VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

"We gather here not for donations, but we are here for solidarity for our brothers in Palestine," said a statement from Prince Hassan bin Talal at the inauguration of the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Indonesian community through zakat funds collected by Baznas (National Agency of Amil Zakat).

Humanitarian assistance in the form of an Eye Clinic (ophthalmology clinic) and Ear Nose and Throat Clinic (ear nose and throat / ENT clinic) handed over on 21 April 2019 to the Jordanian MAP (Medical Aid for Palestinian Clinic) in this Palestinian refugee camp in Talbiyah is a collaboration Baznas with JHCO (Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization).

In front of invited guests consisting of philanthropies donors, JHCO, Palestinian refugee community leaders, and invited guests totaling around 100 people, Prince Hassan stressed that the presence of Baznas in refugee camps was not just to provide assistance but was more called for a high sense of solidarity the Indonesian people to the Palestinian people and also close relations with the Kingdom of Jordan. He hopes that this collaboration will continue and develop so that the blessings can be felt by all people.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Jordan, Andy Rachmianto, stated that humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees was an integral part of Indonesia's support for the Palestinian struggle for independence. In particular, the Indonesian Ambassador expressed his high appreciation for the Jordanian government's response to initiatives from non-governmental institutions that wished to share with refugees in need.

The Indonesian Embassy in Amman also greatly appreciated the direct role of Baznas in collaborating with JHCO in supporting humanitarian diplomacy activities launched by the Indonesian President Jokowi as one of the forms of Indonesian foreign policy implementation. This form of cooperation between Baznas and JHCO could be used as a model for other countries in reducing the burden of Palestinian refugees.

Baznas, represented by Commissioner Irsyadul Halim, stressed that the concern of the Indonesian people for the Palestinian people is very high. For this reason, BAZNAS facilitates Indonesian people who like to share and distribute it to Palestinian refugees in Jordan.

At this initial stage, the collaboration between Baznas and JHCO prioritized the health sector through the construction of clinics and procurement of medicines distributed through 3 (three) units of clinics managed by Jordanian MAP in Gaza refugee camps, Hattien refugee camps, and Talbiyah refugee camps.

The submission of humanitarian assistance is a follow up to the collaboration between Baznas and JHCO which was signed on October 8, 2018 in Jakarta, which was witnessed directly by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki.

Baznas has distributed aid amounting to USD 150,000 which is a humanitarian fund that was submitted through the Indonesian Ambassador Amman on January 7, 2019 and in the form of medical assistance to the MAP clinic in the Gaza refugee camp in Jerash.

In addition to JHCO, Baznas also collaborates with UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East). In the initial phase, Indonesian humanitarian aid has been channeled to USD 150,000. The collaborative program that is being initiated by Baznas with UNRWA currently focuses more on education programs.

The mobilization of Indonesian community funds to help educate Palestinian refugee children will soon be launched before Ramadan next month. "Let's help realize the ideals and future of Palestinian children better," said Ambassador Andy. (kemenlu)

The Indonesian government continues to strive to promote and promote South-South Cooperation among developing countries. To maximize the efforts intended, all parties involved are expected to have the capacity and capability in the field of governance and management to provide international assistance projects for foreign countries.

To realize this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cooperates with the Master of Management Study Program, Faculty of Economics and Business - Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta to provide Technical Guidance on Capacity Building for Indonesian SSC Organizers in Project Management in Yogyakarta on 22-26 April 2019.

This activity aims to improve the capacity and quality of HR in Government Ministries / Institutions in Indonesia, especially in the management of Indonesia's international assistance. It is hoped that this activity can further enhance the understanding and ability of the participants in designing international aid programs, especially within the framework of South South Cooperation. It is believed that the success of a training program begins with good planning.

The training was officially opened by Ambassador Diar Nurbintoro from the Directorate of Technical Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday (22/4), and was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business - Gadjah Mada University and lecturers at FEB UGM.

In his speech, Ambassador Diar Nurbintoro said that the Indonesian Government stressed the importance of the role of South-South Cooperation and Triangular Indonesia in achieving the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and had a great responsibility in implementing the intended Cooperation. Various Indonesian international assistance is a form of the Indonesian Government's commitment. He added that Indonesia's involvement in South South Cooperation had gained international recognition. In September 2018, Indonesia received an award from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) for its contribution to South South Cooperation, especially in the Pacific region.

While the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business - Universitas Gadjah Mada expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the trust given to carry out the training. He added that this activity was also in line with the vision and mission of UGM to provide the maximum benefit to the Indonesian people.

The Directorate of Technical Cooperation hopes that through this program organizers at various K / L in Indonesia can plan and implement Indonesian international assistance projects and programs.

The training was attended by 21 participants from BPOM, KKP, Kemenpar, Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Communication and Information, Ministry of Agriculture, BBIB Singosari, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of State Secretariat, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Social Affairs. The training material was focused on the EPM mindset of Portfolio and Project Management, Project Cycle Management, LFA-based Monitoring and Evaluation, Sustainable Project Planning and Budgeting, Preparation of Project Proposals for FS, Goods and Services Procurement Contracts. (kemenlu)

President Joko Widodo led a plenary cabinet meeting at the Bogor Palace, West Java, on Tuesday, for holding discussions on budget allocation and indicative budgetary ceiling for 2020.

"I am keen to carry forward what we had discussed yesterday regarding budget allocation and the indicative ceiling," he noted.

The head of state drew emphasis on bolstering and stepping up capital expenditure as the key areas of focus in budget allocation for 2020.

"Every ministry should be in a position to direct its organization into materializing its budget expenditure," he remarked.

The president has appealed to ministries and state institutions to curtail goods expenditure as far as possible. "Mrs. Finance Minister (Sri Mulyani), you should be referring to 2017, as a benchmark year, to drive efforts to achieving those figures," Jokowi reiterated.

The president further appealed to ministries to lay priority on the development of human resources in 2020.

"We will hold specific discussions for concerned ministries, comprising for (formulating) an incentive provision policy for firms that take part in holding large-scale trainings and courses within and outside the nation," he stated.

The president is optimistic that the course and training programs would be held in 2019, the outcomes of which would be amply visible in the subsequent years.

Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla, Sri Mulyani, Minister State Secretary Pratikno, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto, and Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto were among the attendees at the plenary cabinet meeting. (ant)

23 April is a symbolic date for world literature. It is on this date in 1616 that Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors, such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.

It was a natural choice for UNESCO's General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those, who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity. With this in mind, UNESCO created the World Book and Copyright Day.

2019 Celebration

The 24th edition of World Book and Copyright Day will celebrate literature and reading while focusing particularly on the importance of enhancing and protecting Indigenous languages.  As a vector of knowledge, books bring people together around a story and a common heritage while revealing their specificities through different cultures, identities and languages. The focus on this topic is fully in line with the celebration of the International Year of the Indigenous Languages.