Paradise on the Equator: Palu, Sulawesi

April 21st, 2008 | By Barrie | No Comments »

City officials say Palu, set amid a valley of rolling hills and along a river streaming to the coast, is gaining acclaim for both natural beauty and its plans for development in Central Sulawesi. “Everything is available here. Visitors will be surprised,” said Palu chief councilor Andi Mulhanan Tombolotutu, referring to the city’s diverse topography. The beauty of the city is apparent when viewed from the beach near the city center while enjoying a view of the sunset and the magnificent Teluk Palu Bridge.

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Traditional Birth Attendants and Women’s Health in Indonesia

April 10th, 2008 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Approximately 1 in 97 women in Indonesia will die during childbirth or because of complications related to pregnancy. Thankfully, Noni, a 27-year-old mother of four, is alive and well due to proper medical treatment from her local health centre. One recent day, Noni was proudly holding her newborn twin boys while making friendly conversation with Sanro Nurma, a Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA). As a TBA, Ms. Nurma delivered Noni’s previous two children in her home. But giving birth to twins involves some serious risks, so Ms. Nurma brought Noni to the Galesong Health Centre in South Sulawesi in order to deliver the babies safely with the help of hospital professionals. In the past, like millions of other Indonesian mothers, Noni would have relied on a birth attendant alone to assist her during birth. Approximately 40 per cent of deliveries in Indonesia today are assisted only by TBAs. This practice is the predominant contributing factor to the country’s high maternal mortality rate – one of the highest in the region.

Democracy in Jeneponto Community: South Sulawesi

January 6th, 2008 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Harry Bhaskara was recently invited to visit the School of Democracy in the southern Sulawesi regency of Jeneponto. The school is one of five run by the Jakarta-based Indonesian Commission for Democracy (KID). Below is his report of the visit. Jeneponto regency in the province of South Sulawesi is home to a militant Muslim community. It is a public secret that Christians are not allowed to build churches there and Chinese Indonesians as well as Javanese are barred from conducting business, local activists say. In the last two years, however, the secret has made its way into school discussions for the first time.

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Road to Eternal Peace: Poso, Central Sulawesi

December 26th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

It is debatable whether or not the Malino Peace Treaty has brought significant change to conflict-torn Poso in Central Sulawesi. The significance of the pact, signed on Dec. 20, 2001, in terms of its ability to bring Poso back to more pleasant days, remains unclear.

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Tree Planting Mandatory in Action Plan

December 23rd, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

The government has released a report on a plan of action covering the mitigation and adaptation efforts for climate change. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officially launched the report during the recent climate conference in Bali. The plan of action on mitigation and adaptation covers the forestry, energy, agriculture, water resources, infrastructure and health sectors. Below is the first article focusing on the forestry sector.

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Tapping Natural Resources: North Sulawesi

December 14th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

The North Sulawesi provincial administration is striving to tap the region’s natural resources to diversify its revenue base. To realize its goals, the administration has embarked on various initiatives, including its decision to host the World Ocean Conference in the North Sulawesi capital of Manado in 2009.

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Marine Conservation Cuts Poverty

December 7th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Well-managed marine conservation can significantly help reduce poverty and enhance the quality of life for local communities, according to a new study. The study, Nature’s Investment Bank, which was released by The Nature Conservancy in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Thursday, was based on more than 1,100 interviews within poor communities in four countries, including Indonesia, from November 2006 to May this year.

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The REDD Project

December 7th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Indonesia’s much-anticipated REDD program — a pilot forest project to help tackle climate change — is set to be launched Thursday in Bali by the republic’s Forest Minister MS Kaban, but he said it was still unclear how exactly the project would work. REDD details mechanisms for incentives, loans and finance, but Kaban said no plans had been devised yet to measure a country’s contribution to reducing deforestation.

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Tempe Lake Suffering: South Sulawesi

December 7th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Lake Tempe in South Sulawesi was once called the “fish bowl of Indonesia“. Today, as a result of chronic sedimentation caused by erosion and water plants, fishing is drying up. The sediment piles on at a rate of five centimeters per year, causing the lake to shrink away in the dry season and overflow in the wet season.

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Paying Homage to the King of Banawa: Sulawesi

November 5th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Bearing gifts, a group of Tobaku and Sarudu traditional leaders approached the house of Datu Wajar Lamarauna, son and heir of the late king, Adam Ardjad Lamarauna. As per custom, the gifts included betel nut, a sack of rice, 14 eggs, four black and white chickens and a white cow.

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