Archive for February, 2008
Around two hundred children joined the fun during a day of conservation activities held by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) on Sunday at Marunda Kongsi village’s coastal area in Cilincing, North Jakarta.
About one thousand mangrove seedlings were planted and photography enthusiasts took great delight capturing elementary children busy working in the mud as they fixed new seedlings with bamboo sticks for safety.
The day also took in a drawing competition for participating children and a photography competition.
The day was named Shoot to Save Our Coast for Human Dignity, and made up part of WALHI’s Eco-Justice Initiative campaign that has been going since 2006.
WALHI Jakarta executive director Selamet Daroyni said his organization wanted to raise awareness about Jakarta’s coastal areas where environmental degradation and unjust government policies had seen a decline in social welfare for coastal populations.
“We want to offer an initiative for ecological justice, where every citizen has access and control over their environment and their life resources,” he said.
Marunda was chosen as a site for the campaign because residents had responded well to the campaign idea and were willing to contribute to the program.
WALHI said it would also provide environmental education for residents so they could independently take care of their surroundings.
Riza Damanik, manager of WALHI’s coastal and marine campaigns, said Jakarta’s coastal area had deteriorated rapidly in the last few years.
“Six out of nine of Jakarta’s estuaries are heavily polluted and there are just 120 hectares of mangrove thickets left of the 1,300 hectares that existed in the 1960’s,” he said.
Riza said the government’s profit-based policies for coastal areas would result in disaster for the city.
WALHI data says of all Jakarta’s coastal area, which spans 32 kilometers, at least 1,700 hectares is privately owned.
Traditional fishermen have laid claim to approximately five hectares in Marunda and Cilincing.
For years, Jakarta has experienced a range of issues across its coastline including floods, tidal waves and pollution.
Earlier this month, the city’s international airport was isolated for days after heavy rain left the main road to the airport flooded under meter-high waters.
Alim, 47, a fisherman from Kampung Kongsi village, said erosion and mangrove destruction had cost his village 400 meters of its coastline.
“Thirty years ago, we had to stride through a thick mangrove jungle to get into the sea,” Alim said.
“But now the sea is right in front of our door step.
Alim is a father of four and said he hoped the new mangrove seedlings planted by children on Sunday would be a success.
Mangrove trees need two to four years to mature and can grow more than five meters tall.
Mangroves thickets provide protection for fish eggs and can help reduce natural erosion. (dre)
Source: The Jakarta Post
February 18th, 2008
SURABAYA - Mulai kemarin (17/2), di eks Museum Mpu Tantular, perupa Jogjakarta turut serta dalam pameran yang bertajuk Art to Art. Lima belas karya pelukis Jogja dipajang pada pameran yang ditujukan untuk penggalangan dana Surabaya International Performance Art Event (SIPAE) 2008 yang berlangsung April itu.
Perupa Jogja yang ikut dalam pameran tersebut, antara lain, S. Teddy, Nanang Zul, dan Cahyo “Yopie” Basuki. Bob “Sick” dan Ugo Untoro akan menyusul di tengah-tengah pameran.
Kedekatan emosional dari perupa Jogja itulah yang membuat mereka turut serta dalam pameran tersebut. “Ada semangat gotong royong,” ujar S. Teddy yang dihubungi lewat telepon. Semangat itu membuat Teddy mengirim sebuah lukisannya. Mengapa hanya satu? Alumnus Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) tersebut enggan menjawab. “Yang penting semangatnya,” kata pelukis kelahiran Padang itu.
Sebelum pameran dibuka, lukisan milik S. Teddy sudah dipesan kolektor asal Surabaya. “Padahal, si pemesan belum tahu harga dan wujud lukisannya seperti apa,” tutur Ilham J. Baday, pelaksana pameran. Menurut Ilham, banyak juga yang menanyakan lukisan tersebut. “Mereka penasaran seperti apa lukisan Teddy,” ujarnya.
Sebagai penyelenggara acara, Ilham mengaku salut dengan partisipasi pelukis-pelukis Jogja. Selain itu, ada partisipasi dari pelukis kawakan Jawa Timur, Supar Pakis. “Lukisan milik Supar juga sudah dipesan,” ujar Ilham. Pelukis kontemporer Surabaya, Dukan Wahyudi, turut berpartisipasi.
Kemarin, pelukis yang tergabung dalam Komunitas Seniman Muda Surabaya (Kosmubaya) dan Ikatan Guru Lukis Surabaya (Iglusurya) juga berpameran. Bertempat di Galeri Surabaya, kompleks Balai Pemuda, kedua komunitas tersebut berkolaborasi memamerkan karya 22 pelukis.
Menurut Muit Arsa, ketua panitia, tidak ada perbedaan mendasar antara guru lukis dan pelukis yang bukan guru. “Mungkin ada pada pemilihan warna,” ujar warga Rungkut Tengah itu. Pelukis sering bereksperimen dengan mencampurkan warna-warna. “Ada penemuan baru,” jelasnya.
Pameran kemarin adalah yang pertama bagi Iglusurya. “Sebagai penyemangat,” kata Muit.(dee/dos)
Source: Jawa Pos Online
February 18th, 2008
Kagum, Bangunan Kuno Masih Berfungsi
Tak banyak yang peduli terhadap cagar budaya Surabaya. Gedung, gereja, dan pintu air peninggalan Belanda dianggap sesuatu yang biasa. Tapi, Tie van Der Horst, sutradara dari Belanda, justru merasa harus mengabadikannya dalam film dokumenter.
