Sukarno, Indonesia's First President

Sukarno was born on June 6, 1901, in Surabaya, and was given the name Kusno Sosrodihardjo. His parents renamed him Sukarno later, after he survived a serious illness. Sukarno's father was Raden Soekemi Sosrodihardjo, a Muslim aristocrat and school teacher from Java. His mother, Ida Ayu Nyoman Rai, was a Hindu of the Brahmin caste from Bali.

Young Sukarno went to a local elementary school until 1912. He then attended a Dutch middle school in Mojokerto, followed in 1916 by a Dutch high school in Surabaya. The young man was gifted with a photographic memory and a talent for languages, including Javanese, Balinese, Sundanese, Dutch, English, French, Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, German, and Japanese.

Marriages and Divorces:

While in Surabaya for high school, Sukarno lived with the Indonesian nationalist leader Tjokroaminoto. He fell in love with his landlord's daughter, Siti Oetari, and they married in 1920.

The following year, however, Sukarno went to study civil engineering at the Technical Institute in Bandung, and fell in love again. This time, his partner was the boarding-house owner's wife, Inggit, who was 13 years older than Sukarno. They each divorced their spouses, and the two married in 1923.

Inggit and Sukarno remained married for twenty years, but never had children, so Sukarno divorced her in 1943 and married a teenager named Fatmawati. Fatmawati would bear Sukarno five children, including Indonesia's first female president, Megawati Sukarnoputri.

In 1953, President Sukarno decided to become polygamous in accordance with Muslim law. When he married a Javanese lady named Hartini in 1954, First Lady Fatmawati was so angry that she moved out of the presidential palace. Over the next 16 years, Sukarno would take five additional wives: a Japanese teen named Naoko Nemoto (Indonesian name, Ratna Dewi Sukarno), Kartini Manoppo, Yurike Sanger, Heldy Djafar, and Amelia do la Rama.

Independence Movement:

Sukarno began to think about independence for the Dutch East Indies while he was in high school. During college, he read deeply on different political philosophies, including communism, capitalist democracy, and Islamism, developing his own syncretic ideology of Indonesian socialist self-sufficiency. He also established the Algameene Studieclub for like-minded Indonesian students.

In 1927, Sukarno and the other members of the Algameene Studieclub reorganized themselves as the Partai Nasional Indonesia (PNI), an anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist independence party. Sukarno became the first leader of the PNI. Sukarno hoped to enlist Japanese help in overcoming Dutch colonialism, and also to unite the different peoples of the Dutch East Indies into a single nation.

The Dutch colonial secret police soon learned of the PNI, and in late December of 1929, arrested Sukarno and the other members. At his trial, which lasted for the last five months of 1930, Sukarno made a series of impassioned political speeches against imperialism that attracted wide-spread attention.

He was sentenced to four years in prison, and went to the Sukamiskin Prison in Bandung to begin serving his sentence. However, press coverage of his speeches so impressed liberal factions in the Netherlands and in the Dutch East Indies that Sukarno was released from prison after just one year. He had become very popular with the Indonesian people, naturally, as well.

While he was in prison, the PNI split into two opposing factions. One party, the Partai Indonesia, favored a militant approach to revolution, while the Pendidikan Nasional Indonesia(PNI Baroe) advocated slow revolution through education and peaceful resistance. Sukarno agreed with the Partai Indonesia approach more than the PNI's, so he became the head of that party in 1932, after his release from prison. On August 1, 1933, the Dutch police arrested Sukarno once again while he was visiting Jakarta.

Japanese Occupation:

In February 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded the Dutch East Indies. Cut off from help by the German occupation of the Netherlands, the colonial Dutch quickly surrendered to the Japanese. The Dutch forced-marched Sukarno to Padang, Sumatra, intending to send him to Australia as a prisoner, but had to leave him in order to save themselves as Japanese forces approached.

The Japanese commander, General Hitoshi Imamura, recruited Sukarno to lead the Indonesians under Japan's rule. Sukarno was happy to collaborate with them at first, in hopes of keeping the Dutch out of the East Indies.

However, the Japanese soon began to impress millions of Indonesian workers, particularly Javanese, as forced labor. These romusha workers had to build airfields and railways, and to grow crops for the Japanese. They worked very hard with little food or water, and were regularly abused by the Japanese overseers, which quickly soured relations between the Indonesians and Japan. Sukarno would never live down his collaboration with the Japanese.

Declaration of Independence:

In June of 1945, Sukarno introduced his five-point Pancasila, or principles of an independent Indonesia. They included a belief in God but tolerance of all religions, internationalism and just humanity, the unity of all Indonesia, democracy through consensus, and social justice for all.

On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered to the Allied Powers. Sukarno's young supporters urged him to immediately declare independence, but he feared retribution from the Japanese troops still present. On August 16, the impatient youth leaders kidnapped Sukarno, and then convinced him to declare independence the following day.

On August 18, at 10 am, Sukarno spoke to a crowd of 500 in front of his home, declaring the Republic of Indonesia independent, with himself as President and his friend Mohammad Hatta as Vice President. He also promulgated the 1945 Indonesian Constitution, which included the Pancasila.

Although the Japanese troops still in the country tried to suppress news of the declaration, word spread quickly through the grapevine. One month later, on September 19, 1945, Sukarno spoke to a crowd of more than one million at Merdeka Square in Jakarta. The new independence government controlled Java and Sumatra, while the Japanese maintained their hold on the other islands; the Dutch and other Allied Powers had yet to show up.

