Indonesian martial art pencak silat gets UNESCO heritage status

Yahoo – AFP, Agnes Anya, December 15, 2019

Indonesians engage in pencak silat, a martial art indigenous to Southeast Asia,
in Jakarta. The sport has been added to UNESCO's list of "Intangible
Cultural Heritage" practices (AFP Photo/BAY ISMOYO)

Anwar bin Sholeh had something to cheer when he showed up at a Jakarta training centre to practice pencak silat -- the Indonesian martial art was added to UNESCO's prestigious heritage list.

"It's an honour that pencak silat has been recognised internationally," the 38-year-old, who has been practising the art since elementary school, told AFP.

"This will motivate us to preserve our traditions and culture," he added.

Dating back to as early as the 6th Century, one legend has it that the ancient martial art -- which blends self-defense and artistic elements -- originated after a woman watched a tiger do battle with a giant hawk, and copied their techniques to fight off a pestering group of drunken men.

The term pencak silat describes hundreds of indigenous combat styles in Southeast Asia, with fighters wielding a terrifying array of weapons such as knives, sickles and machetes.

Pencak silat practitioners go through their paces in the Indonesian 

capital, Jakarta (AFP Photo/BAY ISMOYO)

It has gained greater awareness outside Indonesia after being featured in Star Wars and John Wick films in recent years.

"I'm glad that Pencak Silat is now not only recognised in Hollywood," said practitioner Rian Irawan bin Maswan Hasan.

"It's a unique martial art because it is not only for health and self defense, but it also builds solidarity and brotherhood among it members," he added.

The inclusion on UNESCO's list of "Intangible Cultural Heritage" practices was decided during a committee meeting in Bogota last week.

"In addition to their sporting element, traditions of Pencak Silat also encompass mental-spiritual, self-defence and artistic aspects," the United Nations Economic, Scientific and Cultural Organization said.

Pencak silat practitioners drill during a training session in Jakarta (AFP 

Photo/BAY ISMOYO)

"The moves and styles of Pencak Silat are strongly influenced by various elements of art, involving a unity of body and movement fitting the accompanying music."

The martial art was featured at last year's Asian Games, where host Indonesia swept the gold medal tally.

Traditional Pencak Silat covers a broad range of styles and can be different from what appears in official sporting competitions with set rules.

"Many tradition-based silat practitioners could not take part in those competitions because the standards are very different," said 43-year-old Hasan.

Indonesian batik and Wayang puppet theatre are among the Southeast Asian nation's other entries on the UNESCO list.

Saudi's new tourism industry faces huge training challenge

Yahoo – AFP, Aziz EL MASSASSI, October 31, 2019

Conservative Saudi Arabia has launched a drive to attract tourists to places such
as UNESCO World Heritage site Madain Saleh (AFP Photo/FAYEZ NURELDINE)

Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia has opened its doors to tourists, but faces huge challenges to train an estimated one million staff needed to operate the sector, according to the head of one forthcoming mega-project.

The ultra-conservative kingdom announced in September that it would offer tourist visas for the first time, relaxing rules that had largely restricted visits to business travellers and Muslim pilgrims.

But despite a slick global advertising campaign, Saudi tourism infrastructure is still scant -- in contrast to its ambitions to welcome 100 million visitors by 2030.

The Red Sea Project, to be built across an archipelago of 90 islands and stretching into nearby deserts and mountains, will open for business in 2022, its CEO John Pagano said at a major investment forum in Riyadh.

"The challenges are going to be related to investing in our people, training the workforce that we need for the future," he told AFP on the conference sidelines.

"A million people will be working in the tourism sector, so we need a country-scale initiative to train tourism professionals."

The first phase of the mega-project off the Saudi port city of Jeddah envisages 14 luxury hotels built on five islands, with resorts in the mountains beyond.

Unlike other destinations around the Red Sea, led by Egypt and Israel, Saudi Arabia is opting for a luxury tourism model along the lines of the successful industries in Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

"We are going to limit the number of visitors because over-tourism is a major cause of environmental damage," Pagano said.

