Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Reog Ponorogo

http://www.insideindonesia.org/stories/reog-ponorogo-23111376



A bilateral spat reignites a unique cultural practice


Lisa Mapson



In a village called Bringin, just south of the city of Ponorogo in East Java, the unique local dance known as Reog Ponorogo is enjoying a renaissance. The village’s long-running Reog troupe had disbanded sometime between 2000 and 2002 after funding for their group dried up. But this changed three years ago when the people of Bringin, young and old, veterans and novices, were moved to dust off their masks and peacock feathers and resurrect the group.











Rehearsals for the new Reog Bringin
   Lisa Mapson



This eruption of newfound enthusiasm occurred within months of Reog making headlines across the archipelago as the most recent Indonesian cultural property to have been ‘stolen’ by Malaysia. While these cultural disputes are often framed in national terms, for the people of Ponorogo this was more than an affront to national pride – it was an attack on their very identity.

   

The case of the 'stolen' Reog Ponorogo

Reog Ponorogo made headlines across Indonesia in November 2007 when it featured in a Malaysian tourism commercial as a part of the 2007 Malaysia Truly Asia campaign. In Malaysia the dance is referred to as Tari Barongan, but certain elements mark it as an unmistakeable descendant of Reog, most notably the use of the dhadak merak mask which most Malaysian groups import from Ponorogo craftsmen. The use of Reog in this commercial without acknowledgement of its origins was enough to cause an uproar in Ponorogo. But the Malaysians made things even worse by emblazoning the word ‘Malaysia’ on the mask in the place usually reserved for the words ‘Reog Ponorogo’.
In the eyes of the people of Ponorogo this was blasphemy. Despite attempts by the Malaysian ambassador to explain that his country had never claimed that Reog was originally from Malaysia, the Ponorogoans saw it differently. Former Reog artist, mystic and warok (traditionally pederasts with an exalted status as powerful men and leaders), Ahmad Tobroni, saw the incident as a way to subtly claim Reog as their own. Like many Ponorogoans, he reacted to the news of Malaysia’s treachery with a spontaneous 'jancuk!' (damn it!), stating that he felt that  'this art from our ancestors was being claimed, just like that, in the interest of tourism’.


Culture and identity

In recent years Indonesia has accused Malaysia of several instances of cultural theft and appropriation. These spats are also mixed with other bilateral issues such as the mistreatment of Indonesian domestic workers in Malaysia and the regular border disputes between the two countries. However, for the people of Ponorogo, the theft of Reog was something much more personal. For them, Reog is so much more than a dance.

On the national stage, weekly Reog performances represent Ponorogo at Taman Mini, the recreation park in Jakarta which displays miniature representations of the major cultures of the archipelago. It is promoted as Ponorogo's  premier tourism drawcard. As the only art form – perhaps the only product – that can be described as uniquely Ponorogoan, it is the only way to express local identity. The great dhadak merak mask, which performers hold by biting down on a concealed wooden bar, appears on billboards, bumper stickers and in statue form throughout Ponorogo. In fact the correlation between dance and region is so strong that, in the words of Reog coach and elementary school curriculum coordinator Jarumi, ‘Ponorogo is identified with Reog, not Reog with Ponorogo!’

The attitude in Ponorogo towards Reog reflects a wider trend in Indonesia, where art forms  emerge from their traditional roles in local cultures and become a symbol for an ethnic group. This trend is strongly influenced by an understanding of culture based on its physical elements, which is promoted by sites such as Taman Mini or the representation of local cultures in school textbooks. The national motto, Unity in Diversity, is often graphically expressed as members of various ethnic groups, each in their traditional costume, standing together smiling, the diversity element reduced to fabrics and feathers. Consequently, traditional dress, dance and architecture are a means of expressing a local identity and to understand one’s place in the great national project that is Indonesia.


The accused thief

What, then, to make of Malaysia’s role in all of this? It would be negligent not to emphasise that Reog, like many other cultural practices, has been practised in both Indonesia and Malaysia for at least several decades. Groups of Indonesian immigrants in Malaysia have established their own communities and in some cases have brought their traditions with them. This is certainly what happened in the case of Reog. Given this history of cultural exchange, why is Indonesia so sensitive to the use of Reog in a

mapson2.jpg
   Anti-Malaysia sentiment on display
   Lisa Mapson
Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that Malaysia  can apparently put these arts to better use. While the people of Ponorogo are confronted by commercials featuring Reog from  across the Strait of Malacca, they are all too aware that no  local marketing exists to attract tourists to see Reog in Ponorogo. Many people perceive this as a kind of exploitation from their neighbour, who they often refer to as Malingsia, a play on the Javanese-Indonesian word maling, which means thief. As Head of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Muhammadiyah University Ponorogo, Yusuf Arsono, sums up this view: ‘Malaysia knows that Indonesia has it all, but that we can’t protect it.’

