This post is dedicated to commemorate of Blog Action Day ‘09

Few weeks ago, an earthquake took place in Padang, hundreds were perished perished under the debris, while hundreds more were missing due to landslides triggered by the quake. The area where they built their houses lost most of its forests, so basically there’s so few roots that keep the ground steady. One unfortunate event turn the place they called home into mass graveyard.

People are becoming more and more defenseless at the lashes of natural disasters, especially those who life in island nations. Are we ready to be displaced?

Reports said that climate change could trigger massive human displacement and threatened national stability.

It strikes me, haven’t we all took advantage of the earth? And since everybody’s doing it one way or the other, does it make it okay?

Seriously, the thought was sad.

Here are the realities of our Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world.

Our own water world

We have some of the richest marine biodiversity in the world, yet we benefitour seas by poaching the fishes, use chemicals to make fishing easier, bombed and bleached our coral reefs.

Watching Nemo hundreds of times doesn’t mean that you’re well informed about the ocean and marine biodiversity.

Coral reefs are the lungs of the oceans. In Indonesia coral destructions are massive and this will eventually threaten our marine diversity.

Corals depend on other ocean creatures to stay alive. In many Indonesian waters unhealthy fishing practices caused irreversible damage and disruption to the ocean food chain.

Scissors beat paper, paper beat tigers

Indonesia is (again) listed on Guiness Book of Records  for the highest rate of forest devastation in the world, according to Greenpeace an area of rainforest about the size of Manhattan being cleared on a daily basis. And sadly, even if the government banned timbering altogether (forest moratorium), slowing down deforestation is nearly a mission impossible. Why? Because 90% of the ongoing deforestations are done illegally. See some compelling pictures on The Guardian by clicking here.  You might think, “there’s plenty where they came from”, well to think that is just dead wrong. The world is not getting any younger, and you can’t teach old dog new tricks.

An aerial photo by a French photographer Yann-Arthus Bertrand: Borneo land clearing for palm oil

When we were kids, some of us may know the game rock paper scissors. Well right now it’s rock beats scissors, while paper beats everything, including the endagered wild animals. At least that’s from the environment activists in Sumatra and Kalimantan, where many forests have been transformed, or going to be transformed into industrial forests that produce paper (yes, it includes toilet paper and pocket tissue, our forests go down to the loo so stop eating chilli too often), rubber, and palm oil.

According to Institute for the Studies on Free Flow Information (ISAI), Indonesia has lost 72% of its original forest. Terrible forest management and consession are to be blamed for all these losses.

So what can we do to make things better? You don’t have to do heroic things..

Try small, yet repetitive acts of humility that will go miles.

• When you spend, spend wisely, don’t put your cents to forest destructors.
• Choose budget airlines that concern about carbon footprints.

• Take time to update yourself with what’s happening out there. Be proud of science breakthrough, new species discoveries, support greener technologies. Read, learn, knowledge is power.

• Take your pushbike for a spin, if you happen to live in Jakarta where weekend is the only time to do it, then do it anyway.. Support Car Free Day, Bike to Work initiatives, use common transport 

• Last but not least, ask your leaders both in big league (Jakarta) or little leagues (provinces), questions their policies, ask them to sober up with their forest concession “giveaways”.

In my opinion, Indonesia as a country has bigger problem than poverty, economy – nature preservation. Let’s face it, the axis of our economy is nature.

Our esteemed leaders, your people are the best investment for the country’s future and the world’s.

Please stop fooling yourself by saying that you live in urban areas and far away from the “wild”.

Face it, in one way or many, people contribute to climate change and further devastation of this earth. So let’s start slowing down the destruction and allow the earth to grow back what it needs to remain our host. Because we are all guest on earth, let’s show some respect.

I dedicated this post as part of Zemanta’s “Blogging For a Cause” campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.

Sometimes it’s difficult for any of us to be neutral over some issues around us. But does it mean that we have to pay the ultimate price in order to get our opinion out?

I hate the idea that I have to apply autocensorship each time I blog. I’m a part of a society that had enough from being silenced.

Indonesians used to live in silence under the oppresive New Order regime,  and in the new democratic era we begin to learn not to keep ideas, thoughts, worries to ourselves. Because, seriously, we had enough being told to put our head down and move along. Why keep ideas and opinion to yourself? Channel it healthily and perhaps you can give a significant contribution to the society, for the country.

I’m aware that in many parts of the world there are still people who write down their concern on their personal blogs and ended up being harassed, prosecuted and even jailed. This is not right.

Netizens should not be victimized, the right to speak should be respected. No more censoring our blog posts and stop firewalling us from information that we required.