But he added that the Red Sea project alone promises to deliver 70,000 jobs and $5.9 billion towards Saudi GDP annually.

"In Saudi Arabia, tourism makes up just 3.4 percent of GDP so there is a huge opportunity to grow in an industry that currently doesn't exist," he said.

Developing tourism is one of the major planks of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's drive to wean the economy off its decades-long dependence on oil revenues.

The Crown Prince has sought to shake off his country's ultra-conservative image, lifting a ban on cinemas and women drivers as well as allowing concerts and sporting extravaganzas.

But Saudi Arabia, which forbids alcohol and enforces strict rules on gender segregation, may not be the easiest sell for global tourists.

To encourage visitors, authorities announced they would allow unmarried foreign couples to rent hotel rooms together, and that foreign women were not obliged to wear the body-shrouding abaya that is still expected in public for Saudi women.

"The best way to face the challenges is to open the country up, show what's happening," Pagano said. "This country is going through a major transformation, every day you see new things happening that people said would never happen."

"By the process of tourism we are going to change the perception of the wider public, by people coming, physically experiencing what Saudi Arabia has to offer."

No quiet rules at Indonesia's flyover library

Yahoo – AFP, Harry PEARL, 25 March 2019

Despite its unlikely location, the Taman Baca Masyarakat Kolong open-air reading
 park has been a hit due to a shortage of public libraries where kids from this
area can read books outside school

Singing and laughter briefly drown out the roar of cars under a Jakarta flyover, where an unlikely library for kids is thriving despite choking fumes -- and opposition from menacing gangsters.

There's no quiet rule at this open-air reading park wedged between two lanes of traffic just outside Indonesia's capital, a city of some 30 million that is notorious for having some of the world's worst traffic jams.

Despite its unlikely location, the Taman Baca Masyarakat Kolong has been a hit. A shortage of public libraries means it's one of the few places where kids from this area can read books outside school.

"We wanted to bring books closer to the community," Devina Febrianti, a library coordinator, told AFP as car horns blared accompanied by choking exhaust fumes.

Several years ago, the flyover in suburb Ciputat, part of Jakarta's greater metropolitan area, was strewn with rubbish and roamed by intimidating street thugs, Febrianti said.

But armed with books and paint, local organisations set about transforming its down-and-out reputation.

Artists painted murals on the walls, installed planter boxes and a futsal pitch, and a library with several dozen books was built on site.

Still, it wasn't met with universal acclaim when it opened for business in 2016.

"In the beginning not everyone was supportive when we came with books because there were already other residents here," Febrianti said.

"We asked for forgiveness first from the gangsters who were here and then the 'angkot' drivers," she added, referring to cheap and ubiquitous minivans that provide public transport.

Winning over parents afraid that their children would be kidnapped or hit by a car was no mean feat, either.

'Smell, rubbish, loud noises'

But eventually, parents -- and even the street gangs -- warmed to the idea.

Today, it's not uncommon to see up to 70 kids attending after-school sessions, where they read stories with teachers, get help with homework, or sing and dance on concrete covered with green Astroturf.

Bookshelves are stuffed with hand-me-down kids books and some other less likely titles such as "Accounting" and "Glossary of Marketing Terms".

Emilia Clara, an 11-year-old student, said she liked reading stories, especially fairytales, with friends.

"It makes me happy and it's exciting," she told AFP in a brief interview, before rushing back to join the other kids.

And it has won over parents like Salmih Usia, a 41-year-old mother of two.

"This is a great place for learning, creating and playing," she said.

Free reading gardens, known as Taman Bacaan, have existed in various forms across Indonesia for several decades.

They're often run by NGOs or volunteer associations funded by public and private sector contributions.

Some 80 reading parks have been established this part of the sprawling capital, although there is only one located right below a flyover, Febrianti said.

In Hong Kong, a small outdoor library that doubled as a children's playground was set up under a flyover in the bustling city as part of research into how to better use community spaces, according to a report in the South China Morning Post last year.