AGUNG PUTU ISKANDAR
PENAMPILANNYA funky. Pakaian dan sepatunya didominasi warna putih dan pink. Kaus merah muda yang dilapisi kaus abu-abu tanpa lengan sengaja agak dijulurkan. Celana tiga perempatnya memberi ruang untuk kaus kaki merah muda agar terlihat jelas.
Sepatu kets jenis sport dengan warna yang sama terlihat mencolok. Sebuah tas putih melintang di tubuhnya. “Usia saya memang 60 tahun. Tapi, saya selalu ingin tampil segar,” kata Tie van Der Horst ketika ditemui saat mengambil gambar di Hotel Majapahit, Rabu (13/2).
Jalannya cepat dan bicaranya penuh semangat. Sikapnya yang egaliter membuat Tie gampang akrab dengan siapa pun. Dia bahkan tak mau dipanggil mevrou (nyonya atau ibu, Red). “Cukup panggil saya Tie,” ujarnya.
Hal itu juga berlaku untuk lima kru filmnya yang dibawa dari Belanda. “Meski saya sutradara, dalam tim, kami semua setara,” tegas ibu tiga anak tersebut.
Ketika observasi ruangan hotel, Tie tak pernah berhenti berdecak kagum. Dia terhenyak saat berjalan di lobi menuju ruang tengah. “Look up, isn’t that beautiful,” ujarnya sambil menunjuk langit-langit teras Ballroom Hotel Majapahit.
Di langit-langit tersebut, tampak ornamen khas Belanda, garis-garis minimalis dengan dominasi kurva persegi yang memanjang. Ketika melihat lampu gantung yang dipasang di langit-langit, dia bekernyit. “Itu tidak orisinal,” katanya.
Padahal, lampu tersebut tampak kuno. Besi penyangganya hitam dan tua. “Saya bisa mengenali karakter desain Belanda,” tegasnya sambil melanjutkan observasi ke presidential suite room. Kamar itu khusus untuk tamu VVIP. Tercatat, mantan Presiden RI Megawati pernah menginap di situ.
Di ruang yang keran kamar mandinya disaput emas tersebut, mata Tie tak henti-henti menjelajahi seluruh sudut. Dia kemudian duduk di sofa besar sambil menyilangkan kaki dan menelungkupkan tangannya di atas paha. “I feel like a queen,” ungkapnya.
Ide mendokumentasikan Surabaya dalam sebuah film sebetulnya tak pernah terlintas di benak Tie. Selama 25 tahun menggeluti film dokumenter, dia hanya menggarap Eropa. “Saya tidak menyangka. Ternyata, ada juga kota yang kaya bangunan berarsitektur Belanda di luar Eropa,” ujar wanita yang sudah membuat 95 film dokumenter tersebut.
Tie pantas terkejut. Cukup banyak bangunan tua yang dibangun Belanda di Surabaya. Bukan hanya berupa gedung, tapi juga pintu air. “Yang membuat saya semakin semangat, bangunan-bangunan kuno tersebut masih difungsikan. Jadi, heritage (warisan, Red) itu tidak hanya dipajang dan dikagumi dengan melihat dari jauh. Masyarakat masih memanfaatkannya. Apalagi, pintu air sampai sekarang masih bisa diandalkan untuk mencegah banjir di Surabaya,” jelasnya.
Khusus pintu air, dia merasa harus memfilmkan. Sebab, pintu air merupakan landmark negeri asalnya. “Belanda kan negara air. Dengan memfilmkan pintu air, ada kaitan emosional dengan negeri saya,” katanya.
Wanita yang kini menetap di Utrecht tersebut menuturkan, karakteristik arsitektur Belanda cenderung mudah dikenali. Cenderung minimalis dengan garis-garis lurus yang membentuk kurva-kurva sederhana. “Umumnya motif-motifnya berbentuk simpel. Tidak seperti rococo, ciri arsitektur Prancis,” ungkapnya.
Prancis memang dikenal dengan desain arsitektur ornamen yang mewah, megah, serta rumit. Ulir serta garis-garisnya cenderung menunjukkan nuansa kekayaan dan kemewahan. Rococo menjadi arsitektur khas Prancis sejak zaman Marie Antoinette, ratu kerajaan Perancis pada abad ke-18. “Makanya, desain arsitektur Belanda itu mengusung tren baru yang lebih simpel dan minimalis,” jelasnya.
Karena itu, kata dia, rata-rata bangunan Belanda di Indonesia tak terlalu banyak pernik. Dinding dan tiang-tiangnya cenderung berbentuk kotak-kotak. “Namun, itu justru menunjukkan kesan bangunan yang kuat,” tegasnya.
Tie menjelaskan, gedung-gedung Belanda yang dibuat pada abad ke-19 memang bernuansa feodalistis. Ada kesan angkuh. “Itu memang sesuai konteks zaman ketika bangunan dibuat,” katanya.
Salah satu yang didokumentasi adalah Balai Pemuda. Menurut Tie, Balai Pemuda sudah merupakan bangunan modern untuk ukuran zamannya. Bahkan, hingga kini, gedung serupa masih banyak ditemui di Belanda.
