Indonesia Today

18
October

Perpusnas held a Writers Festival 2024

Written by nuke

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Principal Secretary of the Indonesian National Library (Perpusnas) Joko Santoso hit a gong to open the Writer Festival 2024 in Jepara on Thursday October 17th 2024. (Photo : Perpusnas) -

VOInews, Jakarta : The choice of Jepara as the location for holding the National Library Writers Festival (PWF) this year cannot be separated from the close connection with R.A. Kartini, a figure of women's emancipation who was born in this city. As stated by the Principal Secretary of the Indonesian National Library (Perpusnas) Joko Santoso in his speech, Kartini understands literacy as a force that drives social change.

"Writing for Kartini is a form of peaceful intellectual resistance, Kartini voices her ideas about education, women's emancipation and freedom of thought," he said at the opening of PWF 2024 at Pendopo Kartini, Jepara, Thursday (17/10/2024).

Joko explained that writing for change means using writing as a tool to influence, inspire and move others towards social, cultural or individual change.

“Writing has the power to shape opinion, raise awareness and encourage action,” he added.

He hopes that this festival will become a forum for young writers, including local writers in Jepara, to contribute to developing Indonesian literacy.

"By presenting various speakers who have written their best works, this festival also supports the National Library's mission to build a more knowledgeable society," he explained.

In between the series of events, National Library Main Secretary Joko Santoso symbolically handed over the assistance of a mobile library motorbike to Plt. Head of the Jepara Regency Archives and Library Service Hadi Sarwoko. It is hoped that this assistance can increase Jepara people's access to reading materials and encourage increased interest in reading in various regions, especially in hard-to-reach areas in Jepara.

This event was initiated by Perpusnas Press as a meeting place between writers, readers, literacy activists and the writing ecosystem to create meaningful works.
Meanwhile, the Acting Regent of Jepara, Edy Supriyanta, expressed his gratitude for Jepara being chosen as the host for PWF 2024.

“We, as hosts, are grateful to have been given the trust to hold an event of this magnitude. Because Jepara is a small city at the tip of Central Java. "Now, Jepara has started to develop," he said when opening this festival.

Furthermore, Edy revealed that literacy challenges in Jepara still need improvement. Based on data from the Community Literacy Development Index (IPLM), Jepara is at 54.2 or in the medium category.

"Meanwhile, the level of people's reading hobby is also in the medium category, namely 72.5, so it still needs improvement," he explained.

Edy Supriyanta also promoted Jepara's mainstay tourist destination, Karimunjawa, which is only 2.5 hours by boat from Jepara.

"We are waiting for your arrival in Karimunjawa. The place is beautiful, the hotel is good, and the tickets are quite cheap," he concluded.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Friday October 18th 2024, PWF 2024, which runs until October 21, features various interesting activities, including Writing Talks, Book Launches and Reviews, Writing Workshops, Short Film Screenings, Poetry Musicalizations, Dramatic Readings, as well as Field Trips and writing residencies to Karimunjawa.

Head of the Legal, Organizational, Cooperation and Public Relations Bureau of the National Library, Sri Marganingsih, highlighted that the activity target is 750 active participants and 1,000 visitors,

"It is hoped that this PWF can motivate more people to engage in and love the world of writing and literacy," he hoped.

Through collaboration with various media, Sri also projects that this event will reach more than 100,000 people who will be exposed to PWF information, both through the social media of National Library, Jepara Regency Government, Community Reading Park Forum (TBM), and other media partners.

Literacy activist Maman Suherman as the speaker of the talk show on the first day stated that PWF actually celebrates life skills, inviting all elements in society to continue to increase the love of reading culture.

“The program at PWF invites these things. "Don't just read and write, but how to be empowered and empower each other," he said.

PWF has become an annual activity that continues to grow since it was first held in 2021 in Jakarta. In 2022 it will still take place in Jakarta and in 2023 this festival will move to the city of Bandung. With a different theme every year, in 2024, Jepara was chosen as the host, presenting a theme that is in line with the literary legacy of R.A. Kartini//VOI

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18
October

Pacific Islands Prepare Significant Climate Case at UN Court

Written by Daniel

Published in International News

Illustration of small island in the Pasific. Photo: freepik.com

VOInews, Port Vila: On Thursday, five Pacific nations outlined steps to bring a landmark case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), seeking to hold major polluting countries accountable and to safeguard the survival of their islands.

The ICJ will commence hearings on December 2 to assess countries' climate obligations and determine whether they can be held liable for failing to take action. This case is seen as a crucial step for small nations severely impacted by climate change to push for real change.