Negotiated Settlement with the Netherlands:

Toward the end of September, 1945, the British finally made an appearance in Indonesia, occupying the major cities by the end of October. The Allies repatriated 70,000 Japanese, and formally returned the country to its status as a Dutch colony. Due to his status as a collaborator with the Japanese, Sukarno had to appoint an untainted Prime Minister, Sutan Sjahrir, and allow the election of a parliament as he pushed for international recognition of the Republic of Indonesia.

Under the British occupation, Dutch colonial troops and officials began to return, arming the Dutch POWs formerly held captive by the Japanese, and going on shooting sprees against Indonesians. In November, the city of Surabaya broke out into an all out battle, in which thousands of Indonesians and 300 British troops died.

This incident encouraged the British to hurry their withdrawal from Indonesia, and by November of 1946, all British troops were gone. In their place, 150,000 Dutch soldiers returned. Faced with this show of force, and the prospect of a long and bloody independence struggle, Sukarno decided to negotiate a settlement with the Dutch.

Despite vociferous opposition from other Indonesian nationalist parties, Sukarno agreed to the November 1946 Linggadjati Agreement, which gave his government control of Java, Sumatra and Madura only. However, in July of 1947, the Dutch violated the agreement and launched Operatie Product, an all-out invasion of the Republican-held islands. International condemnation forced them to halt the invasion the following month, and former Prime Minister Sjahrir flew to New York to appeal to the United Nations for intervention.

The Dutch refused to withdraw from the areas already seized in Operatie Product, and the Indonesian nationalist government had to sign the Renville Agreement in January 1948, which recognized Dutch control of Java and of the best agricultural land in Sumatra. All over the islands, guerrilla groups not aligned with Sukarno's government sprang up to fight the Dutch.

In December of 1948, the Dutch launched another major invasion of Indonesia called Operatie Kraai. They arrested Sukarno, then-Prime Minister Mohammad Hatta, former PM-Sjahrir, and other Nationalist leaders.

The backlash to this invasion from the international community was even stronger; the United States threatened to halt Marshall Aid to the Netherlands if it did not desist. Under the dual threat of a strong Indonesian guerrilla effort and international pressure, the Dutch yielded. On May 7, 1949, they signed the Roem-van Roijen Agreement, turning over Yogyakarta to the Nationalists, and releasing Sukarno and the other leadership from prison. On December 27, 1949, the Netherlands formally agreed to relinquish its claims to Indonesia.

Sukarno Takes Power:

In August of 1950, the last part of Indonesia became independent from the Dutch. Sukarno's role as president was mostly ceremonial, but as the "Father of the Nation" he wielded a lot of influence. The new country faced a number of challenges; Muslims, Hindus and Christians clashed, ethnic Chinese clashed with Indonesians, and Islamists fought with pro-atheist communists. In addition, the military was divided between Japanese-trained troops and former guerrilla fighters.

In October of 1952, the former guerrillas surrounded Sukarno's palace with tanks, demanding that the parliament be dissolved. Sukarno went out alone and gave a speech, which convinced the military to back down. New elections in 1955 did nothing to improve stability in the country, however; the parliament was divided among all the various squabbling factions, and Sukarno feared that the entire edifice would collapse.

Growing Autocracy:

Sukarno felt that he needed more authority, and that Western-style democracy would never function well in volatile Indonesia. Over protests from Vice President Hatta, in 1956 he put forth his plan for "guided democracy," under which as president, Sukarno would lead the population to a consensus on national issues. In December of 1956, Hatta resigned in opposition to this blatant power-grab, to the shock of citizens around the country.

That month and on into March of 1957, military commanders in Sumatra and Sulawesi took power, ousting the Republican local governments. They demanded Hatta's reinstatement, and an end to communist influence over politics. Sukarno responded by installing as vice president Djuanda Kartawidjaja, who agreed with him on "guided democracy," and then declaring martial law on March 14, 1957.

Amidst growing tensions, Sukarno went to a school function in Central Jakarta on November 30, 1957. A member of the Darul Islam group tried to assassinate him there by throwing a grenade; Sukarno was unharmed, but six school-children died.

Sukarno tightened his grip on Indonesia, expelling 40,000 Dutch citizens and nationalizing all of their property, as well as that of Dutch-owned corporations such as the Royal Dutch Shell oil company. He also instituted rules against ethnic-Chinese ownership of rural land and businesses, forcing many thousands of Chinese to move to the cities, and 100,000 to return to China.

To put down military opposition in the outlying islands, Sukarno engaged in all-out air and sea invasions of Sumatra and Sulawesi. The rebel governments had all surrendered by the beginning of 1959, and the last guerrilla troops surrendered in August of 1961.

On July 5, 1959, Sukarno issued a presidential decree voiding the current constitution, and reinstating the 1945 constitution, which gave the president significantly broader powers. He dissolved parliament in March of 1960, and created a new parliament in which he directly appointed half of the members. The military arrested and jailed members of the opposition Islamist and socialist parties, and shut down newspaper that had criticized Sukarno. The president began to add more communists to the government, as well, so that he wouldn't be reliant solely on the military for support.

In response to these moves toward autocracy, Sukarno faced more than one assassination attempt. On March 9, 1960, an Indonesian air force officer strafed the presidential palace with his MiG-17, trying unsuccessfully to kill Sukarno. Islamists shot at the president during Eid al-Adha prayers in 1962, but again Sukarno was unhurt.

