Keeping Tradition Alive Amid Busy Lives: ALIT Tampaksiring Youth Ambassadors Preserve the Wisdom of Fresh-Flower Banten
Amid the rapid pace of modernization and the increasingly busy lives of today’s teenagers, preserving local traditions can be a challenge. Yet in Tampaksiring, Bali, efforts to reconnect young people with their cultural roots continue to grow. Through the Geliat Remaja Banjar program, ALIT Tampaksiring Youth Ambassadors have initiated a training activity on making banten using fresh flowers—a meaningful cultural practice that is increasingly being overshadowed by the convenience-driven nature of modern life.
The practice of making banten has evolved over time. The increasingly busy routines of community members often encourage the use of ready-made materials that offer greater convenience. Through this training, fresh flowers were placed at the center of the activity because of their close connection to everyday life in Balinese communities and their important role in religious rituals. The ALIT Youth Ambassadors were introduced to various traditional flowers and guided through the process of selecting, preparing, and carefully arranging them according to the customary principles of banten making. For some teenagers who were already accustomed to creating offerings at home, the process came naturally. For those with less experience, however, it provided a valuable opportunity to learn and develop new skills.
More than simply arranging flowers, the process introduces young people to deeper philosophical values and local knowledge. Making banten teaches that tradition is not merely a ritual obligation, but also an expression of gratitude and respect for nature. Through something as simple as fresh flowers, teenagers learn not to take natural resources excessively, to keep their surroundings clean, and to work with care and attention to detail. Each stage of making banten offers lessons about how people can live in harmony with the environment around them.
Engaging and mobilizing teenagers today inevitably comes with its own challenges. As they grow older, ALIT Youth Ambassadors increasingly have commitments outside the community, including academic responsibilities and other activities. As a result, participation is no longer as consistent as it once was. There is also a perception among some young people that tradition is outdated or simply the responsibility of parents and customary elders.
In response, the approach taken is no longer one of obligation or pressure. The ALIT Youth Ambassadors engage their peers by creating activities that are relevant and inclusive, while giving teenagers the freedom to express their ideas and creativity. As a result, the initial awkwardness during the training gradually gave way to a more relaxed, warm, and welcoming atmosphere.
This positive initiative has received strong support from customary leaders, banjar elders, and parents in Tampaksiring. They see the activity as an effective space for reconnecting the younger generation with its cultural roots. Socially, Geliat Remaja Banjar has also created a safe space for young people to gather, take part in positive activities, and build more open communication with one another.
Looking ahead, the Geliat Remaja Banjar program is expected to grow beyond one or two workshops. The broader hope is that ALIT Youth Ambassadors will become increasingly independent in engaging their peers, preserving local traditions, protecting the environment, and continuing to develop positive, community-based activities within their respective banjar communities.