Global Voices Advocacy aims to raised awareness globally about online freedom of speech.  I vote for GV Advox because their mission is clear – to protect freedom of expression and free access to information online through educational guides about anonymous blogging, anti-censorship campaigns, and online organizing.

The clerics are getting “boo”ed, yet again

Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) held meeting last weekend in West Sumatra and issued on Sunday — seven religious edicts.

Besides ban on abortion, vasectomy, voting abstention during electoral season, marriage with minors if it was proven disadvantagous (I haven’t find explaination to this edict yet, once I do I will totally write about it!), the list of edicts also includes ban on smoking.

The problem is that Indonesia is one of the world’s biggest tobacco market and currently Southeast Asia strongest economy, the ever so thriving industry has contributed much to the country’s economic improvements.

In east Javanese town of Jember, the tobacco demands in 2008 increased to 17,032.18 tons from 14,763.18 tons in 2007, and the tobacco farmers, through Abdurrahman, the head of tobacco farmer’s association expressed their rejection on MUI’s edict. Abdurrahman said to Indonesian News Agency ANTARA that the farmers would not obey the edict and would continue growing tobacco to support their families.

“Haram has a relation to sin and so the mosques built by cigarette factories would also be haram, because they were funded by something haram,” said Syafiq Nashan the head of the ulema in the city of Kudus, a centre for the tobacco industry, as quoted by the British news bureau Reuters.

Amin Suma, chairman of the Edict Commission of MUI said that smoking for Muslims is between `haram`, or forbidden and `makruh`, an Arabic term which basically means that smoking is bad and it’s better that one quits it.

Reuters article indicates that there has been a heated debate during the MUI meeting and in the end they can’t decide whether to categorize smoking as ‘haram’ or the other one.

“Makruh means something that God hates, so how come the ulemas still smoke?”, questioned Fauziah Fauzan, headmistress of the Diniyyah Putri Islamic girls’ boarding school, where the meeting was held, said she regretted the decision.

MUI is the country’s largest Muslim body, it is aware of its strength to steer voices (and sometimes forces) of the Indonesian majority.

Fatwa could never be considered as law in Indonesia, due to the state’s secularity.

After major economic collapse in 1998, finally the small ray of hope of better life conditions growing stonger and stronger.

I strongly feel that MUI is a big party pooper for making the people who involves in tobacco industry to feel that whenever they serve their family and their country well, they have displeased God.

Let’s see: Indonesia is a country of 200-something million population, about 90% of them are Muslims. Despite being crowned Southeast Asian latest economic powerhouse, poverty is still a major issue in the country, counting 34.96 million or 15.42% of the Indonesian population (BPS, March 2008), as mentioned by the World Bank’s website.

MUI counts 700 as members, who said to have acted because some big groups of people asked them to do “the right thing”, and this groups of people belongs to the 90%.

So if they act NOT on the behalf of the people who concerned (read: tobacco farmers, factory workers, etc) because there are some rejections, arguments (even within the body itself), then who did they act for? Who asked them to?

Putting things in mandatory would only extract the elements of education.

I’m pro-health, but I’m also pro-people. If banning of the tobacco was carried out for health-sake, then it’s far better educating people about the hazards of smoking, you know..the good campaign on cause and consequence, and THEN let them assess by themselves and choose what to do.

Or does the MUI feels that Indonesians are mere bunch of astrayed ignorants? And aren’t they Indonesians? From Indonesian families?

Though I’m not Muslim, and currently living abroad, I’m still Indonesian, I love my country and proud of it.

I’m gravely concern of what would the country become in the future when the country’s religious body tries to “purify” the people and the state using God’s name in vain.

What about?

It’s about Moroccan international relations with Venezuela and neighbor Algeria.

The relation between Morocco and Venezuela is now far then bed of roses,  about a week or so ago, the administrative capital Rabat officially announced that the kingdom is closing its embassy in Caracas for supporting the independence and foundation of the West Sahara country.

After its independence from Spain, the West Sahara has been administered by Morocco since the 1975,   The kingdom grants an autonomy status to the area.

According to an AP article, Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs hint “growing hostility” of Venezuelan authorities toward Morocco’s territorial integrity, a reference to the Western Sahara, as the main reason of the kingdom’s embassy closure.

Interestingly, an AFP article appeared on Au Fait Maroc said that Rabat’s official source claimed that the closing of embassy is NOT a sign of deteriorating relationship between the two nations.

However, Caracas second that opinion, stating that Morocco’s move was based on “wrong” and “baseless” reasons.

Jillian York who writes for Global Voices Online, compiled the reactions from the blogosphere.