In 1963, Sukarno's hand-picked parliament appointed him president for life. In proper dictator fashion, he made his own speeches and writings mandatory subjects for all Indonesian students, and all mass media in the country were required to report only on his ideology and actions. To top off his cult of personality, Sukarno renamed the highest mountain in the country "Puntjak Sukarno," or Sukarno Peak, in his own honor.

Suharto's Coup:

Although Sukarno seemed to have Indonesia gripped in a mailed fist, his military/Communist support coalition was fragile. The military resented the rapid growth of Communism, and began to seek out an alliance with Islamist leaders who also disliked the pro-atheism communists. Sensing that the military was growing disillusioned, Sukarno rescinded martial law in 1963 to curb the army's power.

In April of 1965, conflict between the military and communists increased when Sukarno supported communist leader Aidit's call to arm the Indonesian peasantry. US and British intelligence may or may not have established contacts with the military in Indonesia to explore the possibility of bringing Sukarno down. Meanwhile, the ordinary people suffered enormously as hyperinflation spiked to 600%; Sukarno cared little about economics, and did nothing about the situation.

On October 1, 1965, at the break of day, the pro-communist "30 September Movement" captured and killed six senior army generals. The movement claimed that it acted to protect President Sukarno from an impending army coup. It announced the dissolution of parliament and the creation of a "Revolutionary Council."

Major General Suharto of the strategic reserve command took control of the army on October 2, having been promoted to the rank of Army Chief by a reluctant Sukarno, and quickly overcame the communist coup. Suharto and his Islamist allies then led a purge of communists and leftists in Indonesia, killing at least 500,000 people nation-wide, and imprisoning 1.5 million.

Sukarno sought to maintain his hold on power by appealing to the people over the radio in January of 1966. Massive student demonstrations broke out, and one student was shot dead and made a martyr by the army in February. On March 11, 1966, Sukarno signed a Presidential Order known as the Supersemar that effectively handed control of the country over to General Suharto. Some sources claim that he signed the order at gun-point.

Suharto immediately purged the government and army of Sukarno loyalists, and initiated impeachment proceedings against Sukarno on grounds of communism, economic negligence, and "moral degradation" - a reference to Sukarno's infamous womanizing.

Death of Sukarno:

On March 12, 1967, Sukarno was formally ousted from the presidency, and placed under house arrest at the Bogor Palace. The Suharto regime did not allow him proper medical care, so Sukarno died of kidney failure on June 21, 1970 in the Jakarta Army Hospital. He was 69 years old.

(http://asianhistory.about.com/od/indonesia/p/Sukarno-Indonesia-First-President.htm)

History of hijab

Why Hijab?

One of the many questions that I have been asked is why does Islam makehijab mandatory for women? Islam has introduced hijab as part of the decency and modesty in interaction between members of the opposite sex. Verse 59 of chapter 33 quoted previously gives a very good reason; it says,

“This is more appropriate so that they may be known [as Muslim women] and thus not be harassed [or molested].”

Men, whether they confess it or not, are slaves of lust and desire.

• Hijab protects women from such men; it symbolizes that she has been sanctified to one man only and is off-limit to all others.

• Hijab contributes to the stability and preservation of marriage and family by eliminating the chances of extramarital affairs.

• Finally, it compels men to focus on the real personality of the woman and de-emphasizes her physical beauty. It puts the woman in control of strangers’ reaction to her.

Commenting on the attire of women in North Africa and South East Asia, Germaine Greer, one of the pioneers of the women’s liberation movement, wrote:

“Women who wear cortes or huipiles or saris or jellabas or salwar kameez or any other ample garments can swell and diminish inside them without embarrassment or discomfort. Women with shawls and veils can breastfeed anywhere without calling attention to themselves, while baby is protected from dust and flies. In most non-Western societies, the dress and ornaments of women celebrate the mothering function. Ours deny it.”1

Note that she also specifically mentions the salwar, kameez and jellabas that are used by Muslim women in the East.

Feminists and the Western media often portray the hijab as a symbol of oppression and slavery of women. This sexist angle of viewing the hijabreflects the influence of Western feminists who are subconsciously reacting to the Judea-Christian concept of veil –– “the symbol of woman’s subjection to her husband”.2

To look at one’s own religious or cultural history and then to pass a judgment against another religion is, on the milder side, an intellectual miscalculation, and, on the harsher side, outright cultural imperialism! My father made an interesting observation in an article that when the Europeans penetrated the interior of Africa a century ago, they found some tribes who went about naked. They forced the tribes to wear clothes as mark of civilization. “Now those advocates of ‘civilization’ are themselves discarding their clothes. One often wonders if the ‘primitive tribes’ of the last century were not more civilized than the rest of the world. After all, it is rest of the world which is now imitating the ways of the so-called primitive society.” 3

I am surprised at the society which shows tolerance towards those who would like to go around topless but finds it difficult to tolerate a lady who by her own choice wants to observe hijab! According to Naheed Mustafa, a Canadian Muslim, “In the Western world, the hijab has come to symbolize either forced silence or radical, unconscionable militancy. Actually, it’s neither. It is simply a woman’s assertion that judgment of her physical person is to play no role whatsoever in social interaction. Wearing the hijabhas given me the freedom from constant attention to my physical self. Because my appearance is not subjected to scrutiny, my beauty, or perhaps lack of it, has been removed from the realm of what can legitimately be discussed.”4

Hijab is not a symbol of oppression. Women are oppressed because of socio-economic reasons even in countries where women have never heard about hijab. On the contrary, the practice of displaying pictures of almost naked women in the commercials, billboards, and in the entertainment industry in the west is a true symbol of oppression.

