VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Last weekend, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Indonesia and the Philippines succeeded in passing a resolution related to "Violence Against Women Migrant Workers" at the United Nations. This resolution is a biennial one, supported by 50 countries, and all members of the United Nations ratified it by consensus.

This year's resolution is focused on protecting female migrant workers amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This includes ensuring the state's commitment to protecting their health rights, access to health services and Covid-19 vaccines. This is very important, considering that many migrant workers are engaged in important sectors who continue to work during the pandemic. Ambassador/Chargé d'Affaires of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations, Mohammad K. Koba said that migrant workers have a very important role in the essential sector. In addition, the foreign exchange contribution they generate is also important for economic growth and recovery after the pandemic.

This resolution itself has been initiated by Indonesia and the Philippines since 1993. The aim is to raise the awareness of UN member states about the importance of respecting the rights of women workers and their families, especially protection from violence and human rights violations.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website states that in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the flow of remittances to Indonesia from 22 countries decreased by 17.3 percent. In addition, many migrant workers have been laid off due to the pandemic. This has an impact on the livelihoods of migrant workers' families and the economy in rural areas. In addition, termination of employment also has an impact on a number of immigration and consular issues.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website also said that the ratification of this resolution strengthens global recognition of Indonesia's leadership in international forums, especially in the field of protecting migrant workers.

Hopefully with this resolution, the receiving countries are increasingly aware of their obligations to protect migrant workers. Indeed, it is not only countries receiving migrant workers who have an obligation to protect them, but it’s also the country of origin of workers having to first protect migrant workers before leaving, at the time of departure, and at the time of placement. They must be fortified with legal documents; their placement destinations are ensured safe and they are monitored during deployment.

Temanggung is a regency in Central Java, flanked by 2 mountains: Mt Sindoro and Sumbing which are famous for coffee and tobacco producing areas. Moreover, Temanggung has a variety of unique culinary and delicious delight. One of them is Bajingan (Bastard). This culinary’s name sounds harsh. In Indonesian, Bajingan is indeed a harsh curse. However, the people in Temanggung know Bajingan as a sweet snack with a soft texture.

Bajingan’s basic ingredients are quality cassava, brown sugar, thick coconut milk, and pandan leaves. Not all types of cassava can be processed into this food. Only soft and best quality cassava can be selected as raw ingredients.  Usually, the cassava is planted in fertile land, such as in rice fields or fields with high rainfall. When eaten, the sweet and legit taste of cassava is immediately felt. Bajingan is very delicious when eaten warm in the morning or evening. Moreover, it’s more delicious, if you eat it while drinking a cup of coffee or warm tea.

Usually, Bajingan is served directly in the form of stew. But now, some Bajingan is also fried. The fried one still tastes sweet. For those of you who want to try the pleasures of Bajingan, you can look for it in traditional markets in Temanggung; one of them is in Pasar Kliwon Temanggung. In addition, you can also buy at Papringan Market, a market that carries the theme of handicrafts and culinary specialties of the local area. Bajingan is sold at a relatively cheap price around IDR 10.000 per portion.

The Indonesian Embassy in Brussels, Belgium in collaboration with the European Parliament launched the Indonesia-European Parliamentary Friendship Group (IEPFG) for 2021-2024 period on Tuesday (9/11). According to a written statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Brussels, received by Antara in Jakarta on Wednesday 10/11), the launch was attended by members of the European Parliament, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Union Europe (EU) and the Council of Europe, the Mayor of Edegem, the Indonesian Honorary Consul for the Flemish region, Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as staff from members of the European Parliament.

Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and Luxembourg and the European Union, Andri Hadi in his remarks at the launch of the IEPFG emphasized that Indonesia and the EU are important partners in finding solutions to various regional and multilateral problems. The IEPFG is a forum for dialogue and communication between Indonesia and the EU to enhance understanding and seek joint solutions, particularly in many   fields related to inter-parliamentary cooperation.

The launch of the IEPFG signifies the importance of parliamentary diplomacy between Indonesia and the EU in ensuring lots of pro-people strategic policies of the government. IEPFG can also enrich and improve the quality of relations between Indonesia and the EU based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) since 2014.

Several important values and principles shared between Indonesia and the EU are pluralism, democracy, development, sovereignty, mutual respect, tolerance, equality and non-discrimination. The launch of the IEPFG for the period 2021-2024 was inaugurated with the adoption of the Joint Press Release.

Indonesian scientists are increasingly competing internationally. One of the lecturers from the Islamic University of Indonesia (UI) Prof. Is Fatimah is included in the list of 2 percent of influential scientists in the world. The ranking of "Top 2 Percent World Ranking Scientists" was published by Stanford University and Elsevier BV in October 2021. Prof. Is Fatimah becomes one of 58 selected Indonesian scientists from various research institutions and universities.

In addition to teaching at the Department of Chemistry, FMIPA UII, Prof. Is Fatimah has long been known as a person who is diligent in researching the field of science she is involved in. She also diligently publishes various research results in internationally reputed scientific journals and registers patents for her findings. Until 2021, Prof. Is Fatimah has won at least 1,304 citations, 14 Scopus h-indexes, and 17 Google Scholar h-indexes. In addition, she is also active in writing, with 9 book titles, 20 research titles, and more than 115 scientific publications. Her research focus is in the fields of materials, nanotechnology, energy, machinery and transportation. There are four national inventor patents registered in her name.

It is not surprising that Prof. Is Fatimah this year managed to maintain the title of world influential scientist that she got last year. Stanford University counts the number of citations to research publications that do not include citations by oneself. As many as 2 percent of the scientists on the list are the names whose work is most cited in the world's scientific journals. There are totally 159,648 scientists whose work has become a favorite reference from other researchers around the world.