Back in Indonesia, library volunteers admit the street-side location poses some potential health problems because of the fumes from traffic and the subsequent impact on air quality.

"But so far there haven't been any complaints about the smell, rubbish or loud noises," Febrianti said, adding: "We use a sound system, which is quite helpful for us to overcome the (noise) problem."

No quiet rules at Indonesia's flyover library.

AFP's @harry_pearl takes a look under a Jakarta flyover where an unlikely library for kids is thriving despite choking fumes -- and opposition from gangstershttps://t.co/JprTqgw1Sj pic.twitter.com/q9NeiPN19x

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 25 maart 2019

Indonesian third-grader's 'school crawl' becomes sensation

Yahoo – AFP, December 20, 2018

Mukhlis Abdul Holik's heartwarming story has become a sensation across
Indonesia (AFP Photo/CANTIGIE NUR FERDINAND)

Sukabumi (Indonesia) (AFP) - Indonesian third-grader Mukhlis Abdul Holik begins the long haul to school with a knapsack strapped to his back and hands stuffed into a pair of sandals -- to guard against road burn.

It is no ordinary trip for the eight-year-old. He has severely deformed feet and legs so tiny that he only reaches up to his classmates' waists when standing.

With his mom in tow, the gap-toothed pupil crawls from his West Java village across rocky paths and an old wooden bridge that he navigates on his hands alone, as his sneakers dangle in the air.

Holik crawls from his West Java village across rocky paths and an old wooden 

bridge that he navigates on his hands alone, as his sneakers dangle in the air 

(AFP Photo/CANTIGIE NUR FERDINAND)

Holik's heartwarming story has become a sensation across the country of 260 million, and earned him a meeting with Indonesian president Joko Widodo, after media covered his trip to school and back -- a distance of nearly six kilometres.

"The road is steep but he crawls every day," said Holik's mother Pipin, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

"If we've got money, then he can take a motorcycle taxi but if things are tight, he's got to crawl. He never complains.... rain or shine, he always goes to school."

Holik declared himself "very happy" after meeting Indonesian President 

Joko Widodo (AFP Photo/CANTIGIE NUR FERDINAND)

Holik met the country's leader on December 3 -- the UN's International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

"I asked Abdul when we met if he wanted anything from me," Widodo said in a statement.

"I thought he'd want me to give him a present. But he didn't want anything. He just said he wanted to go to university."

The pupil declared himself "very happy" for meeting his idol Widodo, who got a full report on Holik's ambitious future plans.

"I want to be a firefighter, a doctor and an astronaut," he told AFP.

Street side: Indonesia slum kids eye youth 'World Cup'

Yahoo – AFP, Bagus SARAGIH, April 16, 2018

Nine of the players from Indonesia's street children football team "Garuda Baru"
will head to Moscow to play against teams of disadvantaged children from
two dozen nations (AFP Photo/Elisabetta ZAVOLI)

Jakarta (Indonesia) (AFP) - Somad rarely ventures beyond his impoverished Jakarta neighbourhood, but the 14-year-old is now gearing for a trip to Russia next month as a player in the 2018 Street Child World Cup.

It's the journey of a lifetime for the aspiring striker and eight other Indonesian kids set to compete against teams of other disadvantaged children from two dozen nations.

The event's third edition in Moscow is a long way from Bekasi on the outskirts of Indonesia's teeming capital where Somad's father sorts through foul trash heaps to find and sell usable goods.

Along with his food-seller mother, the teen lives in a 45-metre (485 square foot) makeshift home shared with four other families.

"Not many kids can be as lucky as I am," says Somad, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

"I want to make my parents and friends proud so we can have better lives and have no need to be scavengers anymore."

Somad lives with his family in a crowded neighborhood of scavenger families in
Bekasi on the outskirts of Indonesia's capital Jakarta (AFP Photo/Elisabetta ZAVOLI)

The slum is mostly populated by trash pickers who live in its hundreds of shacks. A potent smell of garbage is everywhere in the district where stray animals wander along its muddy roads.

More than 200 children are participating in the seven-a-side tournament, which kicks off ahead of this year's Russia-hosted World Cup.