Ciri arsitektur Belanda begitu tampak pada bangunan tersebut. Jendela yang tinggi dan lebar membuat aliran udara lancar. Pintu dua sisi yang lebar membuat Balai Pemuda layak dipakai untuk acara-acara publik. “Sangat kental arsitektur Belanda. Pintu megah dan atap yang tinggi membuat gedung itu menawarkan ketenangan,” jelasnya.
Kompleks Balai Pemuda, ujar dia, sengaja dibuat di tengah kota karena gedung tersebut dibangun untuk pusat aktivitas masyarakat kota. “Lihat saja, kalau mau pergi ke bagian kota mana saja di Surabaya, kita bisa menempuhnya dengan mudah dari sini,” ungkapnya.
Dia menyatakan, Balai Pemuda memiliki banyak potensi. Tidak hanya karena tempatnya yang strategis, tapi juga ruang-ruang di dalamnya yang bisa dibuat banyak eksplorasi. “Tempat tersebut bisa dipakai untuk segala kreativitas. Itu sangat cocok untuk konser musik atau teater. Apalagi kalau ada tempat duduk di luar gedung, akan semakin menarik,” tegasnya.
Setelah observasi dan pengambilan gambar sebentar, Tie duduk di sebuah bench. Mengambil sebatang rokok dari tasnya, disulut, dan diisap. Bekerja dengan iklim seperti di Indonesia, kata dia, sangat berbeda dari Belanda. Pekerja di Belanda bisa diajak terus-menerus bekerja. Sebab, semakin giat bekerja, suhu badan semakin hangat. “Kalau di Indonesia, harus sering-sering break, soalnya cepat haus,” katanya kemudian minum segelas air putih.
“Tapi, iklim Indonesia sebenarnya cocok kok buat saya. Orang Belanda yang ke sini bilang di sini panas. Padahal, saya nyaman-nyaman saja.”
Ide membuat film di Surabaya berawal dari cerita kakaknya. Sang kakak cukup sering ke Surabaya untuk urusan bisnis. Ketika balik ke Belanda, dia bercerita kepada Tie tentang arsitektur serta bangunan peninggalan Belanda lain di Surabaya. “Saya sempat ragu. Masak ada sih kota seperti itu,” ujarnya.
Begitu tiba di Surabaya, dia sangat kaget. Wanita penggemar jalan kaki tersebut benar-benar membuktikan sendiri begitu banyak arsitektur warisan Belanda di kota ini. Dalam setiap perjalanan keliling Surabaya, Tie merasa selalu dikelilingi bangunan-bangunan kuno. “Seperti berada di rumah,” ungkapnya.
Dia akhirnya memutuskan menjadikan Surabaya sebagai objek film dokumenternya. Pertama, dia akan membuat contoh film (pilot project). Film tersebut berdurasi 10-40 menit. Film itu akan dibawa ke Belanda untuk diajukan ke komisi perlindungan cagar budaya. “Dananya secara tidak langsung memang dari pemerintah Belanda. Tapi, dana itu kan diberikan ke yayasan untuk dikelola,” jelas sutradara sekaligus produser di perusahaan pembuat film dokumenter Stichting Full Moon Foundation tersebut.
Tie kali pertama belajar membuat film pada 1983. Ketika itu, seorang pembuat film yang juga pengungsi dari Iran mengajari dirinya membuat film. Sejak itu, dia sering terlibat dalam pembuatan film. “Saat itu, saya hanya menjadi asisten sutradara. Jadi asisten enak. Saya bisa belajar banyak hal tanpa mengemban tanggung jawab berat seorang sutradara,” tegasnya.
Setelah cukup belajar, dia memutuskan fokus pada film dokumenter. “Membuat film dokumenter harus mampu menangkap simbol-simbol pada sebuah benda,” ujarnya. Dia menargetkan pembuatan film tentang Surabaya itu rampung pada akhir Maret.
Kota ini sebetulnya tidak terlalu asing bagi dirinya. Meski bapaknya orang Belanda, ibunya adalah wanita asli Indonesia kelahiran Medan. “Ketika ke sini, saya baru tahu mengapa dia tidak pernah betah di Belanda. Ibu selalu mengeluh soal iklim di Belanda yang dingin,” jelas wanita yang ditinggal ibunya sejak berusia 12 tahun tersebut.
Tie mengaku terkesan pada kehidupan di Surabaya. Orang tak pernah terburu-buru dan tegang. Kehidupan masyarakat berjalan halus dan lembut. Tidak seperti yang dia rasakan di Belanda. Masing-masing orang seolah tergesa-gesa, di mana-mana tensi hidup selalu tinggi. “Di sini, saya merasa tenang dan nyaman,” ungkapnya.
Tapi, kata Tie, ada beberapa hal yang tidak dia sukai di kota ini. Masyarakat kurang menghargai pejalan kaki. Kendaraan cenderung semena-mena. “Padahal, di Belanda, pejalan kaki dan pengendara sepeda angin diberi kemudahan lebih banyak daripada pengemudi mobil. Yang punya mobil dikenai pajak bertumpuk-tumpuk. Mau tidak mau, masyarakat beralih ke alat transportasi murah. Kalau tidak begitu, jalan kaki.” (cfu)
Source: Jawa Pos Online
February 15th, 2008
Surabaya, E Java (ANTARA News) - An eight-member Chinese parliamentary delegation is scheduled to arrive here on Feb 19 for a two-day visit aimed at enhancing cooperation in the trade, investment, tourism, agricultural and educational sectors.