Neither does the hijab prevent a woman from acquiring knowledge or from contributing to the betterment of human society. Historically women have also greatly contributed to Islam. Lady Khadijah, the first wife of the Prophet, played a significant role in the early history of Islam. A successful businesswoman in her own right, she was the first person to accept the message of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). Her acceptance and faith were a great source of emotional support for the Prophet. She stood by her husband in the difficult days of early Islam, and spent her wealth for the promotion of the new religion.

The first Muslim person to be martyred in Muslim history was a woman by the name of Sumayya, the wife of Yasir and the mother of ‘Ammar. She was killed along with her husband for refusing to renounce Islam.

Lady Falimatu ’z-Zahra’, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad, was a beacon of light and a source of guidance for the women of her time. She faithfully stood by her husband, Imam ‘Ali, in his struggle for his right of caliphate, and strongly protested against the first violation of the right of inheritance for daughters in Islam.

One of the most important events in the early history of Islam was the event of Karbala, which was a protest led by Imam Husayn against the tyranny of Yazid. In that protest, the soldiers of Yazid massacred Husayn and about seventy-two of his supporters. It was Husayn’s sister, Zaynab, who continued the social protest and was very influential in bringing about the awakening among the people to stand up against the tyranny of the rulers. Zaynab greatly contributed to the factors that eventually brought about the downfall of the Umayyads.

http://www.al-islam.org/hijab-muslim-womens-dress-islamic-or-cultural-sayyid-muhammad-rizvi/why-hijab

ANZA Social Welfare Activities

ANZA supports disadvantaged people in many areas of the community through the activities of its social welfare committee. All members of ANZA who have an interest in social welfare are welcome to join the committee, which meets monthly at ANZA House. Getting involved with these activities is a very interesting and rewarding experience, enabling expatriates to ‘give back’ a little to the local community. Involvement can take the form of hands-on help in the projects, raising funds or simply monitoring ongoing projects on a weekly or monthly basis. Several private companies and sporting teams have also chosen to help fund the activities of ANZA’s social welfare programme which includes extending a helping hand to the following:

• disadvantaged children through orphanages and schools in poor areas
• elderly people, through kampung food kitchens (Indonesia’s equivalent of meals on wheels)
• disabled people through institutions (for adult paraplegics, for blind and low vision children and for multiple-handicapped children)

In addition, with extra funds ANZA is able to respond to many one-off genuine requests for help, such as building classrooms in poor schools and sanitation facilities in slum areas, purchasing supplies for emergency situations, purchase of school desks and equipment, and furniture and sports equipment for orphanages, or wheelchairs for disabled people who cannot afford them.

Opportunities for Private Sponsorship of Basic Schooling and Children’s Surgery

ANZA also runs programs by which individuals or groups can help support the needs of children and young adults who cannot afford an education, and children whose families cannot afford desperately needed surgery.

The ANZA Student Sponsorship Program was initiated in 1988, and since then has been providing scholarships to allow many hundreds of children from poor families to remain in school, giving them a better future. Talented but needy university students are also helped to complete their education. The costs to sponsors are surprisingly low:

Sponsorship Type	Amount Per Annum
Primary School Student	Rp 950,000
Junior High School Student	Rp 1,450,000
Senior High School Student	Rp 1.750.000
University Student	Rp 6,000,000

If you are interested in sponsorsing a student or would like more information about the Student Sponsorship Program, please contactanzastudentsponsorship@gmail.com.

The ANZA Medical Sponsorship Program began in 1997 and since then has sponsored more than 1,000 operations for children from needy families. Poor children born with craniofacial problems such as cleft lips and palates or tumours, or who have suffered severe burns, can be given a new chance at life through an operation sponsored by caring people. Sponsors can choose their patient and will receive before and after photographs. The cost for a harelip or cleft palate repair is approximately Rp 5 million; while a combination harelip and cleft palate operation is around Rp 8,000,000 to Rp 12,000,000. Other more severe conditions may of course be more expensive.

If you would like to sponsor a medical operation, or would like more information about the Medical Sponsorship Program, please contact anzamedicalsponsorshipjkt@gmail.com

(http://www.expat.or.id/givingback/ANZAsocialwelfareactivities.html)

Makeup steps for party

How to Apply Makeup for a Fancy Party

If you always struggle with applying make up for your fancy party, read below to find tips for the application to make you look beautified.

1. Moisturize your face.
2. Use a cream designated for pre-application use on your face to blot excess oil and soothe skin. Select a color a tint lighter than your foundation. Make sure to blend with a makeup sponge. Dot under eyes.
3. Apply a discreet concealer to cover up blemishes and acne. Choose a color with a similar hue to your skin.
4. Use a foundation to even out redness on skin. Pick a shade as close as possible to your skin tone. Apply gently, so as to give your face a creamy, flawless appearance. Blend well with skin with sponge to apply to whole face.
5. Apply make up to your eyes. Pick three eyeshadow colors: dark, medium, and light. To create a blended look, apply dark above top lashes in a slight line, thinly. Next use the medium shadow in the middle, touching the dark a little. The lightest shadow should be applied right under brows, giving the eyes a beautiful hue. Pick all shadows in the same color, but different shades.
6. Use a cake liner with a thin brush or a kohl pencil and line lower lid. You do not need to line the whole way, two-thirds is enough. Line all the way across upper lid.
7. Apply mascara to upper and lower lashes. Avoid clumps by applying in two coats, both thin. For dark hair, black or brown mascara works. For fair hair, use brown.Try to avoid using bright colored mascara (e.g. purple, blue), for a better overall look.
8. Smile, then apply a light rouge to the apples of your cheeks. Apply very gently so as not to create an obvious spot of red. Brush in small circles. Make sure to not go too bright, for when you feel the need to blend, your blush has been applied too much.
9. Choose a lipstick color suited to your skin tone. Apply lightly to both lips, then clamp lips together to get a more even look. Mixing textures and colors is fine.
10. Line lips thinly. Avoid very light lipstick and dark lip-liner.