Off the pitch, the kids will take part in art lessons, workshops and there is a conference focused on disadvantaged youth.

"I want to help Indonesia win the competition. But if we do win, I don't want to show off," says striker Bayu, picked for the Indonesian contingent from among more than 90 children.

"I want to share the experience with my friends when I'm back."

In 2014, the boy's team from Tanzania won the tournament while the girl's trophy was claimed by hosts Brazil.

The inaugural 2010 event, started by British charity Street Child United, was played in South Africa.

More than 200 children are participating in the seven-a-side tournament, which

kicks off ahead of this year's Russia-hosted World Cup (AFP Photo/Elisabetta ZAVOLI)

Indonesian team coach Wahyu Kurniawan said children from poor neighbourhoods have a vitality that is key to breaking into professional football.

"Kids from the street are more active and tend to have more power and spirit," he told AFP.

"My job is to convert those qualities into good football skill and sportsmanship on the field."

But the tournament is about more than just sports -- it's to give a voice to marginalised children.

"Achievement in the tournament is not our main priority, it's a bonus," said Jessica Hutting from Kampus Diakoneia Modern (KDM), a children's rights NGO that selected the Indonesian players.

"We use football as a tool to bring street-connected children together in a safe space where their voices can be heard."

Despite the clear seas and white sandy beaches of Raja Ampat, Indonesia, the islands' children face the gloomy reality of poor education

Despite the clear seas and white sandy beaches of Raja Ampat, Indonesia, the islands' children face the gloomy reality of poor education pic.twitter.com/gPzCjTsEsi

— AFP news agency (@AFP) October 16, 2017

L'Oréal Campaigns for Gender Equality in Science With #ChangeTheNumbers

Jakarta Globe, Devina Halim & Ratri M. Siniwi, October 08, 2016

In view of the fact that only 30 percent of researchers in the world are women,
 international beauty care company L'Oréal launched a global campaign titled
#ChangeTheNumbers in an effort to address the issue. (JG Photo/ Megan Herndon)

Jakarta. International beauty care company L'Oréal has launched a global campaign titled #ChangeTheNumbers in an effort to remedy the fact that only 30 percent of scientific researchers in the world are women.

The campaign manifesto lists several points considered essential in empowering younger women to develop careers in science and ensuring that there is equal opportunity and exposure for them in the field.

"L'Oréal believes the world needs science and science needs women. The purpose of this global campaign is to change the public perspective of women in science and to attract more women to choose becoming researchers," L'Oréal Indonesia head of communications Melanie Masriel said on Thursday (06/10).

Two inspiring Indonesian female researchers were invited to speak during a discussion about the lack of women in science, hosted by the company.

Ines Atmosukarto, chief executive and managing director of Australian vaccine research and development firm Lipotek Canberra, and Fenny M. Dwivany, associate professor in molecular biology at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), both mothers and recipients of the L'Oréal-Unesco for Women in Science International Fellowship in 2004 and 2007, respectively.

The two women said being a researcher is not for the weak, but that the hard work pays off with great rewards.

"We want to open the eyes of the younger generation to show that there are lots of rewards for being a researcher, so it's not only about the challenges," Ines said.

One of the rewards, she added, was the opportunity to see the world and being exposed to different cultures while studying or attending forums, and the ability of also providing that to her children.

"We can open the minds of our next generation to see the world and question everything and become more curious and creative," Ines said.

By doing so, she believes future generations would be able to help Indonesia move towards its goal of becoming a developed manufacturing country.

In terms of challenges, Fenny said researchers in Indonesia mostly face problems in infrastructure and funding.

"Indonesia is such a biodiverse country and as a biologist, it's sad to see these problems. But if we're not the ones researching this, then who will?" the associate professor said.

According to Fenny, being a researcher helps women to become more perseverant, detail-oriented and tough, especially with the ability to multitask as mothers and researchers.

"We have an advantage of having a different point of view from a male perspective, which could help fill the gap," she added.

