VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Directorate General of Culture at the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry promoted Balinese local wisdom to ASEAN members through the Natural Dyes of ASEAN Workshop held on November 7-11, 2022, in Bali.

Secretary of the directorate general, Fitra Arda, noted in a statement on Tuesday that one of the themes raised during the workshop was the promotion of local wisdom as a cultural way of life for sustainable living.

He said that the event became an example on how to empower cultural ecosystems, cultural resilience, and cultural contributions on the international stage with the concept of cultural sustainability.

"We gather in Bali to introduce local wisdom to the world, especially to the ASEAN members, to increase awareness that it is important for us to preserve local materials and wisdom (as well as) to foster creativity and protect the environment, so that it remains sustainable,” he remarked.

He expressed optimism that the cultural forum would generate a resolution that can strengthen the implementation of sustainable traditional practices, such as the use of natural dye.

"By exploring the cultural practices of using natural dyes, it can encourage the cultivation of various plants that are the sources of dye, thereby improving the agricultural value chain, the carrying capacity of nature, as well as (the growth of) crafts and the tourism industry," the official remarked.

The forum is also expected to serve as an educational platform for the millennial generation to explore, continue, and promote local wisdom that pays attention to environmental aspects, he remarked.

Hence, implementation of the activity is necessary to encourage the preservation, development, and promotion of cultural heritages in all ASEAN member countries, he remarked.

"We can enhance mutual understanding and collaboration between ASEAN member countries through idea exchanges and consultations, leading to a (joint) commitment for environmental conservation and cooperative programs, particularly in traditional and contemporary textile (industry)," Arda stated.

Furthermore, he noted that the ASEAN delegates would visit the local craftsperson to learn ways to use natural dyes in various textile products, as one of the agendas of the workshop. (Antaranews)

Indonesia's open unemployment rate (TPT) fell to 5.86 percent in August 2022 from 6.49 percent in August 2021, head of Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Margo Yuwono, said on Monday.

"The employment condition is getting better, in line with the economy recovery," he said at a press conference on the economic growth in the third quarter of 2022.

According to Yuwono, the number of unemployed people in Indonesia decreased to 8.42 million in August 2022 from 9.1 million in August 2021.

TPT is an indicator that is used to measure the number of workers who are not absorbed by the labor market and illustrates how severe the lack of labor utilization is.

A TPT of 5.86 percent means that there are around six people who are unemployed out of every 100 people in the workforce.

The latest decline in TPT has occurred consistently by gender and region. The TPT among the male workforce slid to 5.93 percent in August 2022 from 6.74 percent in August 2021, while the TPT among the female workforce declined to 5.75 percent from 6.11 percent.

Region-wise, there was a decline in TPT in urban areas to 7.74 percent from 8.32 percent and in rural areas to 3.43 percent from 4.17 percent.

The BPS head said that the TPT of most provinces in Indonesia was below the national level.

"The TPT of 9 provinces is above the national rate, while the TPT of 25 provinces is below the national rate," he informed.

West Sulawesi province recorded the lowest TPT at 2.34 percent, while the highest TPT was seen in West Java province at 8.31 percent.

Furthermore, BPS recorded that the workforce aged 15–24 years had the highest TPT of 20.63 percent in August 2022. However, the TPT among the workforce aged 60 years and above was the lowest at 2.85 percent.

Meanwhile, based on the education of the workforce, the agency noted that the TPT among the graduates of Vocational High Schools (SMK) was 9.42 percent, the highest compared to other education levels.

The graduates of elementary school (SD) and those with lower education levels had the lowest TPT of 3.59 percent. (antaranews)

China's foreign ministry said on Monday that Britain must stop any form of official exchanges with Taiwan, following plans by a British minister to visit the self-governed island, which China claims, for trade talks.

Taiwan's authorities need to stop colluding with foreign forces, said Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, at a regular media briefing. (Reuters)

Support for New Zealand's ruling Labour Party has dropped to its lowest level since Jacinda Ardern took over the leadership, an opinion poll released late on Sunday showed.

The closely watched Newshub-Reid Research poll showed support for Ardern's party at 32.3%, down 5.9 points since the last poll in May. Support for largest opposition party, National, is at 40.7%.

New Zealand is not due to go to the polls until late in 2023 but those figures would leave Labour and its traditional partners without enough support to form a coalition government.

Ardern told Newshub AM Show earlier Monday that she takes every single poll with a grain of salt and instead focuses on what she is hearing from New Zealanders. (Reuters)