Day: February 5, 2023

Jakarta – The Government of Indonesia expressed readiness to hold the Opening of the 10th World Water Forum on 15-16 February 2023 at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), Minister of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono stated.

“The kick-off meeting is targeted to attract 1,000 participants. Each participant can contribute to finding solutions to challenges in the water sector, be it on regional, national, and global scale,” Hadimuljono said in a statement in Jakarta, Sunday.

As of February 1, 2023, there have been 672 participants who have registered, consisting of 503 domestic (national) participants and 169 international participants.

The government is targeting the presence of heads of state, ministers, 10,000 delegations, and 30,000 participants (including participants and visitors to exhibitions about water and MSMEs) from 172 countries, consisting of elements of government, parliament, private sector, academics, practitioners, associations, and the public, both national and international.

“It is hoped that the number of participants who registered will continue to increase. If the kick-off meeting alone attracted 1,000 participants, we hope that the main event of the 10th World Water Forum will be attended by more participants,” the Minister said.

The kick-off meeting will be filled with various discussions regarding the challenges in the water sector, Hadimuljono said.

The opening of the 10th World Water Forum will also be the first meeting for stakeholders in the management of water resources.

The World Water Forum itself is the largest cross-border forum in the world that focuses on discussing water issues and seeking global solutions as answers to these issues.

The 10th World Water Forum will be held on May 18-24, 2024 with the theme “Water for Shared Prosperity”. It is hoped that World Water Forum will become a place for various stakeholders from various countries to share experiences and innovations in responding to various challenges in global water management.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that, based on the experience of implementing the G20, the key to the success of holding the 10th World Water Forum in 2024 in Bali is the mutual cooperation and cohesiveness of all agencies/institutions, both in the central government and regional governments.

Source: Antara News

Singkawang, West Kalimantan – Cap Go Meh Festival has been considered as one of intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Chief of Presidential Staff Office Moeldoko noted while opening the festival in Singkawang City, West Kalimantan.

“I am very intrigued by the symbols etched in Singkawang City,” he said in a speech he delivered in the opening ceremony of the festival on Sunday.

He also lauded State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir who took his time to come to the event.

“State-Owned Enterprises Minister is very busy. But because of his love for Singkawang, he (makes time to) attend,” he informed.

Moreover, he also expressed his delight because he could celebrate the Cap Go Meh Festival in that city.

He compelled all the guests who were at the event to shout the slogan, ‘may Singkawang be great’.

Moeldoko affirmed that the Cap Go Meh Festival had been listed as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Such stipulation served as commendation from global community to Indonesia.

He recounted his time back when he was commander at Tanjungpura Regional Military Command in West Kalimantan, during which there was an argument revolving dragon statue in Singkawang.

“I said: ‘hey, you all. Before you were born, Singkawang had already been like this. Don’t mess around,’ ” Moeldoko said.

He recalled that he had said that he would be the first one to protect the statue if anything bad happen to it.

On the occasion, he encouraged everyone to join efforts to develop Singkawang City for the better in the future, so as to be like other countries which succeeded in developing their tourism sector.

In the festival, several thousands of people —including local residents and guests— would witness the festival proceedings, which showcased nine dragons attraction performed by Saint Yosef Singkawang City group, line of 13 jailangkung (vegetable baskets filled with spirits), hundreds of tatung or shamans possessed by ancestral spirits, as well as drums and altar poles carried by several people.

Hundreds of people kept up with the procession, which stopped by the main podium to greet the guests who took seat beneath a tent adorned in red and white.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta – Deputy Chairperson of People’s Consultative Assembly Lestari Moerdijat compelled Indonesians to seek for more information on early prevention of cancer in a bid to suppress the rate of the disease, and concurrently promote health quality.

“When discovered early on, cancer can be prevented and cured. Hence, efforts to inform people more and early on cancer detection are important measures to take,” Moerdijat said in a written statement received here on Sunday.

She made the statement in commemoration of World Cancer Day on February 4. This year’s theme for World Cancer Day was Close the Care Gap, which aimed to appeal everyone to put in efforts to address the inequity in cancer treatments.

The global theme was chosen following the experience which cancer patients had gone through throughout COVID-19 pandemic that affected the world for several years, she affirmed.

The World Health Organization (WHO) projected that deaths caused by cancer would still increase, even the number exceeding 13.1 million in 2030.

The COVID-19 pandemic had restricted cancer patients’ access to treatment, thus hindering the progress and compromising their lives.

Hence, she appealed to everyone to make the World Cancer Day a moment to instill awareness, so young people would be able to adopt a healthy lifestyle in their daily lives.

She emphasized that public knowledge and understanding about cancer should consistently be promoted so that people would grow more aware.

To this end, efforts to prevent cancer by adopting a healthy lifestyle, early detection and vaccination such as on in cervical cancer prevention, can be implemented on greater scale.

She also urged the people at large to take cancer prevention efforts as their concern.

Therefore, stakeholders and the general public must pursue collaboration to enable everyone to take part in addressing the cancer issues in Indonesia, Moerdijat said.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta – People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Bambang Soesatyo promotes spirit of interfaith harmony in commemorating the International Day of Human Fraternity because religious entities are capable of inspiring, motivating, and moving people who have boundless loyalty.

“The spirit of brotherhood and religious harmony must not end up as merely a declaration. This spirit must always be present and expressed in every public space,” he noted in a statement.

Soesatyo made the remarks during the commemoration of the International Day of Human Fraternity and the World Interfaith Harmony Week at the Nusantara IV Building in Parliamentary Building Complex, Senayan, on Sunday.

He explained that religious entities are capable of inspiring, motivating, and moving people who have boundless loyalty.