While society still judges them against the norm of women having to be stay-at-home mothers, they accredit their support systems for being understanding and helping them break through that barrier while accomplishing their goals.

"I think we were both fortunate enough to have support systems that encouraged us to further our research and education. And I believe that having a support system is essential for researchers," Ines said.

Other than having great support systems, both women said the key to being successful in this field is to be constantly curios, while satisfaction is something dangerous in research.

"To be a scientist you must have fire in your belly, because research is all about working with failures and that should be the fuel to keep you going," Ines said.

The women believe that despite the difficulties, Indonesian girls should not be afraid of pursuing their dreams of becoming scientists.

"There is a culture in our society that makes us afraid of challenges. The potential in Indonesia is high, but there are not enough opportunities," Fenny said.

According to her, there are many Indonesian researchers studying abroad, but coming home is the challenge.

"When we as researchers return to Indonesia, we don't have fields to work in. We can't go home because there are not enough job opportunities," she added.

Ines, on the other hand, suggested that the government must provide incentives for businesses to develop research and development units to support innovation in the country, and in turn, create more job opportunities.

All parties involved must work together in order to increase the number of female researchers and promote gender equality in science across the globe.

"What we have now, our lifestyle, is the result of research done before. The regeneration [of science] is important to create innovations for the sake of posterity," Ines said.

She also believes that Indonesia needs to move away from a male-focused perspective, which should be taught to children from a young age.

"We need to empower young girls to make them believe that they are just as capable as boys – we have to break through the glass ceiling," she said.

Another way this could be changed, Fenny added, is through celebrating the accomplishments of what female scientists have achieved, rather than the constant focus on celebrities.

Related Article:

L’Oreal Sorority in Science Awards 10 Scholarships for Future Female Scientists

EU launches debit cards for refugees in Turkey

Yahoo – AFP, September 26, 2016

European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos
 Stylianides (L) delivers a speech next to Turkey’s EU Minister Omer Celik (R)
during a joint press conference following their meeting on September 26, 2016
(AFP Photo/Adem Altan)

Ankara (AFP) - The European Union on Monday launched a scheme worth almost 350 million euros providing mainly Syrian refugees in Turkey with pre-paid debit cards, the biggest project yet under a landmark deal between the bloc and Ankara.

EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Christos Stylianides, in Ankara for the start of the programme, said the debit cards will help give vulnerable refugees a "sense of normality" in their lives.

The refugees will be able to use the cards in shops or institutions to pay for food, education, housing and clothing or also to withdraw cash from ATMs.

Each card will be automatically topped up with 100 Turkish lira ($33.50) a month, giving people the chance to choose their own purchases.

Stylianides said the programme was an "unprecedented response" to an "unprecedented crisis".

"This (scheme) is, in our humanitarian field, a game-changer in the delivery of humanitarian aid. Refugees can choose what they spend money on."

Turkey is home to some three million refugees, most of them Syrian. The vast majority live in cities without direct support from non-governmental organisations and aid groups.

Supported with 348 million euros ($392 million) from Brussels and its member states, the scheme will be rolled out by Turkish Red Crescent and the UN World Food Programme supported by the Turkish authorities.

Applications will start in October for the scheme. Families who have children going to school will receive more cash. All refugees registered in Turkey, including Iraqis, are eligible to apply.

Stylianides suggested that the programme would also benefit Turks.

"The money will be spent in local shops, boosting local businesses and encouraging social cohesion between citizens and refugees."

The project is part of a six billion euro ($6.75 billion) deal struck in March between Brussels and Ankara to curb the migrant influx into Europe, which saw more than a million arrive in the EU last year.

There have been fears the deal could collapse with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan complaining that the promised money was not handed directly to Turkey.

In exchange for cutting the flow, Brussels also offered Turkey visa liberalisation for its citizens to visit EU countries in the Schengen area as well as accelerated membership talks.

But Ankara has threatened to withdraw from the agreement if Europe does not allow visa-free travel for Turks by next month, though the numbers coming to Europe have dropped significantly since March.

