Posts from — 28 February 2009

THE JAKARTA POST, Sat, 02/28/2009 11:11 AM  |  World

INDONESIA: Indonesian Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on culture with Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Him Chhem at the Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Thursday.

The cooperation covers the research and development of culture, education and training, joint promotion of culture and arts, world heritage, dialogues on culture and arts, and cultural information exchanges [Read more →]

Ni Komang Erviani, ,  THE JAKARTA POST, ,  KUTA   |  Sat, 02/28/2009 2:23 PM  |  Bali

Recent bad weather is hampering efforts to protect Kuta Beach in Badung regency from erosion, with the beach losing as much as a meter of sand along a kilometer-long stretch.

The controversial Kuta Beach rescue project was just finished late last year. [Read more →]

Ni Komang Erviani ,  THE JAKARTA POST ,  DENPASAR   |  Fri, 02/27/2009 2:49 PM  |  Bali

The Bali India Foundation will hold an international yoga festival from March 3-10 that will feature some 100 yoga practitioners from Indonesia and overseas, including from India, Germany, Sweden and the United States.

The festival will be spread out over the island, with events taking place in the capital Denpasar, Bangli, Klungkung and Ubud, as well as sessions held at the foundation office. [Read more →]

Ni Komang Erviani ,  THE JAKARTA POST ,  DENPASAR   |  Thu, 02/26/2009 1:59 PM  |  Bali

Cooperatives in Bali received Wednesday a financial boost with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the provincial administration-owned Regional Development Bank (BPD) and the Agency for Revolving Fund Management for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (LPDB-KUKM).

The agency was established in 2007 to act as a kind of central bank for cooperatives lending money to their members. [Read more →]

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Ni Komang Erviani ,  THE JAKARTA POST ,  DENPASAR   |  Thu, 02/26/2009 1:59 PM  |  Bali

The Bali administration has yet to decide on whether to accept a planned training hospital, with Governor Made Mangku Pastika expressing doubt over the government-funded hospital.

“I have yet to receive any explanation on the training hospital’s aims and purposes,” he told a hearing Monday at the Bali Legislative Council. [Read more →]

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Ni Komang Erviani ,  THE JAKARTA POST ,  DENPASAR   |  Thu, 02/26/2009 1:59 PM  |  Bali

Cooperatives in Bali received Wednesday a financial boost with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the provincial administration-owned Regional Development Bank (BPD) and the Agency for Revolving Fund Management for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (LPDB-KUKM).

The agency was established in 2007 to act as a kind of central bank for cooperatives lending money to their members. [Read more →]

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Ni Komang Erviani ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Denpasar   |  Thu, 02/26/2009 1:59 PM  |  Bali

A ban on the export of ironwood products from sources other than Kalimantan is costing Bali’s crafts industry billions of rupiah.

Head of the Bali Industry and Trade Agency, I Gede Darmaja, said ironwood craft producers in Bali had been storing excess stock in warehouses since the Forestry Ministry declared the ban last year. [Read more →]

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Ni Komang Erviani and Andra Wisnu ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Denpasar   |  Wed, 02/25/2009 3:17 PM  |  Bali

The police had found a disturbing discrepancy concerning the financial assets of the Develop Karangasem Cooperative (KKM).

The major local co-op was shut down by the police last week over suspicion it was running a Ponzi-like scheme.

“Up to this day, the combined value of the assets we have seized and the bank’s accounts we have frozen are worth Rp 312 billion. Meanwhile, the total amount of funds deposited by KKM’s 61,000 members should reach more than Rp 521 billion,” Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Ashikin Hussein announced Tuesday [Read more →]

Ni Komang Erviani, The Jakarta Post  |  Mon, 02/16/2009 2:43 PM  |  Bali

Night had already fallen, but dozens of people were still busy talking and moving around the wet, muddy field at Pemuteran village in Gerokgak district, Buleleng.

There were youngsters, old couples and children, all visibly eager to see what the Wayang Cenk Blonk shadow puppet troupe would stage that night.

The clock struck 10 p.m., and a long applause greeted the video of testimonies from two boys these villagers knew and had seen before. Made Suparja and Nyoman Renti, both living with HIV, told the story of how they contracted the deadly virus.

“And we hope no one will ever discriminate against people living with HIV anymore,” they ended.

Their testimonies were followed by more testimonies from other people living with the disease. The video lasted ten minutes and was accompanied by the melodic tunes of the gender (a traditional metal xylophone).
Afterward, Nanang, a shadow puppet character, made his appearance. The master puppeteer behind the character, I Wayan Nardayana, spoke in a fatherly tone, telling the audience how the disease was transmitted and why they should not discriminate against people with HIV/AIDS.

“Don’t ostracize him, invite him to be a part of your community and shake hands with him, for HIV cannot be spread merely by shaking hands,” Nanang said.

“Invite him in, don’t discredit him. If you can, give him the courage to go through the ordeal.”

That show last Tuesday was one of Wayang Cenk Blonk’s efforts to raise HIV/AIDS awareness among people living in rural areas.
In the last five years, Cenk Blonk has regained its status as the most popular and sought-after shadow puppet troupe in Bali.

Nardayana’s cunning ability to mix sexually laden jokes, local anecdotes and poignant criticism of the authorities, any authority, is the main reason behind the troupe’s success.
Nardayana said his concern for the spread of HIV/AIDS in Bali had driven him to do the show.

“We can entertain them and at the same time inform them about HIV, because no matter how you look at it, HIV will be one of the major challenges for future generations,” he said.

Bali is high on the list of provinces hard-hit by HIV/AIDS infections, with 34 cases per 100,000 people. It is second only to Papua, which has 129 cases per 100,000 people.
As the show went on, several activists handed out brochures on HIV and condoms to the audience.

“We went through thousands of brochures in such a short time,” said I Ketut Merthayasa, a counselor for those with HIV/AIDS, from the Citra Usadha Indonesia Foundation (YCUI), who participated in the distribution.
He added he was happy to help out at the event, saying that educational events such as the shadow puppet show were highly effective.

Ni Komang Erviani ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Denpasar   |  Fri, 02/13/2009 3:58 PM  |  The Archipelago

Thousands of Tamiflu doses, the WHO recommended drug to combat avian influenza, have reached their expiry dates, a high-ranking official says.

Head of the Bali Health Agency, Nyoman Sutedja, said thousands of Tamiflu were stored neatly in the agency’s medicine depot, and many of them would no longer be useful this year. [Read more →]