During their stay, the delegation led by deputy chairman of the Chinese People`s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Luo Haocai would meet with East Java Governor H Imam Utomo, spokesman for the East Java provincial administration Gunarto said on Thursday.
The meeting would focus on the construction of Chinese-funded Surabaya-Madura bridge and Chinese investment in the oil and gas drilling project in Bojonegoro, west of here, he said.
China was the fourth biggest market for East Java`s non-oil/non-gas exports last year after Japan, the United States and Malaysia.
East Java`s exports to China were valued at US$940 million last year. The exports covered copper, processed wood, iron, steel, pulp, food, aquatic products, textiles and rubber.(*)
Source: ANTARA News
February 15th, 2008
Ajak Doa Pendek, Larang Wanita Bercelana Pendek
Sampai lebih dua pekan setelah Pak Harto meninggal, Astana Giribangun, makam keluarga Cendana di Matesih, Karanganyar, Jawa Tengah, rata-rata dikunjungi 3.000 orang setiap hari. Kedatangan para peziarah itu memberi kontribusi tersendiri bagi ekonomi warga di perbukitan yang tanahnya rawan longsor itu.
HERY SETIAWAN, Karanganyar
HAMPIR tiada hari tanpa hujan dalam beberapa hari terakhir ini di Matesih. Meski cuaca tak bersahabat, pengunjung ke kompleks makam ternyata tetap mengalir. Seperti yang dilihat Radar Solo (Grup Jawa Pos), di tengah hujan deras akhir pekan lalu (9/2), para pengunjung tetap mau berdesakan masuk ke cungkup Argo Sari, lokasi jasad Soeharto serta istrinya (Bu Tien Soeharto dan keluarga) dimakamkan di Giribangun.
Memasuki astana yang memiliki ketinggian 666 di atas permukaan laut itu tidak terlalu sulit. Peziarah cukup menunjukkan KTP kepada penjaga astana. Petugas lantas mencatat nama dan alamat yang tertera. Berbekal secarik kertas izin, pengunjung bisa masuk ke dalam kompleks yang dibangun sejak 1974 itu.
Memang tidak ada tiket masuk. Namun, pengelola astana menyediakan kotak amal. Mereka boleh mengisi atau mengabaikannya. Besarnya uang pun tak ditentukan alias suka rela. Namun, Radar Solo menyaksikan ada peziarah yang memasukkan pecahan Rp 50 ribu ke kotak kayu itu.
Begitu memasuki pintu gerbang, masyarakat dicegat dua anggota TNI dari Kodim 0727 Karanganyar. Asal bisa menunjukkan izin petugas di pintu masuk, mereka bisa melanjutkan ke kompleks makam. Tak seperti saat Bu Tien baru dimakamkan (meninggal pada 1996), kini masyarakat dari golongan apa pun diizinkan masuk asal berpakaian sopan.
Yang dimaksud dengan pakaian yang tidak sopan sehingga tak boleh masuk itu, kata Ahmad Markusni, salah seorang karyawan Giribangun, misalnya wanita yang bercelana pendek. “Dia tak boleh masuk ke Argo Sari oleh petugas,” kata Ahmad.
Bahkan, saat memasuki Argo Sari, ada petugas yang mengecek izin dan menunjukkan jalan. Beberapa anggota TNI berpakaian preman juga tampak berjaga-jaga. Sambil menunggu giliran masuk, pengunjung dapat menikmati aksesori yang berada di kompleks makam tersebut. Mulai maket Astana Giribangun sampai kaligrafi besar dari Ponpes Darul Mukminin Jepara yang dulu dihadiahkan untuk Ny Tien Soeharto.
Dengan tustel maupun kamera HP yang mereka bawa, beberapa pengunjung mengabadikan diri di depan kaligrafi tersebut. Selain menikmati aksesori di Argo Sari, beberapa pengunjung memilih duduk-duduk di pendapa yang mengelilingi makam Soeharto.
Di ruang utama, pengunjung tak boleh lebih dari lima menit. “Yang membaca doa pendek (untuk almarhum Soeharto) dipersilakan masuk. Namun, kalau doanya panjang, dipersilakan di luar ruang utama,” kata Ahmad Markusni yang hari itu aktif menertibkan pengunjung.
Ahmad mengakui, jika tidak ditertibkan, peziarah suka berlama-lama di ruang utama makam. Hal itu tentu mengganggu pengunjung lain yang juga ingin berdoa di depan pusara presiden kedua yang berkuasa 32 tahun tersebut.
Tak beberapa lama, Kepala Pengelola Harian Giribangun Sukirno datang ke Argo Sari. Dia hadir bersama tiga orang. Ketiganya ternyata utusan dari keluarga Cendana. Dua di antaranya bernama Ria dan Frendy. Berbeda dengan pengunjung lain yang dibatasi lima menit, ketiganya di depan pusara Soeharto selama 15 menit.
