Organization - Oral Traditions Association.

• To hold various activities involving researchers, observers, people interested in oral traditions, and those who support oral traditions, in order to develop their potentials;
• To appreciate and introduce the diversity of our cultural heritage, especially oral traditions, using three approaches: science and education, documentation (including publications), and performance;
• To organize accompanying programs (applied programs) preceded by research and deep observation in order to develop oral traditions and their supporting communities by means of conservation activities, reservation, preservation, and revitalization;
• To work on the re-functioning of certain oral traditions among communities, both in their original forms and in their modified or transformed forms;
• To assist the government and the general public by providing services in information, documentation, publication, research, and the advancement of oral traditions in order to create a network of information formed among various individuals and institutions.

ATL is a prominent institution whose work focuses on making oral traditions a source of wisdom and a means to build a culture which is pluralistic in character. Consequently, ATL works as a bridge that links oral traditions with society—both the academic society and the general public.

We were then a new generation without a “batch,” trying to exist, as it were, between the devil and the blue sea. On the one hand, we are faculty members and researchers dealing with academic matters; on the other hand, we deal with the NGO world, giving advocacy for the keepers, supporters, and owners of oral traditions. Our concern is not to cry over oral traditions as a cultural treasure that is dying out. Instead, it is the call of our conscience to study, document, and defend the right to live of their adherents in order to keep on expressing their cultural heritage. From the beginning, our concern is that “oral traditions may have to face extinction, but if death is unavoidable, it has to die naturally, not because of an act of murder.” Thus, this is where we came from, and to this very place we will return. Then we started to work gradually in parallel with the development of research of culture in Indonesia until now.

• Research: To improve the quality of our human resources, we have tried to organize concrete activities in the form of training.
• Seminars: Apart from discussions, workshops, and non-routine scientific meetings, ATL also organizes once every three years since 1993 the International Seminar and Festival of Indonesian Oral Traditions. As a part of the seminar, we launch books published by ATL in the corresponding period and put into performance oral traditions that appear in that publication, along with other oral traditions whose speakers we invite to support our seminar.
• Kurikulum Muatan Lokal (MULOK), local content curriculum: ATL prepared materials for art teachers and instructors for the senior high school level.
• Mapping of Indonesian regional languages in oral traditions and art.
• Revitalization program.
• Documentation of oral traditions.
• Publication of books and The ATL Journal.
• Making film based on local culture.
• Scholarship program for young lecturer (Kajian Tradisi Lisan).