VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Pope Francis visited the Youth Graha of the Jakarta Cathedral Church complex on Wednesday (04/09), (Photo : Kemenkomarves) - 

VOInews, Jakarta : In his historic visit to Indonesia, Pope Francis visited the Youth Graha of the Jakarta Cathedral Church complex on Wednesday (04/09) and issued an appeal to the world to protect the planet, just as Indonesia prepares to hold the 2024 Indonesia International Sustainability Forum (ISF) organized by the Coordinating Ministry Maritime and Investment Sector and supported by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

More than 11,000 participants from 53 countries have registered to attend the Indonesia International Sustainability Forum (ISF) 2024 which will be opened by President Joko Widodo on September 5.

Pope Francis is known as a staunch supporter of climate action and has urged world leaders to adhere to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which aims to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

During his two-day visit to Indonesia, the Pope will lead a big mass at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK) Jakarta in front of more than 80 thousand people. This visit marks the first visit by a Vatican leader to Indonesia in 35 years, after Pope John Paul II.

During his visit to the Cathedral, Pope Francis received mangrove tree seedlings from the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Pandjaitan, as a symbol of respect for the protection of biodiversity in Indonesia. Our island nation has the largest and most diverse mangrove ecosystem in the world with an area of ​​3.44 million hectares, covering around 23% of the world's total mangrove area. Stretching along the archipelago's coastlines, mangrove forests in Indonesia provide important support for local communities and the environment, including Carbon Sequestration, Biodiversity Conservation, Coastal Resilience, and Livelihoods.

“We are very grateful to Pope Francis for his commitment to advocating for climate action and sustainability. The message of hope and unity brought by Pope Francis is in line with Indonesia's commitment to pushing the sustainability agenda. "I believe his visit to Indonesia is a strong reminder of our shared responsibility to protect this planet for future generations," said Luhut.

Also present to witness the handover of mangrove tree seedlings to Pope Francis was the Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Arsjad Rasjid. “The climate crisis knows no borders or religions. Therefore, all parties need to join the global campaign to confront one of humanity's greatest crises. "In this context, religious communities, including Catholic Church leaders, play an important role in mobilizing public support for governments around the world to fulfill their commitments," said Arsjad.

Pope Francis plans to give his blessing to mangrove tree seedlings before distributing them to five locations throughout Indonesia: Jakarta, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, East Kalimantan and North Sumatra.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Wednesday (04/09/24), Mangrove ecosystems around the world have been threatened in recent decades due to land use change, coastal development and pollution. It is hoped that today's symbolic movement can have a positive impact on the protection of mangrove ecosystems in Indonesia and throughout the world.

Pope Francis was originally scheduled to visit Indonesia in September 2020, but his visit was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His visit to Indonesia was part of a tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania which also included visits to Singapore, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea.

On Earth Day this year, Pope Francis wrote in a message on social media, "Our generation has inherited much wealth, but we have failed to protect the planet, and we have not safeguarded peace. We are called to be craftsmen and guardians of our common home, the Earth that is 'fall into ruin'//VOI

The handover of the Jikji award was carried out by Director Fackson Banda to the Acting Director of the National Library, E. Aminudin Aziz, who was accompanied by the Chair of the National Library's Archipelago Manuscript Management Working Group, Aditia Gunawan, in Cheongju, South Korea, on Wednesday (4/9/2024), (Photo : Perpusnas) - 

VOInews, South Korea : The National Library of the Republic of Indonesia (Perpusnas) received the 10th edition of the UNESCO/Jikji Memory of the World (MoW) Prize in 2024. In the 10th edition of the Jikji Prize in 2024, National Library will be the tenth institution to receive this award and the first from Indonesia.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Wednesday (04/09/24) in Jakarta, the judges assessed the extraordinary contribution of the National Library to efforts to preserve and expand access to Indonesian manuscripts, through the implementation of extensive programs in saving and increasing access to documentary heritage over the last two decades.

UNESCO Documentary Heritage Director Fackson Banda said that the National Library had won the Jikji Prize after beating many countries.

"National Library succeeded in becoming the winner from 49 nominees from 49 countries," he explained.

The handover of the Jikji award was carried out by Director Fackson Banda to the Acting Director of the National Library, E. Aminudin Aziz, who was accompanied by the Chair of the National Library's Archipelago Manuscript Management Working Group, Aditia Gunawan, in Cheongju, South Korea, on Wednesday (4/9/2024).

In his speech, Plt. The Director of the National Library expressed his deep appreciation to UNESCO and the Mayor of Cheongju. "This award is a great honor for us, because the work we have done over the past few years in collecting, preserving, conserving and presenting heritage in Indonesia, is recognized as priceless and worthy of appreciation by UNESCO and the City of Cheongju through this award," he said .

He emphasized that this award comes at the right time, in line with the new grand design that the National Library has prepared for the next few years, which sets the Nusantara manuscript as a priority program.

"The announcement of this nomination is very timely for us at National Library, because it coincides with the new grand design that we have set to promote and make Indonesian manuscripts a priority program," he said.