(http://www.wikihow.com/Apply-Makeup-for-a-Fancy-Party)

Ramadan Starts In Japan

We, at WWW.JapaneseMuslims.com, heartily want to extended our greetings on the occasion of the start of Ramadan 1435 in Japan and many other Muslim countries on Sunday.  May this Ramadan bring you the
utmost in peace and prosperity not only in this world but also in the world hereafter. 

On this great occasion, let’s not forget our Muslim brethren in all parts of the world who have been suffering in one way or the other. Please pray for them and, actually try to help them in whatever capacity you can to help lessen their sufferings as there are millions of Muslims out there who have become refugees or have some other kind of pain.

Ramadan is not a month of eating more than usual or spending wastefully on Iftar parties etc. but rather a time of the year to reflect upon our own deeds and think about the ways to get nearer  to Allah and thus strengthen our Iman so that Allah becomes happy with us and rewards the best.

May Allah give guidance to our brothers  and sisters in humanity so that they also get eternal happiness as we are Inshallah hoping and striving for.  Please remember us in your prayers.

(http://www.japanesemuslims.com/ramadan-starts-japan/)

About Raja ampat Papua

• Raja ampat island

Located off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia's West Papua province, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is anarchipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays, and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta, and Waigeo, and the smaller island ofKofiau.

Raja Ampat Regency is a new regency which separated from Sorong Regency in 2004. It encompasses more than 40,000 km² of land and sea, which also containsCenderawasih Bay, the largest marine national park in Indonesia. It is a part of the newly named West Papua (province) of Indonesia which was formerly Irian Jaya. Some of the islands are the most northern pieces of land in the Australian continent.

• history

The name of Raja Ampat comes from local mythology that tells about a woman who finds seven eggs. Four of the seven eggs hatch and become kings that occupy four of Raja Ampat biggest islands whilst the other three become a ghost, a woman, and a stone.

History shows that Raja Ampat was once a part of Sultanate of Tidore, an influential kingdom from Maluku. Yet, after the Dutch invaded Maluku, it was shortly claimed by the Netherlands. The main occupation for people around this area is fishing since the area is dominated by the sea. They live in a small colony of tribes that spreads around the area. Although traditional culture still strongly exists, they are very welcoming to visitors. Their religion is dominantly Christian.

• geography 

The oceanic natural resources around Raja Ampat give it significant potential as a tourist area. Many sources place Raja Ampat as one of their top ten most popular places for diving whilst it retains the number one ranking in terms of underwater biodiversity.

According to Conservation International, marine surveys suggest that the marine life diversity in the Raja Ampat area is the highest recorded on Earth. Diversity is considerably greater than any other area sampled in the Coral Triangle composed of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and East Timor. The Coral Triangle is the heart of the world's coral reef biodiversity, making Raja Ampat quite possibly the richest coral reef ecosystems in the world.

The area's massive coral colonies along with relatively high sea surface temperatures, also suggest that its reefs may be relatively resistant to threats like coral bleaching and coral disease, which now jeopardize the survival of other coral ecosystems around the world. The Raja Ampat islands are remote and relatively undisturbed by humans.

The high marine diversity in Raja Ampat is strongly influenced by its position between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as coral and fish larvae are more easily shared between the two oceans. Raja Ampat's coral diversity, resilience, and role as a source for larval dispersal make it a global priority for marine protection.

1,508 fish species, 537 coral species (a remarkable 96% of all scleractinia recorded from Indonesia are likely to occur in these islands and 75% of all species that exist in the world), and 699 mollusk species, the variety of marine life is staggering. Some areas boast enormous schools of fish and regular sightings of sharks, such as wobbegongs.

Although accessing the islands is not that difficult, it takes some time. It takes six hours flight from Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia to Sorong. Then, taking a boat to reach the islands is necessary.

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raja_Ampat_Islands )

Tips for New Managers

Being promoted to a manager for the first time is one of the most challenging transitions a manager will ever have to navigate.

You’ve come to the right place! Here’s the advice I would give to any new manager, over a series of two meetings.

Tips 1-15

1. Start getting ready before you get promoted.
Granted, while in many cases it may be too late to prepare, it shouldn’t have been. There are lots of things an aspiring manager can do to get ready to be a manager, including on the job experiences, reading, taking courses, and learning from others. If you get offered a promotion and you’re not prepared, you’ve got nobody to blame but yourself.

2. Recognize that it’s a new job.
Even though you were most likely promoted within a function where you were the best engineer, you are no longer an engineer – you’re a manager. The good news is, you have a track record of success. You know how to learn and succeed, so don’t ever lose sight of that and don’t lose your mojo.

3. Learn “Situational Leadership”.
SL is a must-have leadership framework for any manager. Buy the book, take a course, or ask someone to teach it to you. It’s basically a model for figuring out how to manage each of your employees, depending on how much direction they need.

