Yuyun Ismawati is a Bali-based environmentalist who received the 2009 Goldman Environmental Prize. After four years of working with NGO networks in designing well-coordinated waste management initiatives to assist poor communities, Ms. Ismawati founded her own NGO, Bali Fokus, in June 2000. Her organization has recruited and trained local residents to separate waste into recyclables, compostable and residuals at the village owned waste management facilities.

Since 2004, Ismawati’s “decentralized solution initiative” trains housewives in low-income urban area of Bali and other cities in Indonesia and enlists them as community partners in reducing household waste volume taken to municipal dumpsites. These housewives receive training in waste separation and composting at home using simple household tools. The women sell their compost at local market and craft recyclables into sellable items as income-generating practice in their communities. 500 households have become active participants and Bali Fokus estimates 50% reduction in household waste.

Ismawati’s other projects include SANIMAS and Toxic Free Network. In 2009, Bali Fokus plans to expands their programs to more villages and cities across Indonesia

Website: http://www.goldmanprize.org/2009/islands
Contact: http://www.balifokus.or.id/

Eco & Sustainability
Yuyun Ismawati received the 2009 Goldman Environmental Prize. Sunday, 28 February 2010
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Coffee plantations in the area of Pangalengan, West Java have the benefits of volcanic soil, 1200+ meter high altitude and surrounded by protected national park with mature cinnamon and mahogany trees. However, its farmer weren’t exposed to proper knowledge of sustainable planting and processing techniques and fair trade.

Starting in 2007, PT. Morning Glory Coffee International approached local farmers in Pangelangan and provided hands-on guidance. The harvested coffee beans are gradually improving in its product quality and marked by its first international exhibition at the 2008 Triestespresso in Trieste, Italy with collaborative support from the Department of Trade and Agriculture. Through international exhibitions, Pangalengan coffee farmers had gained the interest of world coffee communities and experts. With its recent earthquake disaster in September 2009, Mr. Paul Golding of Toby’s estate directly observed the area and commenced fund raising from the Australian Coffee Community to help out Pangalengan farmers and their families. PT. Morning Glory Coffee International itself had raised US$ 15,000 worth of supplies for the farmers with whom they have worked with.

Mr. Ross Bright, a world renowned barista judge, was so impressed by the quality of these coffee beans and he strongly believed Pangalengan would produce the world’s next best tasting coffee. Mr. Bright spent 2 days in West Java specifically to visit the plantation and conducted a workshop on processing cleanliness to the coffee farmers in Pangalengan.

An Australian Coffee Ambassador, Mr. Toby Smith of Toby’s estate, held a seminar for Pangalengan coffee farmers on fellow coffee farmers and plantations throughout Costa Rica, Brazil and Yemen whose techniques of planting, handling and processing coffee beans produce higher selling price effectively afford these farmers a better standard of living.

These seminars by international coffee experts in 2009 have inspired Pangalengan farmers to compete in the international market & PT. Morning Glory Coffee International has planned to set up more seminars by international experts in the near future, in addition to its regular seminar schedules. In March 2010, PUM – the Netherlands Senior Experts will send their agriculture & international marketing experts specializing in coffee to conduct 2-4 weeks on site seminars and workshops directly to coffee farmers in Pangalengan.

Beginning in October 2009, with the increase in coffee beans quality and sustainable farming, Pangalengan farmers have doubled the price of their green coffee beans.

Website: www.mg-coffee.com
Contact: naelcharis@me.com

Eco & Sustainability
Fair trade practice for Pangalengan coffee farmers Tuesday, 05 January 2010
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Indonesian coffee is known world wide even though “java” wasn’t the titan of the coffee world it’s purported to be. “Java” coffee beans had enjoyed its heyday from 1711-1924 until the coffee rust disease swept through Indonesia.

Natanael Charis (owner of PT. Morning Glory Coffee International from Bandung, Indonesia) is reviving Indonesian coffee market through high quality processing and his company’s mission: direct farmer’s coffee with fair trade practice. Charis and his company represented Indonesia in world coffee exhibitions such as Triestespresso, Trieste, Italy in November 2008, Dubai Village Expo in November 2009, Cafe Show Seoul 2009 and succeeded in campaigning his mission of Indonesia’s first direct farmer’s fair trade. Charis received positive feedbacks on West Java coffee and secured 5-ton monthly roasted coffee export to Seoul, South Korea beginning March 2010.

PT. Morning Glory Coffee International successfully sent out first 18 tons of green coffee beans from Pangalengan, West Java to Sidney, Australia every 2 months starting October 2009. It is first coffee export from West Java since 1924.

Through the love and passion for high quality local coffee, Morning Glory café is sweeping Indonesian and international coffee lovers off their feet and taste buds.

Website: www.mg-coffee.com
Contact: naelcharis@me.com

Food & Beverage
First coffee export from West Java since 1924. Friday, 01 January 2010
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David Samuel, Dody Dharma, Dominikus Damas Putranto, and Samuel Simon are the "Big Bang" team members from Institute Teknologi Bandung (ITB) who represented Indonesia at the Imagine Cup 2009 held in Cairo, Egypt. This worldwide annual competition is sponsored by Microsoft Corp. in search of creative technological solutions to address the world's toughest challenges. The "Big Bang" team won Mobile Device Award for their software application MOSES (Malaria Observation System and Endemic Surveillance). 

MOSES combines client runtime technology with PDA application to iniatiate diagnostic analysis for patients in remote areas who may suffer from malaria. MOSES is equipped with voice recognition technology and PDAscope - a modified microscope made from available PDA camera - to assist health-care workers in getting blood samples and in providing malaria related services. 3G technology is the backbone infrastructure for MOSES and its application will become more efficient as Indonesia's Telecommunications providers increase their service coverage areas.

Website: http://tekno.kompas.com/read/xml/2009/07/10/18475687/Gondol.Imagine.Cup.Lagi..ITB.Juara.Dunia

Telecom & Mobile
The "Big Bang" team won Mobile Device Award for their software application MOSES. Monday, 28 December 2009
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At the 53rd Asia-Pacific Film Festival, Indonesia won Best Film for Laskar Pelangi (the Rainbow Troops) directed by Riri Riza and produced by Mira Lesmana after competing against 57 films from 16 Asian countries. The movie has also won Golden Butterfly Award at the International Festival of Films for Children and Young Adults in Iran in August 2009, Best Editing Award at the 2009 Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong, and special screenings at Berlin International Festival 2009 and Rotterdam Film Festival 2009; nominee for Best Film at Asian Film Festival, Brisbane International Film Festival and many more.

Another movie by Indonesian director, Ratna Sarumpaet, entitled Jamila and the President won best soudntrack category. Jamila and the President is Indonesia’s representative for the foreign language category at the 2010 Academy Awards/ Oscar. It recently was awarded NETPAC award at the Asiatica Mediale Film Festival in Rome, Italy.

Best Supporting Actress went to Indonesia's Widynawati Sophiaan for her role in Woman with a Turban and Raam Punjabi (director/producer) received Special Contribution Award.

On December 18, 2009, Fishing Platform by Indonesian director Ravi Bharwani shared grand prize as best feature film of the event with Iran’s international award-winning About Elly at India’s International Film Festival of Kerala.

Website: http://indonesianheartthrob.blogspot.com/2009/12/indonesia-wins-best-movie-at-asia.html

Entertainment
Indonesia's movie industry gaining momentum at international film festivals. Monday, 28 December 2009
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