“Saya datang dari Jakarta untuk berziarah,” kata Ria saat istirahat di Wisma Palereman, samping masjid Kompleks Giribangun. Dia bersama dua tamu dari Jakarta itu disuguhi teh hangat.
Sekitar 10 menit kemudian, sebelum berpamitan dan bertolak menuju Solo, Ria meminta Sukirno menunjukkan jumlah pengunjung yang datang. Dari data yang dicatat petugas di pintu masuk Astana Giribangun, rata-rata 3 ribu peziarah yang datang setiap hari.
Jumlah pengunjung pada hari libur biasanya naik dua kali lipat. Bahkan, pada libur Imlek 7 Februari lalu pengunjung mencapai 8 ribu orang. Mereka dari berbagai instansi, baik dari dalam maupun luar Pulau Jawa. Misalnya, rombongan DPRD Sumatera Selatan, DPRD Sulawesi Utara, DPRD Ambon, bahkan masyarakat dari Papua.
Selain mencatat jumlah pengunjung, Ria dkk mendapat tugas dari keluarga Cendana untuk menginventarisasi sarana dan prasarana di Giribangun. “Kami diminta mengecek karpet di Argo Sari. Rencananya mau diganti karena sudah kusam,” kata Ria.
Menurut Sukirno, anggota keluarga Cendana yang terakhir datang ke Giribangun adalah Siti Hutami dan Siti Hedijati, yakni pada 30 Januari. Setelah itu, belum ada yang muncul. “Termasuk saat tujuh hari setelah wafatnya Pak Harto, keluarga Cendana tidak ada yang hadir. Sampai sekarang juga tidak ada putra atau putri beliau yang nongol,” katanya.
Bagaimana rencana peringatan 40 hari? Sukirno mengaku belum tahu. Sebab, sampai saat ini belum ada perintah dari keluarga Cendana. Meski demikian, tahlilan rutin tetap dilaksanakan masyarakat dan karyawan Astana Giribangun. Kapan pemasangan kijing atau batu nisan di makam Soeharto, Sukirno juga belum tahu. Sebab, sampai saat ini dia juga belum mendapat perintah.
Dengan pengunjung rata-rata 3.000 sehari, pendapatan parkir yang dikelola karang taruna setempat memang lumayan. Tarif parkir untuk sepeda motor ditetapkan Rp 1.000, kendaraan roda empat Rp 5.000, dan bus Rp 10.000.
Tentang program parkir, Sukirno berencana menertibkan tukang ojek di sekitar kompleks makam. Pasalnya, dia menerima banyak keluhan dari pengunjung yang dipaksa naik ojek motor atau pakai jasa ojek payung. “Kami akan ajak mereka (ojek motor dan payung) bertemu dan berdialog,” jelasnya.
Sutiman, salah satu pengunjung yang ditemui Radar Solo, mengaku kecewa dengan para tukang ojek. Sebab, dia dipaksa memarkir kendaraan di parkir B. Dia tidak boleh berhenti parkir A di depan makam. Dari parkir B ke A, yang menanjak sekitar 100 meter, mereka diharuskan menggunakan jasa ojek dengan tarif Rp 5 ribu per orang.
Benarkah para tukang ojek “memeras”? Ranto, salah seorang pengojek, menolaknya. Kata dia, jika semua kendaraan berhenti di depan astana, parkir akan penuh. Sebab, kapasitas parkir A tidak selebar parkir B. Belum lagi kalau ada tamu pejabat maupun keluarga Cendana yang datang, tentu membuat repot semuanya. (el)
Source: Jawa Pos Online
February 14th, 2008
When my friend, Lyn de la Cruz, invited me to the inauguration of the Rizal Center of the Tetada Kalimasada, I had to ask her to repeat the name. It was so unfamiliar and foreign-sounding that when we drove to the Mission Hills clubhouse for the event several days later, I said “Talimasada” when asking the guard for directions. I suppose I hadn’t really internalized the concept even then although Lyn did try to give me a background.
Unfamiliarity notwithstanding, I can smell a good story from 10 miles away but especially when it is staring me in the face. I’m not always right, of course, but in the case of Tetada Kalimasada, I wasn’t mistaken. I asked if I could meet with the ranking officers of the Rizal Chapter, an informal lunch was arranged with Ms. Didi Santos Struijk and Mr. Ollie Jumao-as and thus begun the attempt to fill in the gaps from the sketchy information that I was able to retrieve on the Internet about this way of life called Tetada Kalimasada. For that is what it is—a philosophy, a discipline and a way of life.
If you want a memorable introduction, Mr. Jumao-as, or Pak Ollie as he is known in the Tetada Kalimasada circle, mentioned a CNN video about a demonstration where violence was averted through the use of Kalimasada techniques. I can’t find a copy of the video on the Internet but I did find a reference to it in the May 23, 2005 column of Jarius Bondoc in The Philippine Star. He wrote:
“Though eight years back, the video clip on CNN was so amazing that it still sticks to mind. The scene was during the anti-Chinese riots in Jakarta. Hundreds of demonstrators, some carrying molotov bombs, were about to charge a nervous platoon of policemen. From behind the phalanx sprang a dozen unarmed men in black. Lined up with left arms across tummies, they aimed right fists at the mob. Fifteen feet away, the assaulters suddenly fell to the ground as if they had crashed onto an invisible wall. What was that?