4. Get to really know your employees.
Spend time with each and every employee and get to know their jobs, career and development goals, hopes and dreams, strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, the names of their children and pets, where they live, and anything else that’s important to them. Getting to know your employees builds a solid foundation of trust.

5. Learn and practice active listening.
If I had to pick just ONE skill, active listening would be the one I’d say is the most important skill to master as a leader.

6. Let go of the details.
Focus on the what, not the how. You’re not being paid to do your old job, or do your employee’s jobs.

7. You’re the boss, not a “friend”.
One of the most frequent mistakes new managers make is that they try to be friends with their employees.  This is especially hard when you get promoted over your peers, and you have been friends as a peer. When you’re a manager, the relationship changes. You’re now in a position of power and authority, and being friends with one or more employees and not others will create perceptions of bias and favoritism. Yes, you can be friendly, but you’re better off keeping the relationship professional.

8. You may be surprised to discover your former co-workers have some “issues”.
New managers are often shocked to discover some of the performance and personal issues their boss was discreetly dealing with. Now, it’s your job to pick up where your boss left off.

9. Learn to deal with performance issues.
Your previous boss may have been sweeping issues under the rug, or perhaps in the middle of working with an employee. Either way, you’ll need to learn a consistent and effective way to deal with employee performance issues. Didn’t anyone tell you? It comes with the territory.

10. Treat EVERY one of your employees with respect.
Never, ever, ever waiver from this.

11. Use the four magic words: “What do you think?”
From management guru Tom Peters. Asking your employees for their ideas is the ultimate display of respect and empowers them to solve their own problems.

12. Pay attention to your new team.
While you may be the team leader of your team, you’re now a member of a brand new team – your manager’s management team. Managing sideways is just as important as managing up and down. From Team guru Patrick Lencioni.

13. Be available and visible.
Don’t let “I never see my boss” be how your employees describe you.

14. Set up and maintain a schedule of regular one-on ones and team meetings.
Then, treat these meetings as a top priority.

15. Embrace your role as a LEADER. 
This one’s not as obvious as it sounds. I managed employees for over 20 years before the light went on for me and I realized what an extraordinary and rewarding responsibility leadership could be. Don’t take it lightly.

( http://management.about.com/od/managementskills/fl/Tips-for-New-Managers-Part-1.htm )

The basics of Management and Managers

What is management? What do managers do? How do I manage?

These are standard questions that most of us in the management profession have been asked more than once. And questions we asked once in our careers too. Here, then, is a basic look at management, a primer, Management 101 from my perspective.

Art and Science
Management is both art and science. It is the art of making people more effective than they would have been without you. The science is in how you do that. There are four basic pillars: plan, organize, direct, and monitor.

Make Them More Effective
Four workers can make 6 units in an eight-hour shift without a manager. If I hire you to manage them and they still make 6 units a day, what is the benefit to my business of having hired you? On the other hand, if they now make 8 units per day, you, the manager, have value.

The same analogy applies to service, or retail, or teaching, or any other kind of work. Can your group handle more customer calls with you than without? Sell higher value merchandise? Impart knowledge more effectively? etc. That is the value of management - making a group of individual more effective.

Basic Management Skill #1: Plan
Management starts with planning. Good management starts with good planning. And proper prior planning prevents… well, you know the rest of that one.

Without a plan you will never succeed. If you happen to make it to the goal, it will have been by luck or chance and is not repeatable. You may make it as a flash-in-the-pan, an overnight sensation, but you will never have the track record of accomplishments of which success is made.

Figure out what your goal is (or listen when your boss tells you). Then figure out the best way to get there. What resources do you have? What can you get? Compare strengths and weaknesses of individuals and other resources. Will putting four workers on a task that takes 14 hours cost less than renting a machine that can do the same task with one worker in 6 hours? If you change the first shift from an 8 AM start to a 10 AM start, can they handle the early evening rush so you don't have to hire an extra person for the second shift?

Look at all the probable scenarios. Plan for them. Figure out the worst possible scenario and plan for that too. Evaluate your different plans and develop what, in your best judgement, will work the best and what you will do if it doesn't.

TIP: One of the most often overlooked management planning tools is the most effective. Ask the people doing the work for their input.

Basic Management Skill #2: Organize
Now that you have a plan, you have to make it happen. Is everything ready ahead of your group so the right stuff will get to your group at the right time? Is your group prepared to do its part of the plan? Is the downstream organization ready for what your group will deliver and when it will arrive?

Are the workers trained? Are they motivated? Do they have the equipment they need? Are there spare parts available for the equipment? Has purchasing ordered the material? Is it the right stuff? Will it get here on the appropriate schedule?

Do the legwork to make sure everything needed to execute the plan is ready to go, or will be when it is needed. Check back to make sure that everyone understands their role and the importance of their role to the overall success.

Basic Management Skill #3: Direct
Now flip the "ON" switch. Tell people what they need to do. I like to think of this part like conducting an orchestra. Everyone in the orchestra has the music in front of them. They know which section is playing which piece and when. They know when to come in, what to play, and when to stop again. The conductor cues each section to make the music happen. That's your job here. You've given all your musicians (workers) the sheet music (the plan). You have the right number of musicians (workers) in each section (department), and you've arranged the sections on stage so the music will sound best (you have organized the work). Now you need only to tap the podium lightly with your baton to get their attention and give the downbeat.