The controversy surrounding the theft of Reog led not only to an outpouring of anti-Malaysia sentiment but also a backlash against local government. People expressed their frustration that officials have failed not only to protect Reog from the Malaysians but to useit to Ponorogo’s advantage. In Ponorogo, there is a strong push for the government to copyright Reog. Although  it is unclear how this would be done, the movement clearly reflects a desire for the government to do more to protect and preserve the dance.


Reflection and revitalisation

Perhaps the only positive impact of the controversy has been that it has reignited interest in Reog amongst a new generation who are discovering exactly what it means to be from Ponorogo. ‘I am proud to be Indonesian, but even prouder to be from Ponorogo,’ declares performer Paniran with enthusiasm. But in the village of Bringin, most people are reluctant to confess to a link between the controversy of 2007 and the revival of their Reog group. Many of the young people who have become dancers claim that they have always felt an undying love for Reog, and that the collapse of the group in the last decade was only for want of funding. However some older members of the community identified a link between the revived interest of the younger generation and the fallout from the advertisement.
In the aftermath of the controversy, the people of Ponorogo are facing a predicament. On the one hand, they express pride to see Reog spreading and developing in other parts of the world. On the other hand, they have become somewhat over protective of it and are fiercely insistent that Ponorogo is always acknowledged as its birthplace. It is a conundrum that is still working itself out, as Ponorogo realises that the dance that they hold up proudly as a badge of identity may just have outgrown them. While Ponorogo may understand Reog first and foremost as a symbol, to the rest of the world it is a vibrant and dramatic performance art that has widespread appeal.

It is difficult to see a resolution to the ongoing cultural conflict between Indonesia and Malaysia. Just last year another case reared its head in the form of the Pendet dance, which was erroneously included in a Malaysian tourism commercial made by a Singaporean advertising agency. It seems that Indonesia will continue to treat its regional arts as if they were static and their origins straightforward, something that can and should be inventoried and copyrighted as if the strong historical and cultural links between the two countries were somehow irrelevant. Malaysia does itself no favours by continuing to ignore the tensions around traditional art forms, which often fail to rate a mention in  its own press. As has been the case with Reog, perhaps the best outcome will be greater reflection in Indonesia on the value of these diverse and unique art forms, particularly amongst a new generation of performers who will be their future custodians.

Lisa Mapson (lisaclaremapson@gmail.com) is a graduate of the University of Melbourne. She completed her research in Ponorogo earlier this year while participating in the ACICIS (Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies) East Java Field Studies Program.

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Cukupi Biaya Kuliah dengan Memulung Botol

http://ciputraentrepreneurship.com/entrepreneur/nasional/130-akademik/5800-cukupi-biayai-kuliah-dengan-memulung-botol.html


Rabu, 05 Januari 2011 08:43
Demi menyelesaikan studi jenjang doktoral di Brandenburgische
Technische Universität Cottbus, Jerman, dalam dua tahun terakhir
Suhendra berusaha mencukupi kekurangan uangnya dengan memulung
botol di Berlin. Kemandiriannya berbuah pada penguasaan kemampuan
 spesifik hingga menjadikan dia satu-satunya doktor dari negara lain
yang dibutuhkan sebuah institusi Pemerintah Jerman.
suhendra-nawa-kompas