“The answer came only recently with an invite to watch a Kalimasada practice at the UP Vanguard Building in Diliman, Quezon City. It turned out that the secret of the Jakarta policemen is an ancient Indonesian martial and healing art, once known only to a noble family in East Java, but declassified a dozen years ago ‘for human good.’ What had stunned the rushing mob was powerful energy harnessed from the bodies of the Kalimasada-trained cops.”
Let’s go back to the Mahabharata, the ancient Indian epic poem that had been dissected and re-dissected by scholars in order to unravel its layers of meanings. There are five brothers in the story, the eldest of whom was Yudisthira. According to legend, Yudisthira was an accomplished warrior and his primary weapon was a spear (or staff). According to legend, Yudisthira lived in the city of Surabaya in East Java. In Javanese, a spear or staff is a kalimosodo.
While the Mahabharata details stories from wars whose dates are still subject to intense debate, the most recent of those dates appear to be around the fifth century. On the other hand, Kalimasada did not exist until 500 years ago. So I suppose it is more logical to assume that the word kalimasada, as it is used in Tetada Kalimasada, is either from the Javanese word kalimosodo or directly attributed to the character/quality of Yudisthira’s power and expertise as a warrior, as symbolized by the spear/staff that he carried. Yudisthira, even assuming that he actually existed, could not have been the founder of Kalimasada.
According to the history of Tetada Kalimasada, the practice has been around for 500 years in East Java, Indonesia. Until 1991, however, it was exclusive to one clan. Because Kalimasada was, first and foremost, a martial art (which makes the reference to Yudisthira understandable), it was this clan’s way of defending themselves and their lands against the aggression and invasion of other warring clans. The feudal era—Japan had its ninjas and samurais, so this clan practiced kalimasada. Secondarily, the kalimasada discipline also dealt with healing.
In 1991, the head of this clan, Eddy Surohati, founded Tetada Kalimasada, adding “tetada” which, according to a practitioner (http://edicio.wordpress.com) is short for terapi tenaga dalam, Bahasa Indonesian for inner-energy therapy. The modern Tetada Kalimasada, therefore, focuses on healing rather the martial arts aspect of the discipline. It is based on the principle that the human body has natural mechanisms for generating bio-electricity. These mechanisms are the seven chakras—root/base, navel/solar, spleen/lymph, heart, throat, brow/third eye and crown—are stimulated with exercises (jurus), breathing, concentration and relaxation techniques and energy synchronization. In more practical terms, the discipline is said to have therapeutic effects such as stress management, control of high blood pressure, improved stamina and endurance and recovery of sexual potency, among others.
If someone had tried to talk to me about such things when I was 10 years old, I would have called it voodoo outright. But my mother read books about occultism, eastern mysticism and yoga and all that stuff—books like the Bagavad Gita were ordinary in our house—so I was introduced to concepts like “power centers of the human body” and “mind over matter” very early in life. I’m not a practitioner of any of it, I can’t even say I am a believer—I am just not dismissive. After reading so many accounts by doctors about how 90 percent of the time, they prescribe mere placebos to patients to make them feel better, I know that many illnesses are more of a belief rather than a physical thing. Hence, I am not quick to dismiss any practice that says one can get well simply by thinking that one is already well.
Because of the focus on the ability to heal, it isn’t surprising, therefore, that Tetada Kalimasada has attracted people whom medical doctors have not been able to cure. Pak Ollie himself decided to try it after doctors gave up on his ailing mother. Didi had had no respite from asthma until she got into Kalimasada. No drugs, no operations (oh, please, don’t confuse it with those faith healer who perform “surgery” with their bare hands) but merely the chance to heal oneself and, perhaps, in time even others.
Have I become a convert? No. Central to the Tetada Kalimasada philosophy is the belief in God—a higher spiritual intelligence who makes it all possible. I’m an agnostic. I believe there is a force that is essential to keep the universe together but I do not see it as a higher nor superior entity. And there lies the irony—to my mind, at least. While Tetada Kalimasada talks of self-empowerment—to heal, to protect, to sustain health, to be at peace—it makes belief in a higher deity essential. Personally, I cannot reconcile one with the other.
Source: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/
February 13th, 2008
Local furniture firms are seeking new overseas markets to address declining demand in the face of a possible economic meltdown in the United States, the country’s largest buyer of wooden furniture.
The gloomy economic forecast could trim furniture exports to the world’s largest economy by at least 5 percent, Ambar Tjahyono, chairman of the Association of Indonesian Furniture and Handicraft Manufacturers (Asmindo), said recently.
“For the U.S market, we can only rely on products for the upper class because they still have strong purchasing power. As for the remaining classes, we cannot expect much.
“To make up for the decline in U.S. demand, we are preparing to penetrate other potential markets to maintain our export growth,” Ambar said.
U.S. consumers are currently facing a decline in their purchasing power, as indicated by the mortgage crisis where most borrowers can no longer afford to pay their obligations.
On average, the United States imports around 30 percent of the Indonesia’s total furniture output annually, according to the National Agency for Export Development (Nafed).
The agency said with a market share of 4.26 percent, Indonesia ranked fourth after Germany, with 5.19 percent, as the top supplier of wooden furniture to the United States.