The religious morality values also teach about empathy, as well as upholding human dignity as a way to serve God.

Moreover, every religion upholds values of brotherhood and harmony, both of which are culmination of ideas which have become a universal language. That is why these values can be accepted by everyone despite the differences in their backgrounds.

“That every human being is created differently. Such is human nature, which prompts us to get to know each other, interact, and work together,” he said.

The commitment to living alongside others within diversity and working together for humanitarian causes leads to the declaration of Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together which was signed by Pope Francis and Al Azhar’s Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb on February 4, 2019, Soesatyo remarked.

“The declaration represents the strong desire of interfaith communities to develop synergy and collaboration, and to actively contribute to pursuing a peaceful world,” he remarked.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta – Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono highlighted the importance of maintaining quality, aesthetics, and environmental sustainability in the Nusantara Capital City infrastructure development.

The minister noted that to date, the overall physical progress of the capital city construction had reached 14 percent. The operations were carried out in accordance with three main principles: quality, aesthetics, and environmental sustainability.

“The Smart Forest City vision must become our guidance and orientation in work. Please keep in mind, you must cut down trees and strip cliffs to a minimum. Instead, we use existing trees and cliffs for a good, scenic view of the area’s landscape,” he said in a statement received here on Sunday.

The effort to minimize the interference with the landscape is conducted by putting strict limits on cutting trees —only when it is necessary and in accordance with the initial building plan.

Moreover, they also strive to maintain the shape of landscape, such as its elevation, contour, and position, he said.

The construction management consultant and supervisors would conduct a strict monitoring on these aspects, he said.

Currently, contractors, construction management consultants, and supervisors have worked on 31 packages. Among them are land development, workers’ housing area, logistics roads, ponds and drainage, raw water intake, coordinating ministry offices, office complexes, and state palaces.

The minister also asked the authorized parties not to allow the Over Dimension and Overload (ODOL) vehicles to pass by the city’s main area of government center.

Government buildings at Nusantara City’s central government area comprise the construction of Phase I of the National Axis which include Zone 1 with riparian and visitor center; Zone 2 with ceremonial lawn, plaza, retail building, and toilet; Zone 3 of central promenade, wetland, forest trail; and Zone 4 plus Zone 5 with their shared streets.

“I am serious about ODOL. There have already been rules (about it). We have to set a good example. For trucks carrying materials, do not let them be overloaded,” he warned.

Regarding workers’ flats, he advised that each unit is occupied by a maximum of eight workers, so that it will have ample room for everyone in it.

He also requested at least two blowers to be installed in each hall of the flats to improve air circulation and regulate the temperature. In total, 22 towers were built to house 14,000 workers.

Source: Antara News

Bandung, West Java – Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali disclosed that his administration coordinated with his counterparts from the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry on Persib’s use of the Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium (GBLA).

He stated that football clubs could use the stadium as long as it did not interfere with Public Works and Public Housing Ministry’s preparation for the U20 World Cup.

The GBLA Stadium has been selected to be one of the training grounds for teams that will compete in the event.

“We’ll also see what the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry is preparing. As long as it doesn’t interfere with the preparations, just go ahead,” Amali said.

He delivered the statement after watching the Persib and PSS match at the GBLA Stadium, Bandung City, West Java, on Sunday.

He also said that he came to the stadium in person to see the stadium’s condition when it was filled with spectators, even though the GBLA Stadium would only be used for training.

The minister admitted that he understood what the football clubs needed, as they had a hard time for finding stadiums to be made as headquarters.

Moreover, he also stated that he saw the preparations made by Public Works and Public Housing Ministry.

“In the Presidential Decree, responsibilities have been assigned. The Public Works and Public Housing Ministry is responsible for infrastructure, the Youth and Sports Ministry is responsible for support, the National Football Association for the achievements. But as a unit, as the host, we will give the best,” he said.

Director of PT Persib Bandung Bermartabat Teddy Tjahjono said that Persib’s match against PSS could be the team’s last match at the GBLA Stadium. For some next home matches, the team might use another stadium.

“So we still hope that we are able to play in the West Java region. There are Garut, Ciamis, and Karawang,” Tjahjono remarked.

Source: Antara News

Kudus, Central Java – Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry disclosed on Sunday that the Freedom in Learning Curriculum would be introduced as a national curriculum in 2024.

“Surely schools will adopt it later. Meanwhile, currently (we are) gauging the readiness of schools in the country,” the ministry’s Center for Curriculum and Learning of Education Standards, Curriculum and Assessment Agency officer, Baharudin, said in Kudus, Central Java.

A decision to adopt the curriculum would be left to each education unit, he said.

Schools that are ready to incorporate it will be commended, considering such choice were made based on their readiness, he added.

Regarding the budget support, it would be adjusted after it was set as the national curriculum in 2024; hence there would be adjustment for trainings and other matters, Baharudin informed.

“Including how this curriculum is informed extensively so that the educational unit and the fellow teachers feel that they are accepting the curriculum very well,” he said.

The most important thing is that students will get quality education, he pointed out.

In the meantime, a range of applications for self-training have been prepared, so that teachers can access some documents on Freedom in Learning curriculum as well as other modules.

Essentially, the curriculum is a follow up to the previous one, which allows students to focus on their most needed thing during their study.

“There is a Pancasila learning profile, which is the main goal of this educational process implemented in the profile project,” Baharudin stated.

The teachers were given flexibility in selecting materials and learning processes that fit students’ condition and the status of support in the education unit, he added.

It will enable students to get maximum competence, such as having good skills and knowledge, as well as having good manners km accordance with eastern values, he added.

Source: Antara News