Vanuatu's Attorney General, Arnold Kiel Loughman, described the case as having "immense significance" and emphasized that it could empower smaller nations affected by climate issues. “It is directly related to our lives, as climate change affects weather patterns, land, seas, and the environment where we live,” Loughman told AFP on Thursday.

This week, Loughman met with his counterparts from Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, and Tuvalu to discuss the case, prepare legal arguments, and consult with experts. The meeting aimed to strengthen their legal strategy in court.

Despite numerous international forums addressing climate change, Loughman believes that concrete actions remain insufficient. “For small island nations like ours, we have yet to see much in the way of real action,” he added.

The Pacific islands, which contribute less than 0.02 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, are among the regions most vulnerable to climate impacts, such as rising sea levels. According to World Bank data, Vanuatu emitted just 121,000 tons of carbon dioxide in 2020, far lower than its neighbor, Australia, which produced 379 million tons.

“Our region has long borne the brunt of climate change's worst effects, while our contribution to this crisis is minimal,” Loughman stressed. He estimated that the nation of approximately 313,000 people would need around USD 1.2 billion by 2030 for climate adaptation, mitigation, and covering related losses.

Fiji’s Attorney General, Graham Leung, emphasized that the case is “not just a legal matter, but a matter of survival.” NASA analysis shows that many Pacific nations will face a rise in sea levels of at least 15 centimeters over the next 30 years, a serious concern given that 90 percent of their populations live within five kilometers of the coastline.

Source: AFP

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18
October

Pertamina Presents Biofuels and Decarbonization Strategy at Southeast Asia-Latin America Dialogues

Written by Daniel

Published in Indonesia Today

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President Director of PERTAMINA, Nicke Widyawati, speaks at the Southeast Asia-Latin American Dialogues (SALA Dialogues) held on Wednesday (16/10) at the INSEAD Hoffmann Institute in Singapore. Photo: pertamina.com.

VOInews, Singapore: PT Pertamina (Persero) introduced its business roadmap in the biofuels and decarbonization sector to business practitioners in Singapore. This presentation was delivered by Pertamina's President Director, Nicke Widyawati, at the Southeast Asia-Latin American Dialogues (SALA Dialogues) held on Wednesday, October 16, at the INSEAD Hoffmann Institute in Singapore.

In the session titled "Fuelling the Future: Biofuels and the Decarbonization Journey," Nicke outlined that Indonesia is facing four main challenges ahead. "Firstly, Indonesia is now a net importer of oil. Secondly, we must achieve our net zero emission target by 2060. Thirdly, we aim for high-income country status, and fourthly, we need to create job opportunities," Nicke explained. She emphasized that biofuels and decarbonization programs could provide solutions to these challenges.

Nicke added, "Indonesia, through Pertamina, has been implementing biodiesel initiatives since 2010 and has successfully produced and utilized B35 biodiesel, which has proven capable of substituting diesel imports." She also noted that since April 2019, Pertamina has stopped importing diesel and jet fuel, with B35 capable of reducing CO2 emissions by up to 32.7 million tons in 2023.

One of the advantages of biodiesel, according to Nicke, is the ease of the blending process. "The beauty of biodiesel lies in the simple blending process that can be conducted at fuel terminals. Pertamina has over 1,000 fuel terminals in Indonesia, which will promote the development of bioethanol plants, boost the local economy, and create job opportunities," she stated.

Furthermore, Nicke explained that the successful implementation of biodiesel will be replicated for gasoline products. Currently, Pertamina has begun using biofuel E5 in several regions of Java, particularly in East Java, with plans to gradually increase its application. "We have started with biofuel E5 in several areas of Java," she explained.

Nicke also revealed that Pertamina cannot transition to energy and innovate green energy products alone. "Collaboration and knowledge transfer with strategic business partners and other countries are essential," she said. During this dialogue, Nicke opened opportunities for cooperation with Latin American countries to jointly develop biodiesel and biofuels.

She added, "For the bioethanol program, we see potential collaboration between Indonesia and Brazil. We want to learn holistically how Brazil successfully implemented bioethanol, from the plantation process to regulations."

The SALA Dialogues were attended by around 150 business players and practitioners from various sectors in Southeast Asia and Latin America. This event aims to foster global collaboration to find solutions to net zero carbon issues and food security, which are expected to open new business opportunities and investments between countries.

As a leading company in energy transition, Pertamina is committed to supporting the Net Zero Emission 2060 target by continuously promoting programs that have a direct impact on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All these efforts align with the implementation of Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) across Pertamina's business lines and operations.

Source: pertamina.com.

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