Ambar said local furniture firms would expand their distribution chains in China and countries in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
The association, along with the government, will boost promotions and trade exhibitions in these countries to tap more opportunities, he said.
Nafed secretary Dede Hidayat said the agency would support Asmindo’s participation in overseas exhibitions in China, Singapore, Dubai, France, Germany and Hungary this year.
While China still controls 21.25 percent of the world’s wooden furniture market, the country remains in dire need of furniture from other countries to meet rising demand at home, according to Ambar.
“The high demand in China can be seen easily from our products which are always sold out during Indonesian trade exhibitions there,” said Ambar.
The global trade in furniture was estimated to reach $80 billion last year, with China controlling around $17 billion, up from $14 billion in 2006.
According to Asmindo, as of September 2007, the country had exported furniture products valued at US$1.5 billion, up from $1.3 billion a year earlier.
Handicraft exports also increased to $700 million in the first nine months of 2007, from $600 million in the same period of 2006.
Ambar said local furniture businesses were set to grow by 10 percent this year, supported by growing demand for ethnic-style furniture made of used wood.
“My company alone can send 15 to 20 containers of ethnic-designed furniture made of used wood,” he said.
He said used wood, which could be retrieved from old houses and wooden containers, was somehow better and cost less than newly cut wood.
Asmindo executive director Sae Tanaga Karim said ethnic furniture accounted for almost 10 percent of the country’s total furniture exports.
Furniture firms started to use used wood in 2006 following a shortage in raw materials after the government launched an intense crackdown on illegal logging.
“We managed to bounce back last year as we found new sources and types of raw materials,” Ambar said.
As part of the industry’s effort to ensure a supply of legally collected wood, Asmindo inked a cooperation deal with PT Setia Mitra and the Indonesian Ecolabeling Institute to plant a special type of teak on 20 hectares of land in Jember, East Java.
The association also planted 17 hectares of similar teak in Bantar Bolang and 15 hectares in Wonosari and Wonogiri, all in Central Java.
“The teak can be harvested in 15 years,” he said.
According to Asmindo, the local furniture industry consumes between four and six million cubic meters of wood annually.
International buyers, such as in the U.S. and Europe, prefer furniture using wood certified as legally collected.
Furniture having this certificate will have an additional 30 percent premium price in the market. (ind)
Source: The Jakarta Post
February 12th, 2008
The Jakarta Post, Surabaya, Malang, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Bandung
Hundreds of teachers, school principals and students across Java and Bali found themselves back in the first grade with scissors and glue as The Jakarta Post recently launched its Newspaper in Education (JP-NIE) outreach program.
The six-city touring workshop opened on Jan. 19 in Sanur, Bali, and traveled across Java to end Jan. 31 in Bandung, and involved the participation of almost 600 teachers from state, national plus and international schools.
Officially launched in Sanur by the newspaper’s founder, Jusuf Wanandi, the outreach program is part of the Post’s “Year of Education”.
“The Jakarta Post believes education will open doors and opportunities to our young students, who are our future leaders. We (the Post’s Board of Directors) strongly support the NIE program to help teachers and students improve their literacy, an important tool in entering the global scene,” said Jusuf at the first Jakarta workshop on Jan. 28.
He added that the newspaper’s 25th anniversary and Year of Education would be marked by a series of activities, including a seminar on education with prominent speakers set for early May.
The Post’s marketing general manager Yulia Herawati, JP-NIE program coordinator Rita Widiadana and managing editors Ati Nurbaiti and Riyadi Suparno, along with the JP-NIE workshop team, took to the road for a series of hands-on teacher training workshops to introduce how the nation’s leading English daily could be applied in schools as an educational tool.
The response from principals, university lecturers and teachers was overwhelming. For example, the head of the University of Indonesia’s (UI) Language Center, Sisilia Halimi, said the program meshed with her dreams for language studies in the country: “This is the program I have dreamed of for so long, and UI looks forward to cooperating with The Jakarta Post.”
Separately, Laela Hikmah Nurbatra, a Muhammadiyah University student in Malang, East Java, commented, “This program is excellent, and I hope I can join another program of The Jakarta Post,” while English teacher Yuliana Pratiwi said in Semarang: “It is important for me to know how to motivate students to do their assignments like you have done with me.”
English teacher Subiyanti from Muntilan said “the workshop really inspires teachers to do interesting activities in the classroom”.
School principals from across the nation, attending a National Education Ministry seminar in Jakarta on Jan. 30 — to which the JP-NIE workshop team received an impromptu invitation — agreed, saying they felt refreshed and energized after completing just one of the NIE activities.
East Java teachers were so impressed with the program that they have asked the Post to host another workshop, with 300 teachers keen to attend.
Evaluation forms filled out in each city reveal that nearly 100 percent of participants gave the JP-NIE workshops top marks for their quality and potential application at schools.
The outreach program, which comprises workshops, competitions and teacher training activities, is one of the paper’s two “arms” committed to national education through its NIE program; the other is the JP-NIE editorial arm. The first English-language NIE program in the country was launched last November with the Post’s monthly teen publication, Youthspeak, and Discover, an education-oriented supplement appearing biweekly in the Sunday Post.