Basic Management Skill #4: Monitor
Now that you have everything moving, you have to keep an eye on things. Make sure everything is going according to the plan. When it isn't going according to plan, you need to step in and adjust the plan, just as the orchestra conductor will adjust the tempo.

Problems will come up. Someone will get sick. A part won't be delivered on time. A key customer will go bankrupt. That is why you developed a contingency plan in the first place. You, as the manager, have to be always aware of what's going on so you can make the adjustments required.

This is an iterative process. When something is out of sync, you need to Plan a fix, Organize the resources to make it work, Direct the people who will make it happen, and continue to Monitor the effect of the change.

Is It Worth It
Managing people is not easy. However, it can be done successfully. And it can be a very rewarding experience. Remember that management, like any other skill, is something that you can improve at with study and practice.

( http://management.about.com/cs/generalmanagement/a/Management101.htm )

10 tips for job interview success

Job search techniques change, the labour market changes and job descriptions change. But what more or less stays the same is the job interview. It’s your chance to sell yourself. The first 30 seconds of a job interview are the most important – so if you want to be a cut above the rest you need to be on the ball. Rob Yeung, a business psychologist, maintains that an interview is all about the three Ps. “You need to prepare, you need to practise, and then, on the day, you need to perform.”

Here are 10 tips for interview success.

1. First impressions count
Greet your interviewer with a smile and firm handshake. Give eye contact. Try to make small talk during the walk from the reception area to the interview room. Liz Anderson, a human resources manager says, “You have to sell yourself before you can sell anything else and the first 30 seconds are when the interviewer subconsciously makes decisions about whether they like you or not and whether you will fit into the team.”

2. Be prepared
Re-read your CV and the job advert just before the interview. Do your research thoroughly: Look at the company web site or obtain literature. You may be asked about the salary you are after so make sure you research that as well.

3. Don’t waffleAnswer questions properly – even if you need a few moments’ silence to collect your thoughts. Anderson advises, “It’s better to say you need a minute to think about your answer rather than speak instantly and regret it afterwards.”

4. Why should they hire you?Most job adverts will list qualities they’re looking for – a team worker, a good communicator – so it’s up to you to think of examples of how you can demonstrate these skills. Be ready to talk about your knowledge, experience, abilities and skills. Have at least three strong points about yourself that you can relate to the company and job on offer.

5. Be positive
Your interviewer will be thinking about what it would be like to work with you, so the last thing they’ll want to hear is you talking about your boss or current colleagues behind their back. Interviewers like to see someone who enjoys a challenge and is enthusiastic.

6. Remember your body language
It is not what you say, but how you say it. During the interview, do not fold your arms and lean back or look to the floor! Sit upright and try to maintain good eye contact. Use your hands and lean forward when making a point. Many people cannot think and control their body language at the same time, which is why you need to prepare.

7. Expect the unexpected
Your interviewer may try to catch you off guard: A survey by OfficeAngels has revealed that 90 per cent of employers ask ‘killer’ questions in interviews. It is impossible to plan for every difficult question, such as “How would your colleagues describe you?” but try to appear relaxed and in control. Ask the interviewer to repeat the question if necessary but do not evade it. Hopefully you will not befall the fate of those job candidates at B&Q who were asked to dance to “Blame it on the Boogie”!

8. Develop rapport
Show energy, a sense of humour and smile. Jean Smith, a social anthropologist says: “It’s infectious, being positive and enthusiastic.” Ask your interviewer questions about themselves and any issues the business is facing.

9. Clarify anything you are unsure ofIf you are not certain what are meant by a particular question, ask for clarification. At the end, ask the interviewer if there is anything else he or she needs to know about. Do not be afraid to ask when you are likely to hear if you have been successful or not.

10. Remember your mannersIt is better to choose than to be chosen. Tell the interviewer why you are interested in the company and job opportunity. Ask them for a business card and follow it up by sending a “thank-you” e-mail or letter, saying how much you enjoyed meeting them and how interested you are. Take the opportunity to detail the key advantages you bring.

( http://blog.careerbuilder.co.uk/2013/03/28/10-tips-for-job-interview-success/ )

History of indonesia

The history of Indonesia has been shaped by its geographic position, its natural resources, a series of human migrations and contacts, wars and conquests, as well as by trade, economics and politics. Indonesia is an archipelagic country of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited) stretching along the equator in South East Asia. The country's strategic sea-lane position fostered inter-island and international trade; trade has since fundamentally shaped Indonesian history. The area of Indonesia is populated by peoples of various migrations, creating a diversity of cultures,ethnicities, and languages. The archipelago's landforms and climate significantly influenced agriculture and trade, and the formation of states. The boundaries of the state of Indonesia represent the twentieth century borders of the Dutch East Indies.

Fossilised remains of Homo erectus and his tools, popularly known as the "Java Man", suggest the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited by at least 1.5 million years ago. Austronesian people, who form the majority of the modern population, are thought to have originally been from Taiwan and arrived in Indonesia around 2000 BCE. From the 7th century CE, the powerful Srivijaya naval kingdom flourished bringing Hindu and Buddhist influences with it. The agricultural BuddhistSailendra and Hindu Mataram dynasties subsequently thrived and declined in inland Java. The last significant non-Muslim kingdom, the Hindu Majapahit kingdom, flourished from the late 13th century, and its influence stretched over much of Indonesia. The earliest evidence of Islamised populations in Indonesia dates to the 13th century in northern Sumatra; other Indonesian areas gradually adopted Islam which became the dominant religion in Java and Sumatra by the end of the 16th century. For the most part, Islam overlaid and mixed with existing cultural and religious influences.

