Local residents take tourism into their own hands

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Anton Muhajir, Contributor, Nusa Ceningan, Klungkung | Thu, 06/25/2009 11:23 AM  |  Surfing Bali

Dressed in a dark-blue T-shirt and shorts, Kadek Sukadana accompanied seven foreign tourists walking around Nusa Ceningan, one of the Nusa Penida islands in Klungkung regency, about 70 kilometers east of Denpasar.

Sukadana’s main occupation is as a seaweed farmer, and does this part-time job of tour guide for any visitors who drop by his little island. Unlike other registered tour guides, Sukadana doesn’t have to change his “fashion style” and put on intricate Balinese traditional costumes while accompanying his guests.

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Ritualistic battle honors the ancestors

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Anton Muhajir, Contributor, Tenganan | Thu, 06/18/2009 1:19 PM |  Surfing Bali

With a tiny safety pin, 13-year-old Kadek Juliantara picked the sharp thorns out of the scratches carved into the shoulder of his best friend, 12-year-old Kadek Anjasmara. He did it with carefully, gently, so as not to cause any pain.

Yet these same wounds were inflicted by none other than Juliantara himself during the Perang Pandan battle held earlier in the morning. As always, best friends Juliantara and Anjasmara took opposite sides in the annual event.

As Juliantara carefully cleaned Anjasmara’s wounds, the other Tenganan youths gathered nearby amused themselves by teasing 8-year-old Bagus Saptana. Saptana looked a bit nervous: It would be his first time participating in the fight, known locally as mageret pandan or makare-kare. Naturally, the prospect of hurting his opponent or being hurt had shaken the boy up a little bit. And the older kids weren’t going to miss a chance to frighten the boy a bit more.

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Berbagi Informasi ala BBC

Pelatihan Bali Blogger Community di Sanggar Anak Tangguh

Jari-jari Ni Kadek Kristina, 9 tahun, bergerak di keyboard laptop HP 8 inchi itu. Dia terlihat agak kagok. Untuk mengetik hruf “a” ketika menulis “petani”, siswa kelas III SD 1 Guwang ini harus lebih dulu mencari-cari huruf “A” di keyboard.

Ni Putu Eka, teman Kristina, juga ikut mengetik. Dia bergantian dengan Kristina mengetik contoh yang diberikan oleh Trimartono Muliawan, anggota Bali Blogger Community (BBC).

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Revolusi Hijau, Menjerat Petani dengan Racun

Petani Bali

Upaya mengusir hama wereng di sawahnya justru mendatangkan kematian bagi Wayan Jojol, petani di Banjar Wang Bung, Desa Guwang, Kecamatan Sukawati, Gianyar. Petani palawija dan padi ini jatuh pingsan setelah menyemprot hama wereng di lahannya dengan pestisida. Ketika petani lain hendak menolongnya, Jojol sudah meninggal.

“Kami menggotongnya dari sawah sudah dalam kondisi meninggal. Tidak jelas penyebabnya. Tapi kemungkinan besar dia keracunan karena pestisida,” Ketut Rena, petani di banjar yang sama, mengenang kematian Jojol yang terjadi pada pertengahan 1985 tersebut.

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Farmers and consumers benefit from sustainable agriculture

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by Anton Muhajir
Published at Third World Resurgence

While figures and statistics are increasingly showing that sustainable agriculture is viable in ensuring food security and rural livelihoods, it is important to note that agriculture is also about human experiences.  Sustainable agriculture is a story about lives, about how farmers struggle to make changes for a better future.  Drawing on the Indonesian experience, this article presents a set of such stories about farmers in Indonesia who have proven that sustainable agriculture works.

Organic rice farming helps children’s education
JENIA, a woman farmer from Munting village on Flores island, Indonesia, can now plan her children’s education better as she does not have to worry about food for her family. She and other farmers from the village have benefited from sustainable agriculture on an island which is known to suffer from annual food shortages.

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Tumbuh Tanpa Dukungan Pemerintah

Hira Jhamtani, teman yang juga aktivis dan peneliti tentang globalisasi, mengirim kabar gembira pekan lalu. Tulisanku tentang pertanian organik di Indonesia dimuat Jurnal Third World Resurgence.

Pengantar di tulisan yang diterjemahkan ke Bahasa Inggris tersebut sebagai berikut.. “While figures and statistics are increasingly showing that sustainable agriculture is viable in ensuring food security and rural livelihoods, it is important to note that agriculture is also about human experiences.  Sustainable agriculture is a story about lives, about how farmers struggle to make changes for a better future.  Drawing on the Indonesian experience, this article presents a set of such stories about farmers in Indonesia who have proven that sustainable agriculture works.”

Ini tulisannya dalam Bahasa Indonesia..

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Gubernur pun Pusingkan Bintang

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Aaah, akhirnya ada juga pejabat yang mengkritik Bali Post secara terbuka soal banyaknya berita bintang di koran ini. Bukan sekadar pejabat, tapi orang terpenting di Bali saat ini, Gubernur Bali! Salut buat Pak Mangku Pastika..

Ini beritanya diambil dari Kompas Online Sabtu (25/4/2009) yang ditulis Ayu Sulistyowati. Salut juga buat Bu Ayu yang sudah mau nulis soal ini. Hehehe..

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Residents indifferent to elections

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Anton Muhajir,  The Jakarta Post,  Denpasar | Wed, 03/25/2009 1:09 PM | Bali

Farmer Made Jaya, 67, is weeding his rice fields on the outskirts of North Denpasar district on a sunny day.

He prefers tending to his 1,700-square-meter field than taking part in any of the campaign activities leading up to the April 9 legislative elections.

“The upcoming election is confusing because there are so many candidates to pick from and so many candidate pictures to punch on the ballot,” he said, when asked to comment on the elections.

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Caretakers dedicate themselves for the elderly

Anton Muhajir, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Mon, 03/23/2009 1:24 PM | Bali

It was 5 p.m. at the Panti Sosial Tresna Werdha Wana Seraya elderly nursing home in Kesiman, East Denpasar district, when 85-year-old Ni Ketut Suntreg whispered – to her volunteer caretaker Tri Sukristawati – she wanted a bath.

Suntreg was sitting with her friend on the veranda of one of several pavilions in the nursing home, before Tri took her to bathe.

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KKM members celebrate modest Galungan

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Anton Muhajir, The Jakarta Post, Karangasem | Fri, 03/20/2009 1:12 PM | Bali

This year, there is no imported fruit on the gebogan (fruit platter served as an offering) prepared by Kadek Andariani during ceremonies to celebrate the Balinese Hindu holiday of Galungan in Karangasem.

In the past, Andariani would have picked imported Guan Juan apples, Sunkist oranges, pears and green grapes for the offerings.

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