2) Bridging drops out children with Papua Learning Movement
3) Expo – Waena Museum and Arts Centre, the forgotten asset
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1) Moratorium to save natural forest from palm oil invasion
Published 5 hours ago on 13 November 2018
By pr9c6tr3_juben
Indigenous Papuan in Muting, Merauke conducted customary blockade symbol against palm oil company of PT. BIA – Jubi/John Wob
The Head of Campaign Division of Sawit Watch Maryo Saputra Sanuddin said that they had proposed the government to conduct a moratorium and overall evaluation on palm oil for a long time.
“In our term, it’s called a plantation audit to monitor whether the plantation size is the same as reflected in existing permits or not,” he said.
When companies break the permits, he continued, there is a potential for loss of income to the state.
“We can say there is an indication of corruption which also included as an important note in the moratorium so that the improvement of governance over palm oil plantation is truly beneficial to the community,” he said.
Up to now, the state has earned revenue of Rp 200 trillion from palm oil plantations which is the highest income in addition to the oil and gas sectors. To increase the state revenue, he suggests the government does not need to expand palm oil plantations but increases its productivity and conduct identification and good governance.
From the start, Sawit Watch has supported President Widodo’s statement in 2016 about the palm oil and mining moratorium. After the moratorium issued, Sawit Watch even keeps continuing to advocate and persuade the government to immediately stipulates this regulation (Inpres – President’s Instruction).
If there is no moratorium on the palm oil industry in Indonesia, forests in Indonesia then will turn into palm oil forests –no more primary forests and natural forests.
“Based on our data, there are approximately 20 million hectares of palm oil plantation throughout Indonesia in which1.8 million hectares located in Papua,” he said.
Palm oil plantations in Papua stretch from Merauke, Boven Digoel, Jayapura Regency, Keerom, Sarmi, Nabire and the mountainous area. “That’s amazed us. Why is there such palm oil plantation in the mountainous area? ”
However, Sanuddin said he doesn’t have an idea why the local government did not discuss the revenue from palm oil plantations with the central government. The local government solely get income from land and building taxes that only a few percents of the national income.
Furthermore, according to him, many Indonesian regions face the same problems in the palm oil sector, that are including the conflicts of land, plasma scheme and income received by landowners, especially on the disagreement the land use for palm oil plantations.
Meanwhile, the Head of Investment and Integrated Business Service (DPMPTSP) of Papua Province Jamal Tawarutubun said before issuing a business permit; a plantation company must fulfil a primary licence and other licenses such as a land-use permit from landowners, environmental impact assessment, and consent from indigenous people.
“If all done, we’ll issue the plantation business permit. It means all technical and administrative process is complete,” said Jamal.
He continued that these measures are taken to avoid such plantation inside of the forest area. For instance, in Boven Digoel, his office revoked a business permit from a company after conducting field monitoring and evaluation.
“We have done through the bottom-up stages,” he said.
According to him, the most important factor related to the permit is indigenous peoples. His office only issues a permit for the company based on indigenous peoples’ consent.
The permit for palm oil plantation applies for 35 years. The government do not intervene the company and landowners if they agree to extend the operating permit. However, he doesn’t know the specific size of palm oil plantations in Papua.
Meanwhile, the Director of Walhi Papua Aesh Rumbekwan said the palm oil moratorium is crucial. Good governance is not a new issue but a problem from the past. Moreover, he said now many major issues are arising as a result of oil palm plantations. When people lose their natural resource, it becomes a dilemma because people then only have the last option to be plasma farmers.
He continued that the community has their local wisdom and the government should look at it and develop it. The company comes offering job opportunities, yet develop many conflicts such as environmental problems, human rights violations, and land issues.
Therefore, he hopes, through the palm oil moratorium, the government would open access to the community to manage timber or non-timber resources for their welfare. (*)
Reporter: David Sobolim
Editor: Pipit Maizier
Editor: Pipit Maizier
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2) Bridging drops out children with Papua Learning Movement
Published 5 hours ago on 13 November 2018
By pr9c6tr3_juben
GPM activity in Buper Waena – Jubi/Agus PabikaG
Jayapura, Jubi – “Mom leaves home for gardening at 5 in the morning when we are the children are still sleeping. When I woke up, I found out there was no breakfast, felt hungry but was already late. So what else should I do except going to school even though I am hungry? But I have to walk. After school, I must cook our lunch, just rice and it’s enough as long as we have salt and oil. They say it’s not good for our health…hahahaha (laughing), but I don’t care. My stomach is what I care more.”
This short article written by Eva, a girl from Jayapura who tells about her sister and her experience to be left home by their mother when she works in the garden and then sells their harvested crops in the market has posted on the blog “papuamengajar.blogspot. Eva is one of the dozens of children who attend the learning activity initiated by Gerakan Papua Mengajar (GPM – a teaching movement community).
At GPM, every child with a different background study in one room where they learn drawing, counting, listening folktales, reading, laughing and having fun together.
GPM is a voluntary based community that established in 2013 to provide free education for children from the low-income family. “We found many of dropout school children playing around the markets and terminals,” said Alex Giay, a teacher as well as one of the founders.
So far, GPM has accommodated free education for 65 children aged up to 15. They conduct learning activities in two locations, three days in Buper and three days in Kotaraja and open from 15.30 to 18.00 at Papua time. Children often learn on the porch of a house or church.