Europeans arrived in Indonesia from the 16th century seeking to monopolise the sources of valuable nutmeg, cloves, and cubeb pepper in Maluku. In 1602 the Dutch established the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and became the dominant European power by 1610. Following bankruptcy, the VOC was formally dissolved in 1800, and the government of the Netherlands established the Dutch East Indiesunder government control. By the early 20th century, Dutch dominance extended to the current boundaries. The Japanese invasion and subsequent occupation in 1942-45 during WWII ended Dutch rule, and encouraged the previously suppressed Indonesian independence movement. Two days after the surrender of Japan in August 1945, nationalist leader, Sukarno, declared independence and became president. The Netherlands tried to reestablish its rule, but a bitter armed and diplomatic struggle ended in December 1949, when in the face of international pressure, the Dutch formally recognised Indonesian independence.

An attempted coup in 1965 led to a violent army-led anti-communist purge in which over half a million people were killed. General Suharto politically outmanoeuvred President Sukarno, and became president in March 1968. His New Order administration garnered the favour of the West whose investment in Indonesia was a major factor in the subsequent three decades of substantial economic growth. In the late 1990s, however, Indonesia was the country hardest hit by the East Asian Financial Crisis which led to popular protests and Suharto's resignation on 21 May 1998. The Reformasi era following Suharto's resignation, has led to a strengthening of democratic processes, including a regional autonomy program, the secession of East Timor, and the first direct presidential election in 2004. Political and economic instability, social unrest, corruption, natural disasters, and terrorism have slowed progress. Although relations among different religious and ethnic groups are largely harmonious, acute sectarian discontent and violence remain problems in some areas.

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Indonesia )

JAKARTA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

JAKARTA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

The JIS Story

With five original students, Jakarta International School was founded by UN workers in 1951. These pioneers introduced relevant schooling in English for children of expats in the newfound Republic of Indonesia. From early days the school's international identity was clear. It was originally named the Joint Embassy School (J.E.S.) after its British, American, Australian and (then) Yugoslavian embassy partners. Just over a decade later, in 1978, J.E.S. became J.I.S. 

Today, with high expectations for standards based, results oriented, engaged learning and a culture where students seek personal excellence in every pursuit, JIS helps each community member become their best to be best for the world.

As JIS continues its over 60-year journey, we value each decade and each learner whose personal story betters our own. With 2400 students, over 250 faculty and countless alumni and parents contributing daily to the school's legacy and the world around us, we can only be encouraged, humbled and motivated to keep learning together for the sake of our students' borderless future.

Moments In Time

1950's

In August, 1951 the late Antoinette Stepanek’s house and garden became the first classrooms of the school and the first students were Joseph Stepanek, James Stepanek and Harsha Rao.  Antoinette recalled this pioneering time, “Even in so hot a climate as Indonesia’s, the early mornings are delightful, and I can close my eyes now and relive those happy days when we were only a handful doing lessons under the big trees or sitting on the cool tiles of our living room to sing and paint.” It quickly became obvious that the school would soon be bursting at the seams. “It seemed that every day yet another car would sweep around the drive and a new arrival would be clamoring for admission.”

1960's

Submit your Moment in Time from the '60s. See sidebar for instructions.

 1970's

Just after school began JIS was invited to put on an international program on TVRI to celebrate United Nations Day using children from many different nationalities. I was asked me to organize a program for the TV show. The program was repeated in the school courtyard and that was the beginning of the JIS United Nations Day tradition.In the ‘spring’ semester I initiated Indonesia Day which became a tradition in the elementary school for many years. Students sang Indonesian songs, played angklung, and learned Indonesian dances. Everyone had to wear something Indonesian, and the Indonesian teachers always looked beautiful in national dress.

– Halimah Brugger, former JIS teacher

1980's

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1990's

In 1999, after Soeharto fell from power, we did “Marsinah” as our IASAS play.  It was an English-language premiere, and we were lucky to have the playwright, Ratna, work with us.  She had been jailed under Soeharto for writing and performing this play.  We did a special showing in the FAT, which was attended by Megawati and students from Trisakti University, where students had been killed by the police and were martyrs for the revolution.  We had a full house that night, including the School Board, teachers, students and a huge turnout from the Indonesian staff, who were clearly very proud that JIS was doing this controversial play.

It was one of those experiences that makes me believe that the theatre can be magic.  So can JIS.  We need to sometimes be reminded that our host country has so much to offer us beyond the logistic support which keeps our school running.  And that we have much to offer these people and their emerging democracy.  This can happen in many places and many ways.  The strong commitment to the performing arts her at JIS can and will continue to do so.  -Tom Schulz, HS Drama Teacher

2000's

The devastation wrought by the Asian Tsunami in 2004 stirred the world-wide JIS alumni community to see  JIS as  a conduit for an outpouring of charitable donations. This tragedy and response provided the impetus for what came to be called JIS Cares/JIS Peduli.  Jakarta International School’s almost 60 years of serving the Indonesian (and global) community, primarily through the TAA (Tolong Anak Anak), as well as through class, club and community projects, has provided bounteous energy, time and money, to help alleviate poverty in Indonesia. More recently, a global imperative relating to environmental stewardship has also focused our collective need on ensuring the sustainability of our planet for future generations. - Trish Davies, Service Learning Coordinator

2010's

Submit your Moment in Time from 2010 and beyond. See sidebar for instructions.

https://www.jisedu.or.id/story/welcome/moments/index.aspx