Horseback library serves Indonesia's remote readers

Yahoo – AFP, Nick Perry, July 15, 2016

Children sort through books on a shelf hanging from Luna the horse in Serang,
Indonesia's main island of Java (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

Astride his white mare, a wide-brimmed hat shielding his eyes, Ridwan Sururi looks more cowboy than librarian as he winds towards the hilltop village, his horse Luna saddled with books.

Their arrival sends ripples of excitement through Serang, a quiet hamlet fringed by rice fields and a volcano on Indonesia's main island of Java.

"The horse library!" children shriek, sprinting towards the mosque where Luna is tethered. Slung over her saddle are two handmade wooden boxes filled with books.

Ridwan Sururi, who runs a mobile library

 on horseback, selects books for villagers

to read in Serang (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

For many there, this unique mobile library is their only link to books. There is no traditional library nearby, and stores are miles away in big cities. It's a problem for villages across the sprawling Indonesian archipelago.

Sururi, a 43-year-old professional horse groomer, devised a unique way to encourage reading in his district.

Armed with Luna, one of several horses under his care, and about 100 books donated from a friend, Sururi began road-testing his novel mobile library in early 2015, unsure if it would succeed.

It was a huge hit. In no time, the father of four was fielding requests from schools and villages further afield, eager crowds greeting him on arrival.

"The kids are always waiting for my horse and I," Sururi told AFP.

"Sometimes they even form a queue, waiting a very long time just to borrow a book."

Broadening horizons

In Serang, enthusiastic youngsters flick through picture books, young adult titles and even some classics in English.

Some shyly pet Luna while waiting their turn to browse. Sururi believes the gentle nature of his six-year-old mare helps attract children, and pique an early interest in the books.

For many in Serang, this unique mobile library is their only link to books 

(AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

"The horse makes me happy," said 10-year-old Arif, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, before settling in to read a book titled "Wild Animals".

But it's not just children discovering a love for reading via this charitable community library.

Adults are almost just as enthusiastic, many pausing work and emerging from their homes as Sururi and Luna pass through the narrow lanes of one village.

Seventeen-year-old Warianti, perusing titles alongside her elderly mothers, said villagers of all ages benefited from Sururi's visits, as most did not have time to source books elsewhere.

"The horse library helps increase the knowledge of local women through reading," she told AFP.

Adult literacy rates in Indonesia have climbed steadily in recent years, reaching nearly 96 percent in 2013, according to data from the ministry of education.

But some provinces remain far behind others. Central Java, where Sururi makes his rounds, is lagging in the bottom third nationwide.

Nearly five percent -- or close to one million -- adults in this mainly rural province remain illiterate. Sururi is aware of this, growing up in Central Java without access to a great deal of books.

But the altruistic stable hand never underestimated the importance of reading, leading to his free-of-charge mobile book loaning service.

"That's the aim of the horse library, so that everyone can broaden their horizons, gain knowledge, become more intelligent," he said.

Sense of pride

Outside his simple home, Sururi has cleared an area where he dreams of building a permanent library, one stocked with many books and -- perhaps one day -- a computer.

Nearly 5% -- or close to one million -- adults in mainly rural Central Java

province remain illiterate (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

But for now, everything is done by hand. The spines of all books are clearly labelled with a code for identification, and he keeps meticulous records so books are returned on time.

Like a conventional library, books can be borrowed free of charge but cannot be loaned forever.

In Serang, Sururi checks his notebook and tells one boy he needs to first return an outstanding title before loaning another. The young student sprints off home, returning a short while later clutching the forgotten item, relieved to see his pick of choice remains untouched on the shelf.

Once the flurry of borrowing is over, the children settle down in small circles, bearing their new books with pride as Sururi packs up for another week.

Soon the air is filled with the sound of dozens of children reading aloud, older pupils helping their younger friends with difficult words or phrases.

"When I see kids chasing my horse I feel so proud," Sururi said.

"I feel like I'm needed, and that's hugely satisfying."

