Para kader desa ini benar-benar perempuan tangguh.
Membicarakannya Memang Lebih Mudah
Di tempat diskusi beralas karpet merah, tiga pembicara dengan satu moderator itu pun asik mendiskusikan tentang kemiskinan. Ni Made Sumiati, anggota DPRD Bali, menegaskan bahwa, “Bali memang masih memiliki warga-warga miskin terutama di Karangasem.”
Indonesian AIDS Policy: "On the ground" Isn't as Good as "On Paper"
by Anton Muhajir
Published at Asia Report
For Agus, fictitious name, the end of life was not the end of a journey. As a former injection drug user (IDU), he faced a new problem when he passed away. Two days ago, the IDU died from complications arising from AIDS. Often in Bali, a person who dies is the responsibility of not only their families, but also of the traditional local community, called banjar.
Normally, this care consists of bathing, burying, cremation, and a traditional farewell ceremony. But not for Agus. Agus’s body was rejected not only by his family, but by his community, as well.
Farmers and consumers benefit from sustainable agriculture
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 educationJENIA, 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.
Mencari Tempat Diskusi di Denpasar
Pekan lalu, Ana, teman yang baru tinggal di Bali mengeluh tentang ketertinggalannya soal wacana film. Teman itu lahir dan besar di Jakarta. Dia pernah bekerja di Timor Leste sebelum bekerja di Bali sejak sekitar Oktober lalu. Obrolan kami terjadi ketika kami diskusi kecil soal Slumdog Millionare, film pemenang delapan kategori di Oscar tahun ini.
Ketertinggalan wacana itu, kata Ana, karena kurangnya tempat diskusi di Denpasar. Dia sih membandingkan kondisi Bali dengan Jakarta. Kalau di Jakarta, ceritanya, mau diskusi soal seni misalnya bisa di Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM). Atau, contoh lain, soal peluncuran buku bisa di Aksara, Kemang. Dan seterusnya..
Golput yang Bikin Ribut
Noldy, teman di kalangan aktivis penanggulangan AIDS di Bali, pun hari bilang padaku. “Aku golput saja, Pak. Semua caleg sama saja. Tebar janji ketika kampanye. Kalau sudah kepilih paling juga lupa sama kita dan janji-janjinya,” kurang lebih begitu katanya.
Hal serupa selalu saja dibilang oleh teman-temanku, terutama di kalangan aktivis LSM, ketika ngobrol soal Pemilu tahun ini. Semuanya bilang mending golput alias tidak memilih pada Pemilu 2009 ini. Ada beberapa alasan mereka. Antara lain adalah karena tidak jelasnya caleg yang akan dipilih. Namun ada pula yang Golput karena sudah tidak percaya pada sistem di negara ini.
Bani Petani Kecil Kami
Quiz commemorates efforts in harm reduction and founding of NGO
Anton Muhajir, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Thu, 12/18/2008 11:18 AM | Bali
I Made Suartama closed his eyes as he listened to a challenge posed by Yusuf Pribadi.
“Name one government institution that provides harm reduction services,” Pribadi asked.
A kentongan (bamboo drum) was sounded by Suartama’s friend, signaling his readiness to answer the question.
Rights groups face classic problems
Anton Muhajir, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Wed, 12/17/2008 11:12 AM | Bali
Bali’s human rights organizations were still embroiled by classical, internal problems diminishing their capability to implement their agendas, an activist said during a civil society gathering last week.“Efforts to implement human rights agenda in Bali are still hampered by a lack of coordination among the human rights organizations,” chairwoman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Association’s (PBHI) Bali Chapter Nyoman Sri Widiyanthi said.
Bali group promotes Silent Day in Poland
Anton Muhajir, Contributor, Denpasar | Fri, 12/05/2008 11:30 AM | The Archipelago
The Bali Collaboration for Climate Change (BCCC) is promoting the idea of World Silent Day to delegates at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), currently being held in Poznan, Poland.
Two members of the campaign team — Agung Wardana and Hira Jhamtani — left earlier in the week to join the UNFCCC’s two-week summit meeting.
Go and find me!