And? What’s Algeria got to do with anything? Well.. The Western Saharawi rebels are backed by the Algeria.

Since 1994, Morocco closed its border with Algeria. About end of 2008, there were some talks about the plan to re-open the borders, but after the thorny situation with Chavezuela, it seems that King Mohamed VI has a change of heart, as reported by the Magreb Arabe Presse.

What’s next for Morocco, Algeria, and Venezuela? It’s a “stand by” and “listen” for the concerned.

A couple of hours ago, Barrack Obama was sworn in as USA’s 44th President. Born from Kenyan father and white American mother from Kansas, Barack Obama himself is a concoction of American dream.

In his inaugural speech, he almost didn’t mention the word “race”. Looking back the US history, about 60 years ago the country was a home to caucasians and those who are not. At that era, the “coloured” people were declined to vote.

Today, millions of Americans and non-Americans witnessed how Democracy in USA has evolved beyond skin color.

President Obama knows how to capture the public’s attention throught his speech, hopefully he would be able to capture the attention of both US citizens and international with his actions.

On the lighter side, today my eyes were fixed on a quirky article of today’s edition of Au Fait.

The article was talking about a Javanese dude called Ilham Anas, Obama’s look-a-like.

It’s curious to find a local publication interested by Anas.

The full article is in French but the check it out anyway, besides a picture speaks a-one-hundred-fifty words.

Oh, one more thing..  A Dutch pub in Kuta, Bali introduced a new cocktail called Arak Obama today while showing live on big screen the inaugural ceremony. For those who don’t know what Arak is, click here.

Siapa kamu

Apa maumu

Bagaimana pergulatanmu

Sudah matikah pilihan?

Tapakmu lunglai saja,
Sorotmu bersahaja, tak curiga, seakan tak kuasa

Aku bosan kau tak bertanya,
tak berbagi

Diammu, lelah terhenyak selalu

Kenapa terseok

Tak guna!

Ini hidup, tahu?!

Ayo hantam! Acak-acak!
Perkarakan status quo!
Ayo perkarakan, hantam, hancurkan!

Tak kuasa katamu?

Menanti?

Kataku pandang kedua tanganmu, itu kuasa

Hinakah tiap napasmu?

Tunda penantian hingga waktu tidur panjang nanti, jangan hari ini, jangan esok

Tantang segenap moral yang kamu paksa tumbuhkan,
jangan langkahkan kakimu ke rumah jagal

Tanya mereka yang tak tahu, mereka yang tak percaya!

Ini hidup

Hiduplah!

Untuk seorang sahabat yang terdiam di titik nol

henricuspunto: whooii indon… tolong Flag website ini, website yang berisi blog dari Malaysia yg jelek-jelekin bangsa indon. Semakin banyak yg Flag, semakin cepet websitena di tutup. (Flag terletak di atas disebelah Search Blog). LONG LIVE INDON…..

http://ihateindon.blogspot.com/

Carol: indon indon.. siapa sih yang mulai nickname itu??!
Carol: FYI, “Indon” itu slang Malay untuk pekerja kasar asal Indonesia (kuli bangunan atau PRT)

henricuspunto: heee gue cuma copy paste
Carol: sorry.. sensi, tapi kalo ngga ngerti jangan asal deh

“We both are lost
And alone in the world
Walk with me
In the gentle rain
Don’t be afraid, I’ve a hand
For your hand and I
Will be your love for a while

I feel your tears as they fall
On my cheek
They are warm like gentle rain
Come little one you have me in the
World and our love will be sweet
Very sweet

Our love will
Be sweet very sad
Very sweet like gentle rain
Like the gentle rain
Like the gentle rain”

F-in mellow in Bali thanks to the yo-yo weather. Raining morning, noon and night– short period and drizzles only but enough to turn my good mood barren.

Woke up this morning, still feeling like a Bali newbie. I seem to fail to shake off the holiday feeling. I’ve been unpacking twice since my arrival in Bali– first night of my arrival, then two weeks ago as I bid ‘a plus’ to my roomie Ingrid and ‘adieu’ to the over-expensive dorm we used to live in together.

Now I’m living in a tiny dorm (or ‘kost’ in Bahasa) that looked forever packed by countless stuff on the floor, futon and even bathroom. A stuffed luggage and a duffle bag, those are things I could claim my own as I deboard 23:30 flight from Jakarta to Denpasar end of last October.

This morning, I woke up right after the morning sunray hit my eyes, 5 minutes later the sky started to gloom, then drizzle, then rain..

Until the end of the day, I failed to shake Krall’s “Gentle Rain” off my mind. Well.. Not that I didn’t try.