”Saya memulung pada waktu senggang, biasanya sehabis subuh agar
tak ketahuan orang (Indonesia),” kata Suhendra, salah seorang peserta
International Summit 2010 Ikatan Ilmuwan Indonesia Internasional (I-4),
16-18 Desember 2010, di Jakarta.
Ia memulung botol bekas wadah minuman di stasiun pemberhentian
kereta api, terminal bus, dan bandara. Satu botol bekas minuman air
mineral dihargai 25 sen euro. Sementara botol bekas minuman
berkarbonasi dihargai 15 sen euro.
Untuk menguangkan botol-botol itu, ia membawanya ke mesin otomatis
yang ada di stasiun kereta api. Sabtu dan Minggu merupakan hari penuh
berkah karena botol bekas relatif berlimpah. Dalam sehari dia bisa
mendapatkan 40-50 botol.
”Mesin-mesin otomatis itu seperti ATM. Botol yang saya masukkan diganti
voucher yang bisa ditukar dengan uang,” kata Suhendra yang memulung
tahun 2004-2006, saat mengambil doktor bidang environmental safety for
petroleum project (sistem keamanan lingkungan untuk industri tambang
minyak).
Hasil memulung memang tak cukup untuk membayar sewa apartemen,
biaya makan, dan asuransi. Suhendra pun bekerja paruh waktu di pabrik
cokelat. ”Pekerjaan saya di bidang perawatan. Tetapi, itu sesungguhnya
pekerjaan bersih-bersih lantai dan mesin pabrik.”
Suhendra menikahi Dewi Yuniasih tahun 1999, dan mulai 2002 istrinya
juga menetap di Jerman. Kini Dewi masih menuntaskan program studi
kedokteran di Humboldt University of Berlin.
Suhendra menempuh studi S-1 di Universitas Diponegoro, dan lulus di bidang
teknik kimia. Ia melanjutkan S-2 di Institut Teknologi Bandung dan mendapat
beasiswa program master double degree di Brandenburgische Technische
Universität (BTU) untuk periode 2000-2002. Jenjang studi S-2 dia selesaikan
setahun di ITB dan setahun di BTU. ”Program master saya di Jerman dengan
riset industri bidang teknik kimia di Max Planck Institute (MPI),” katanya.
Di MPI, dia meneliti penentuan kinetik pada reaksi kimia. Ini lalu jadi keahlian
spesifik Suhendra. Aplikasinya pada reaksi eksplosif pada metal. Ia melanjutkan
studi S-3 di tempat sama tahun 2002-2006. Selama 2002-2004 ia memperoleh
beasiswa, tetapi dua tahun berikutnya harus biaya sendiri.
Tahun 2006, ia menuntaskan studi dengan hasil penelitian kerangka kerja untuk
penilaian kondisi minyak yang aman serta ramah lingkungan. ”Berupa parameter
untuk kerangka kerja dan indikator operasi kilang minyak yang aman dan ramah
lingkungan,” kata Suhendra yang mendapatkan ijazahnya pada Februari 2007.
Dia lalu melamar kerja di Badan Penelitian Jerman, Federal Institute for Materials
Research and Testing (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und-prüfung/BAM) di
Berlin. Ini seperti Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI), tetapi di bawah
Kementerian Ekonomi dan Teknologi Jerman.
”Ada slogan menarik di lembaga ini,” katanya. Kira-kira demikian, ”Alokasikan uang
yang banyak untuk riset, maka riset akan memberikan uang yang lebih banyak.”
Pada April 2007, setelah melalui verifikasi dinas ketenagakerjaan setempat, dia
diterima di BAM. ”Kemungkinan saya diterima di BAM karena keahlian spesifik
untuk bidang material eksplosif. Latar belakang keilmuan saya sesuai dengan
yang dicari,” katanya.
Di lingkup kerja BAM, Suhendra mengerjakan model simulasi matematik untuk
kebakaran tambang batu bara bawah tanah. Ia mengembangkan pula model
simulasi emisi gas rumah kaca yang dihasilkan dari kegiatan tambang batu
bara bawah tanah.
”Saya mengembangkan simulasi kecepatan perambatan api pada tambang batu
bara bawah tanah,” ujarnya. Keberhasilan itu mengantar Suhendra memimpin
kerja sama Jerman-China pada 2008 di bidang penanganan kebakaran tambang
batu bara bawah tanah di China.
”Korban sekitar 6.000 jiwa per tahun terjadi di China akibat kebakaran tambang
batu bara. Saya diserahi proyek untuk kerja sama penanganan masalah ini,”
katanya.
Dia pun banyak hadir dalam forum ilmiah China untuk menyebarkan ilmu
penanganan dan pencegahan kebakaran tambang batu bara bawah tanah.
Belakangan, Suhendra beranjak pada kegiatan urban minning yang secara
harfiah bisa diartikan menambang di kawasan urban atau kota.
Menambang di kota tak ubahnya dengan kegiatan memulung, yaitu menghasilkan
uang dari limbah yang terbuang. Menurut Suhendra, konsep urban minning tak
sesederhana proses daur ulang. Urban minning mempersyaratkan teknologi lebih
rumit dibandingkan dengan sekadar proses daur ulang.
Ia mencontohkan bagaimana memulihkan komponen vital dan paling berbahaya
kadmium bagi lingkungan dari proses industri sel surya. ”Di Uni Eropa, urban
minning memanfaatkan pula limbah logam seperti aluminium dan besi, juga
kegiatan produksi fosfor dari limbah kotoran manusia.”
Pada 2008 Uni Eropa sempat kekurangan fosfor untuk bahan utama pupuk. Suhendra
 lalu mengembangkan rekayasa pengolahan limbah kotoran manusia secara lebih
optimal untuk meningkatkan produksi fosfor.
Seperti di Jerman, limbah kotoran manusia disalurkan ke sebuah penampungan.
Ini memudahkan pengolahannya. Limbah juga dijadikan biogas.
Tahun 2009, BAM menugasinya memimpin proyek Sustainable and Safe Re-use
of Municipal Sewage Sludge for Nutrient Recovery (Susan). Ini proyek penanganan
berbagai limbah industri di kota, yang juga bisa diimplementasikan di Indonesia
yang sumbernya berlimpah. (*/Kompas Cetak)