Horseback library serves Indonesia's remote readers https://t.co/5jSB0FYAKg pic.twitter.com/4GgtkWZ05W

— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 15, 2016

Jokowi, Putin Sign Five Agreements to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Jakarta Globe, Edo Karensa, May 19, 2016

Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Russian President Vladimir Putin
 signed five agreements to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries on
Wednesday (18/05).(Reuters Photo/Kirill Kudryavtsev) 

Jakarta. Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Russian President Vladimir Putin have signed five agreements to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries on Wednesday (18/05).

The agreements were signed by both leaders during a bilateral meeting at President Putin's official residence in the resort city of Sochi in Southern Russia.

They include bilateral cooperations on defense, national and foreign affairs archives, culture as well as joint efforts to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities.

“President Putin and I have agreed to strengthen our defense cooperation. We also discussed further cooperations on technology transfer, joint production, training and education,” Jokowi said, as quoted by the State Palace website.

Jokowi also said Indonesia and Russia will continue existing cooperation to combat terrorism and boost information exchanges in intelligent operations.

“We've had good coordination between the two countries to prevent terror threats, and now we have agreed to strengthen defense institutions in both countries,” Putin said.

In culture and education affairs, President Putin promised to grant 100 scholarships to Indonesian students next year, which will be a great addition to the 100 Indonesians already studying in Rusia.

The Indonesian president is visiting Rusia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Russia Summit 2016 on May 17-20, also in Sochi. He has invited President Putin to make a return visit to Indonesia.

Merkel Praises Indonesia's Development in Meeting Focused on Education

Jakarta Globe, Eko Prasetyo, April 19, 2016

President Joko Widodo in a discussion with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in
Bundeskanzleramt, Berlin, Germany, Monday (18/04). (State Palace Press Photo/Laily)

Jakarta. German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised Indonesia’s developments and achievements while meeting with President Joko Widodo in Bundeskanzleramt, Berlin, on Monday (18/04).

“It is a challenging duty for a country to develop itself, especially for Indonesia with 250 million citizens and 17,000 islands. I am amazed by Indonesia’s achievements. Surely, we can discuss many issues together,” Merkel said in an official statement.

Prior to the visit, Joko said the two will focus on efforts to increase and strengthen partnerships in vocational education in a number of sectors.

“Indonesia wants Germany to assist vocational education, especially those related to industry, such as power plants, textile, maritime and others,” Joko said.

Both leaders agreed in their meeting to follow up the vocational partnership commitment in a technical meeting in May.

Both countries agreed to complete the "scooping papers," which will accelerate the establishment of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

The meeting touched on terrorism and the place of soft and hard power in eradicating the threat, as well as a proposal to establish a Steering Committee to oversee the application of 2012 Indonesia-Germany Comprehensive Partnership.

Germany is Indonesia's top European trading partner and its seventh largest investor.

Palestinian teacher Hanan al-Hroub receives prestigious education award

A teacher from the West Bank has been awarded a prize worth $1 million by an influential nonprofit. The former refugee was honored for her important contribution to the teaching profession.

Deutsche Welle, 14 March 2016

Hanan al-Hroub, a primary school teacher from the West Bank city of al-Bireh, received the second annual Global Teacher Prize on Sunday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where she was cheered on by her fellow Palestinians.

Al-Hroub was chosen for her innovative approach to teaching, which emphasizes learning through play.

Read more about the winner of the 2016 Global @TeacherPrize @hanan_hroub https://t.co/j2FqmVtvVS #TeachersMatter pic.twitter.com/2D4BOrEzfd

— Varkey Foundation (@VarkeyFdn) March 13, 2016

The $1 million (897 million euro) award is given out by the London-based Varkey Foundation, a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote the teaching profession by honoring those educators who positively influence the field.

Proud to be Palestinian

Several notable international leaders - including Pope Francis, Prince William of Britain and US Vice President Joe Biden - recorded messages for the awards ceremony.

"I am proud to be a Palestinian female teacher standing on this stage," Al-Hroub said as she collected the award.

The teacher said she would use the prize money to establish a scholarship to help promote her teaching methods, as well as support other Palestinian teachers.

blc/jm (AP, Reuters)