For this reason, we need international collaboration, because Indonesian manuscripts are not only found in Indonesia but are also in the collections of international libraries or private manuscript collectors.

“This award is a starting point for expanding international cooperation. "National Library has started an initiative to build a global network with libraries in England, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt," he explained.

National Library, he explained, would take advantage of this opportunity to maximize the benefits of ancient manuscripts for the public.

Meanwhile, UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay congratulated National Library for this achievement. He highlights the importance of manuscripts as windows into understanding past history, culture and lived experiences.

“Our collective efforts to improve the preservation and accessibility of documentary heritage must continue. "I congratulate the National Library for this well-deserved award," he said.

The Jikji Prize is sponsored by the Cheongju City Government. The name of the prize is inspired by the book Jikji, a book of the first movable metal prints produced in 1377 in Cheongju City. This book contains Buddhist teachings which was registered as Memory of the World in 2001.

The Jikji Prize is an award given by UNESCO to individuals, institutions or non-governmental organizations in member countries who contribute significantly to efforts to preserve and expand access to documentary heritage, including ancient manuscripts//VOI

Illustration - Passengers arrive at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Badung, Bali, on Thursday, August 15, 2024. ANTARA FOTO/Fikri Yusuf/aww - 

VOInews, Jakarta : Rwandan Ambassador to Indonesia Sheikh Abdul Karim Harelimana expressed his country's readiness to participate in the 2nd Indonesia-Africa Forum, scheduled to be held in Bali from September 1 to 3.

"We are prepared and ready to discuss all the topics related to the forum's theme," Ambassador Harelimana said in a special interview with ANTARA on Thursday. He noted that the forum has been beneficial for both African countries and Indonesia.

This year, the Rwandan delegation will be led by President Paul Kagame.

Regarding the forum's themes, including those related to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the ambassador mentioned that Rwanda is eager to share its experiences in MSME development.

"Talking about trade, we have many realizations, which we can share with others. Talking about technology, talking about information technology, and so on," he said.

Harelimana also expressed his anticipation to learn from Indonesia's and other participating countries' best practices. He hopes the forum will offer significant benefits to Rwanda, Indonesia, and other African nations.

"We were expecting that with all of these countries, which are going to participate, the benefits (will be) immense," he said.

The 2nd Indonesia-Africa Forum will be held in Bali in conjunction with the High-Level Forum on Multi-Stakeholder Partnership (HLF MSP).

Key areas of cooperation at the forum will include economic transformation, energy, mining, food security, health, and development. IAF 2024 aims to attract 28 heads of state, as well as 800 participants from governments, international and regional organizations, and businesses from Indonesia and Africa. 

Expected outcomes from the forum include agreements between governments (G-to-G), government-to-business (G-to-B), and business-to-business (B-to-B), and a grand design for Indonesia's development with Africa, including with third countries, through triangular cooperation//Antara-VOI

South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun was best known for his role in the Oscar-winning film "Parasite". (Photo: AFP/File/ANGELA WEISS) - 

VOInews, Busan : The Busan International Film Festival, Asia's largest, will this year posthumously honour late South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun with the Korea Cinema Award, organisers said on Friday (Aug 23).

Lee, best known globally for his starring role in Bong Joon-ho's 2019 Oscar-winning film Parasite, was found dead in an apparent suicide in December 2023 after a two-month police investigation over suspected drug use, sparking industry outcry and widespread public concern. 

The festival's Korea Cinema Award is "presented to filmmakers who have elevated the status of Korean cinema and contributed to its global growth", BIFF organisers said in a statement.

This year, the award "will be given to the late actor Lee Sun-kyun, who won the hearts of both domestic and international film fans through his diverse works", it said, adding the award ceremony will be held during the opening of the next BIFF on Oct 2.

This year's festival will also feature a special screening of the actor's six film and television works, including Parasite, Our Sunhi (2013) and a portion of TV series My Mister (2018).

The programme also includes Lee's last work, released posthumously, Land Of Happiness (2024), in which the late actor played a military solider during South Korea's authoritarian period in the 1970s.

A graduate of South Korea's prestigious Korea National University of Arts, Lee had won acclaim for his performances in a variety of roles since his debut in the early 2000s, including a charismatic chef and a genius neuroscientist who is incapable of empathy.

Lee received widespread critical acclaim for his performance in the 2018 TV drama series My Mister, for his portrayal of a diligent architectural engineer, while globally, he is best known for his role as the wealthy and shallow patriarch in Bong's Parasite.

"We aim to reflect on the acting career and achievements of the late actor Lee, ... who has represented South Korea through his ... profound performances, while also creating a meaningful memorial space," BIFF said.

Following Lee's death, a police officer has come under investigation for allegedly leaking confidential details of Lee's case, which critics claim led to intense mainstream media coverage and a surge of damaging and unverified videos on social media platforms like YouTube.

Previous winners of the Korea Cinema Award include late South Korean acclaimed actress Yoon Jeong-hee, French film critic Charles Tesson and Goran Topalovic, the co-founder of the New York Asian Film Festival.

This year's BIFF will be held in South Korea's port city of Busan from Oct 2 to 11//CNA-VOI