Rita Widiadana — a veteran Post journalist and the former Bali bureau chief — claimed she was bowled over by the response from teachers and principals to the program, which she has been advocating for the past two years.
“It was extraordinary. We expected 40 to 50 teachers at each workshop, but that number was almost doubled,” said Rita. “Teachers in each city were sms-ing their peers, saying this was a workshop not to be missed. I was amazed by the response, and this testifies to the dedication of our nation’s teachers and their hunger for additional materials.”
She added that one of the most important elements of using the newspaper as an educational tool was the physical experience of scanning, cutting and pasting materials — an experiential form of engaged and active learning.
“There are thousands of different modules available through the NIE program, which was started by The New York Times more than 70 years ago. During the workshops, teachers invented new gadgets by cutting and pasting from the paper, did newspaper scavenger hunts and made front pages of their own newspaper,” she said. “They worked in groups on the floor, spreading the papers wide to scan and find what they were looking for. This engaged their hand-eye coordination. They were very physically involved so at the end of each session, they were refreshed rather than exhausted.”
Rita noted that the teachers were so engaged in the activities, it was almost impossible to drag them away for lunch and coffee breaks.
“Teachers rapidly saw that this very hands-on, group work would help their students to use English while learning a different subject — the program shifts attention from being language-specific and uses reading, speaking, writing and listening skills as tools to do something else. This allows even the most shy individuals to gain confidence, as their self-consciousness is lost in the activity,” said Rita.
Additional workshops are being planned for the coming months, according to marketing general manager Yulia Herawati.
“The Jakarta Post is now in its 25th year and our commitment this year, and in the years to come, is assisting in the education of our students by making available a living textbook — that is, newspapers,” said Yulia.
“We have excellent sponsors coming on board to support this effort. They recognize that education is a key building block in Indonesia’s future and, like the Post, are backing education for all students across the nation,” she added.
NIE was first developed by The New York Times in the 1930s to raise education standards in that city. Since then, it has expanded across the globe, and long-time supporters of the program include nations such as India, Malaysia and Singapore.
For more information on The Jakarta Post’s NIE program, contact Rita Widiadana at nie@thejakartapost.com.
Source: The Jakarta Post
February 11th, 2008
SURABAYA: As part of its long-term goals, Airlangga University (Unair) will focus on developing two major academic fields: Health Science and Social Science.
Deputy rector Muhammad Zainuddin said Unair had international recognition in these two subject areas.
“Like it or not, we will develop those two pillars,” said Zainuddin, a Pharmacy professor.
He said the university will encourage students to develop their skills, meaning that the university will not push students to focus on theory but rather encourage them in practical application and research.
Zainuddin added that, with this approach, it is hoped that Unair graduates will be prepared for employment. — JP
Source: The Jakarta Post
February 11th, 2008
By Mark Inchley
A thousand-year-old relic inscribed with the name of an ancient Javanese king could be returned to Indonesia from its home on a family estate near Hawick.
Despite having stood quietly in a leafy Borders garden since the early 19th century, the Minto Stone has found itself at the centre of a four-year campaign by the Indonesian government which claims the historic artefact, which dates back to AD982, was wrongfully removed from its homeland almost two centuries ago.
The carved stone, which holds significant symbolic meaning for Indonesians, stands two metres tall and bears an ancient inscription of Javanese king Sri Maharaja Rakai Pangkaja Dyah Wawa Sri Wijayalokanamottungga.
Also known as the Sanggurah Stone, the 3.8 tonne icon was originally taken from the town of Malang by British colonial explorer Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1812 after he instigated the capture of Java from the Dutch, during which time he was appointed Lieutenant Governor by Lord Minto, Governor of India.
As a token of appreciation, Stamford Raffles gave the prize to the first Earl of Minto who transported it to his Roxburghshire home where it has remained in the family since.
But now, controversial businessman and art collector Hashim Djojohadikusumo has been called in to lead negotiations for the carving to be returned to what Indonesian officials describe as its rightful home in Jakarta, where it would be put on display at the national museum.
Based in London, Hashim heads an organisation dedicated to the preservation of Indonesia’s cultural and archaeological heritage (YKHD) but hit the headlines in his homeland recently after stolen archaeological artefacts were found at his home in Jakarta.
Hari Untoro Drajat, director general of history and archaeology at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said: “The Minto Stone is an important historical artefact and a crucial source of information.
“It contains the history of the Mataram kingdom in Central Java and its eventual shift of power to East Java.
“The government has been attempting to secure the return of the artefact since 2004, but government-to-government negotiations have proven difficult because the relic is currently in the custodianship of Minto trustees. So we requested that YKHD step in to facilitate the return, because we recognised that non-state parties would have more leeway in negotiating.”
According to reports in Jakarta, Hashim, who offered to fund efforts to return the stone, including transportation costs of more than £3million, has met three times with Timothy Melgund – the 7th Earl of Minto and head of the estate where the stone still stands – to discuss its return to the island of Java.
Speaking yesterday, Lord Minto, who heads stationery firm Paperchase, dismissed these reports as inaccurate but admitted talks were under way.
He told TheSouthern the stone had been on the estate for nearly 200 years and was as important to the family now as it was when it first arrived.
He said: “There has been no demand by the Indonesian government for it to be returned.
Source: http://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/
February 8th, 2008
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