They also divide children into three learning groups. Level one is consisting of pre-school aged and first-grade children who generally illiterate. So that in this group, they learn basic maths and the alphabet.
Meanwhile, level two is for those who already know how to read and count but need to advance their skills. They are generally the first and third-grade elementary students. Then, those who have advanced reading and counting skills join the level three. They are mostly the pupils of fourth grade and junior high schools.
According to Giay, GPM is also a response to their concern towards the condition of children who become victims of urban development; their parents work whole days from morning till evening for a living which often left children without supervision. As a result, they become less educated. “We pay attention to suburban children who often marginalised from development,” he said.
As it is a voluntary based movement, teachers come from different backgrounds including fresh graduate and voluntarily teach the children. Sometimes, GPM invites journalists or writers to teach children how to write a poem, short stories or their experience.
Meanwhile, those who learn at GPM are not only dropped out of school children but also those who are still studying in formal schools like Elvius Wakur. This 13-year-old boy goes to SMP YPPK Padang Bulan from morning till mid-day and joins the class at GPM in the afternoon.
“Later I want to be a teacher so that I can teach children like my teachers of GPM,” said Elvius who admits he loves reading folktales and counting.
During their five years activities, Giay observed there is no serious action taken by the government such as rehabilitates drops out children to school. “So far the government has no special attention to drops out children, they focus more on formal education. Up to now, none of these children has returned to school,” he said.
It’s ironic to compare his statement with the achievement of Jayapura Municipal Government as child-friendly city awarded by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection and Family Planning in a luxury place in Surabaya in July this year. (*)
Reporter: Agus Pabika
Editor: Pipit Maizier
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3) Expo – Waena Museum and Arts Centre, the forgotten asset
Artists and cultural observers of Papua encourage the revitalisation of Expo-Waena Museum and Arts Centre.
the museum and arts centre where located in the city border –the border between Jayapura Municipality and Jayapura Regency—is supposed to be able to accommodate all activities related to arts and cultural performances, such as traditional music concerts, culturally related discussions, painting and other art exhibitions, literary and journalism activities, et cetera.
Titus Krist Pekei, the initiator of noken recognition to UNESCO, told Jubi on Wednesday, 7 November 2018, that Papua Provincial Government should pay serious attention to this museum.
According to him, if the museum is well-managed, it would become the arts and cultural centre of Papua Province. Further, It should accommodate all culturally related activities, ideas and creative works of Papuan tribes. “It would become an entrance for people to get to know Papua,” he said.
He further asked the Cultural Office of Papua Province to have a partnership with all parties to revive the activities and art performance in this art centre and museum. “Don’t think it only belongs to civil servants, but everyone who has talent,” said Pekei who’s also the Director of Papua’s Ecology.
He took the Noken museum which built several years ago as an example. “The Ministry of Cultural and Education handed over the management of Noken Museum to Papua Government, and the government then assigned it to the Noken Papua Foundation. However, it’s not clear for the Expo-Waena Museum,” said Pekei.
Expo-Waena Museum and Arts Centre was established in the 1980s and the late 1990 and used as a location for development exhibitions in Papua in the 1980s and late 1990s. In 2013, the building was planned to be restored and became the office of Papua People’s Assembly.
The museum has nine main buildings including pavilions for displaying the cultural artefacts of Jayapura, Manokwari, Biak, Jayawijaya, Merauke, Nabire, Serui, Sorong, dan Fakfak. It holds more than three thousand collections of ten types of cultural artefacts, historical and ethnographical objects and other art collections.
Sometimes ago a film community Papuan Voice held a discussion and film screening at Expo – Waena Museum and Art Centre. However, now the museum neglects. Some local artists think it should not happen due to its contribution to the local artists to express their creativity. This place should be well-maintained.
“If talking about art and culture, local artists could not be separated with this place,” said the Secretary of Papuan Arts Council Septinus Rumasep to Jubi in an occasion.
“If talking about art and culture, local artists could not be separated with this place,” said the Secretary of Papuan Arts Council Septinus Rumasep to Jubi in an occasion.
Meanwhile, the Papuan parliament member John N. R. Gobay said the museum and art centre is a crucial asset that has forgotten. This art centre has not occupied since 1996.
“It’s an asset of Papua Provincial Cultural Office. It reflects the Papuan culture and identity. We cannot talk about a nation whose cultural identity is destroyed,” said Gobay who was a former Chairman of Paniai Customary Council.
Moreover, he said the Expo-Waena Art Centre must have art shops that selling traditional souvenirs, cafes, and a library that provides books about Papua. Thus, this will become a cultural centre of Papua. Therefore, he asked the Papua Provincial Government to revitalise it.
“The government should relocate people living near the museum. The government is responsible for protecting the local culture through this art centre. Therefore the regulation No. 8 could be implemented,” he said.
He also appealed the artists to establish an advocacy team and plan a meeting with the governor and parliament member for the revitalization of museum and art centre. “I asked the provincial government to support this by clearing the complex of museum and art centre in Jayapura City,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Papuan artist Semi Simson said the Papua Provincial Government do not pay attention to this museum since long time ago. They must revive this complex as Papuan cultural centre. (*)
Reporter: Hengky Yeimo
Editor: Pipit Maizier
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