VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths gestures as he stands near damaged buildings, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Aleppo, Syria on Feb 13, 2023. (File photo: Reuters/Firas Makdesi)

Voinews, Jakarta - The United Nations on Monday (Dec 11) appealed for US$46 billion in funding for 2024 to help millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the globe, including in the occupied Palestinian territories, Sudan and Ukraine.

In its Global Humanitarian Overview for 2024, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that nearly 300 million people will require humanitarian assistance next year due to conflicts, climate emergencies and economic factors.

That includes 74.1 million people in East and Southern Africa, a large portion of whom are affected by the crisis in Sudan.

"We will target for our specific needs, for the agencies that I represent, 181 million of those 300 (million)," said UN aid chief Martin Griffiths.

He said that other organisations, including the Red Cross and national Red Cross societies, had made their own funding appeals.

The humanitarian system is facing a major funding crisis, with just over one-third of the US$57 billion required to provide aid funded last year, OCHA said in its annual assessment of global humanitarian needs.

Griffiths described this as the "worst funding shortfall in years". He said it had been difficult to decrease the appeal for 2024 and ensure aid agencies were "realistic, focused and tough-minded" when assessing needs.

"I think the Middle East as a whole and Gaza and West Bank is probably going to be the area of greatest need," Griffiths said.

"But Ukraine is going through desperate times and a war that will restart in full swing next year. It will need a lot of attention."//CNA-VOI

Illustration : CHSE certification -  

Voinews,Jakarta - Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf/Kabaparekraf) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno appealed to all people who will travel during the Christmas 2023 and New Year 2024 holidays to always pay attention to and implement CHSE (Cleanliness, Health, Safety) procedures , Environmental Sustainability.

"This is done to ensure a safe, comfortable and enjoyable tourist trip," said Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga, in "The Weekly Brief with Sandi Uno", in Jakarta, Monday (11/12/2023).

It is estimated that there will be 107 million tourist movements during the Christmas holidays. This figure is up 144 percent compared to 2022. Hotel occupancy is also targeted to reach 80-90 percent during the Christmas holidays.

"Of course we have to make good use of this moment," said Sandiaga.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Monday, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga appealed to the public to choose domestic holiday destinations to encourage the movement of domestic tourists.

The public is expected to choose destinations that are equipped with safety equipment that complies with tourism guidelines.

Apart from that, it is also necessary to check weather forecasts from BMKG regularly considering that the Christmas holiday is expected to take place in the middle of the rainy season.

"Also pay attention to your physical condition while on holiday, don't be too tired or don't get enough sleep," said Sandiaga.

Menparekraf Sandiaga said that the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has also issued a Circular. Primarily regarding the readiness of industries and destinations to support security, safety and comfort.

Starting from checking operational procedures and facilities and infrastructure, to implementing tough tourism guidelines in destinations.

Collaborative efforts have also been carried out, such as the establishment and readiness of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy's media center to monitor tourism activities and disseminate useful information for tourists during the Christmas 2023 and New Year 2024 holidays. And crisis guidelines which can be downloaded on the official website https://www.kemenparekraf. go.id/.

Present to accompany the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy at WBSU both offline and online were echelon I and II officials within the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy/Baparekraf//VOI

 "Now and Later Literacy Talk" held in Jakarta - 

Voinews, Jakarta - Achievements of government performance indicators in library matters have increased, as shown by the growth of the community's reading culture.

The results of a study in 2023 conducted by the National Library showed that the Community Literacy Development Index (IPLM) was at 69.42, while the study of the Indonesian Community's Reading Love Level (TGM) was 66.77 or in moderate condition.

This was stated by the Deputy for Library Resource Development at the National Library of Indonesia (Perpusnas) Adin Bondar in an activity entitled "Now and Later Literacy Talk" which was held in Jakarta.

It is stated that the average reading frequency of Indonesian people is five times a week. Meanwhile, the duration of reading for Indonesians is 10 hours 19 minutes per week.

"Even though it is in the medium category, it shows improvements such as people's reading duration is currently at 10 hours 19 minutes per week," he said on Monday (11/12/2023).

According to him, this achievement is the result of collaboration between various parties in a joint effort to realize the development of a community literacy index which is expected to improve in the future.

He said that in accordance with the mandate of Law number 43 of 2007 concerning Libraries, National Library will continue to strive to prepare library service infrastructure, from collections to librarians and library staff as literacy companions for the community.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Monday, General Chair of the Central Management of the Indonesian Librarians Association (IPI) Syamsul Bahri said that librarians must be able to transform in carrying out their role to increase public literacy.

"Talking about libraries and librarians in the present and future is closely related to information technology. "Currently, IPI is trying to make librarians more aware that there is a tough competitor for them, namely information technology," he explained.

According to Syamsul, as parties who are on the front line and deal directly with the public, librarians must be able to understand the public's need for information such as that offered by digital technology.

On the other hand, General Chairperson of the Central Board of the Reading Interest Cultivation Movement (GPMB) Herlina Mustikasari explained that literacy is inclusive, covers various aspects of life and is not only limited to reading and writing.

According to him, various literacy concepts that are currently increasingly developing, many of which include human empowerment.

"Actually, literacy is a person's ability to access information, sort, process and use the information they receive," he explained.

Like the concept of developing a literacy ecosystem that starts with the family. According to Herlina, the literacy concept of the family, which is the smallest unit in society, is the first step in forming people with character and morals who will be the forerunner to the ideal life of Indonesian society.

Meanwhile, Maman Suherman sees literacy as a life skill and skill, not just focused on reading and writing.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called Italy's joining of the Chinese Belt and Road initiative a ''mistake". (Photo: AFP/Kenzo Tribouillard) - 

Voinews, Jakarta - Italy has formally withdrawn from China’s global Belt and Road initiative that seeks to deepen relations with foreign countries through infrastructure investments, Italian media reported on Wednesday (Dec 6).

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni had previously signalled Italy's intention to withdraw from the agreement, which was up for renewal. The Milan newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that a letter with the formal notice had been delivered to Beijing in recent days. Meloni’s office declined to comment on the report.

Italy became the first G7 country to sign on to the initiative in 2019, when the populist, anti-establishment Five Star Movement party-led government promoted it as a way of increasing trade with China while getting investments in major infrastructure projects.

Neither appeared. In the intervening years, Italy’s trade deficit with China has ballooned from €20 billion to €48 billion. Investments in Italian ports that were trumpeted in newspaper headlines were never achieved.

Meloni, in opposition at the time, was against the deal from the start. Her foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said this summer that Italy had not “obtained great results” from the pact.

Analysts said Italy had little incentive to continue in the pact, and that China can fall back on the face-saving narrative that Italy dropped out under US pressure.

The initiative involves Chinese companies building transportation, energy and other infrastructure overseas funded by Chinese development bank loans.

It has built power plants, roads, railroads and ports around the world and deepened China’s relations with Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Mideast. It is a major part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s push for China to play a larger role in global affairs.

More than 150 countries have signed Belt and Road agreements with China//CNA-VOI