Socrates Award 2014 award from Europe Business Assembly (EBA) for City of the Future category. This year Surabaya declared itself as "City of Literacy". Declared itself as a "City of Literacy". is a very visionary, brilliant and very brave idea. When many regional heads (and even academics) are still stuttering with the term literacy, Surabaya suddenly proclaimed itself as a "City of Literacy". It was an extraordinary breakthrough as if it were an oasis in the middle of the desert. So said Satria Darma.
What about Aceh?
The World Book Day celebration in Aceh on April 23 this year was not as glamorous as what was done in some other cities in Indonesia. Until the end of May 2014, there was no one in the media who preach about the activities of the world book day. I wonder what makes up the celebration of the book day of the world? Either there are not many people who know, or even do not care about the celebration. Perhaps also because the concern for efforts to care for literacy is low, so forget the momentum of the book day of the world.
Regardless of the quietness, or the low attention of our community, local government and our academics to the momentum of the book day of the world, we should be able to interpret the World Book Day celebration functionally, reflectively and contemplatively. Indeed, whose name is celebration or celebration, is often not meaningful, because it is not taken the essence of a celebration or celebration. However, in relation to the celebration of the book day of the world, our nation, from Aceh to Papua, should be able to use the world book as a momentum to make it meaningful and useful to encourage this nation to be a reading nation, a nation that respects copy right , the work of others and so on.
At least, if the book day of the world is celebrated by our nation simultaneously, this momentum can be used as a momentum to reflect ourselves, see how our attitudes and behavior towards copyright, the work of our nation. For example, reflect our nation's attitude and behavior towards reading and writing activities that are still very alarming. Also look at the attitudes and behavior of our nation towards the low appreciation of our government and society towards writers, publishers and copyrights on paper, art and others, which in reality is still very low. Because it is essentially UNESCO establishing the World Book Day on April 23, to promote reading, publishing and copyright activities. UNESCO wants to encourage everyone to find pleasure in reading and working, while remembering the great authors who have contributed to the progress of nation civilization in various fields, economics, social, culture, religion, etc.
In addition to the above, the World Book Day celebration, we should make the momentum to see and measure the achievements that have been obtained in an effort to improve the quality of the nation through various activities that encourage everyone to be actively involved in reading and literacy movement. It's time to look at how the face of our books, the faces of libraries at various levels, schools, campuses and even public libraries provided by the government. If we interpret the World Book Day celebration as a momentum that is functionally, reflective and constructive, then on April 23 we will be able to use all eyes and mind to improve the bad condition of our reading culture. We will need to see and correct the weaknesses that are happening in an effort to increase the quality of human resources in this country.
Whether we realize it or not, in fact, in the midst of the struggle of information technology advances that led to the swift current of globalization, it is very necessary reading ability and high literacy. Indispensable real efforts to stimulate the culture of reading in the midst of our society is now increasingly weakened. Of course many ways that can be taken to stretch the spirit or interest in reading the community. For example, revitalizing existing libraries at various levels and types of libraries by increasing book collections, improving services by improving the quality of librarians, and making libraries a comfortable and fulfilling place for reading, obtaining or accessing all information in libraries. In addition, in order for the reader's productivity to grow well, there must be an effort to guide the new generation to engage in productive activities for writing. This means that while improving the culture and reading power of the community, at the same time, should be able to encourage people to write. In this way, we will always make the World Book Day celebration be meaningful. Hopefully World book day this year we can do it together.