Young People Key in Making Australia-Indonesia Ties Prosper

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/young-people-key-in-making-australia-indonesia-ties-prosper/
By Bede Moore, Chris Urbanski & Karina Akib on 12:34 pm Aug 23, 2013

For the Australia-Indonesia relationship to prosper in the Asian Century, young people from both countries must play a role. Strong people-to-people links at the youth level are vital to the future of our bilateral relations.

Luckily, a small cadre of culturally aware, bilaterally engaged youth already exist, and their efforts are helping to maintain and strengthen this critical relationship. But more must be done.

These emerging leaders will ultimately shape the state of relations in the years ahead. Already, they bring a valuable – and different – perspective to the big issues.

Their view of the relationship is less informed by the difficulties of the past than it is by the opportunities of the future. It is forward facing: they look towards the Asian Century and hope to benefit from the collective advantages this era could yield.

These young people know that the Australia-Indonesia relationship has weathered a good share of ups and downs.

How both sides talk excitedly about Australia’s involvement in the Indonesian independence movement, and with less enthusiasm about what happened in East Timor.

They hold fond memories of community and cooperation forged in the wake of the tsunami, or of our shared successes against terrorism, but bicker about boats and beef. They would rather they were memories too.

Fortunately, due to hard work in Jakarta and Canberra, our bilateral relations have reached a high ebb in the last few years.

We enjoy warm government-to-government relations, growing economic ties (two-way trade was almost $15 billion in 2011-12 up 8.3% on last year) and, according to David Hurley in the Strategic Review, an Indonesian Journal, our militaries are even talking about a strategic partnership.

Nevertheless, surveys in both countries show a mixed bag of perceptions. Some are positive, some less so.

Cross-border investment, whether in terms of commerce or in cross-cultural education, still falls a long way short of our aspirations.

Both our commercial and cultural landscapes still remain deeply foreign to the majority of our populations.

Nobody said it more clearly than Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono before his address to the Australian Parliament in 2010.

“Even in the age of cable television and internet, there are Australians who still see Indonesia as an authoritarian country, as a military dictatorship, as a hotbed of Islamic extremism or even as an expansionist power.

“On the other hand, in Indonesia there are people who remain afflicted with Australiaphobia — those who believe that the notion of White Australia still persists, that Australia harbors ill intention toward Indonesia and is either sympathetic to or supports separatist elements in our country.”

Our culturally aware young people know it is true.

This year the Australia-Indonesia Youth Association surveyed 250 Indonesia-engaged young Australians. The results were revealing. Young people believe cultural misunderstanding is the single greatest impediment to an improved bilateral relationship.

They believe that cultural-exchange initiatives are the most valuable experiences in deepening the collective understanding of each other. They are on the same wavelength as Yudhoyono.

It is only through shared bilateral experiences that young people can play a role in finding answers to other pressing questions facing the relationship: How can we work together to best navigate the challenges, and capture the benefits, created by the dynamic growth of our region? How can we, as young people, influence and change the relationship for the better? 

How do we move beyond our cultural misconceptions to build a common, broad-based understanding?

It is vital that young people have a voice in answering these questions. Yes, they are the future.

Statistically speaking, they are also the majority – 50 percent of Indonesians are under the age of 30. They are the ones who will bring cross-cultural experiences to the boardroom, in ways that ASX leaders have not.

And so we need to provide them with the opportunities to engage with one another, across borders, and led by the elders of the relationship who can point them to the successes and the mistakes.

In October the Australia Indonesia Youth Association will hold its inaugural bilateral conference, the Conference of Australian and Indonesian Youth or Causindy.

Fifteen delegates aged 21 – 35 from each country will come to Canberra to discuss the key issues affecting our bilateral relationship and offer their suggestions on where we should go from here: it’s our turn to decide.

Bede Moore, Chris Urbanski and Karina Akib are directors in the Australia-Indonesia Youth Association, and are responsible for the Conference of Australian and Indonesian Youth, which will be held in Canberra in October, 2013.

on Jokowi

Megawati dan Deklarasi Marunda

http://indonesiasatu.kompas.com/read/2014/03/15/1015554/megawati.dan.deklarasi.marunda

Oleh: SUKARDI RINAKIT

KOMPAS.com - SAYA terharu dengan jiwa besar Megawati Soekarnoputri, Ketua Umum PDI-P. Kini terbukti sudah bahwa Megawati memang anak biologis dan ideologis Bung Karno. 

Bukan kekuasaan untuk diri sendiri yang direngkuh, melainkan nasib bangsa Indonesia.

Sebagai ibu, demi harapan terwujudnya Indonesia Raya, Megawati selama ini bekerja dalam diam. Ia membesut para kader muda PDI-P, mengonsolidasi partai, serta menerima kritikan dan ejekan lawan politik tanpa berkata-kata. Hingga Jumat 14 Maret 2014, ia akhirnya mengeluarkan perintah harian yang berwibawa dan terasa sakral karena ditulis dengan tangan.

”Saya Ketua Umum Partai Demokrat Indonesia Perjuangan. Kepada seluruh rakyat Indonesia yang mempunyai mata hati keadilan dan kejujuran di mana pun kalian berada! Dukung Bapak Joko Widodo sebagai capres dari Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan. Jaga dan amankan jalannya pemilu legislatif–terutama di TPS-TPS dan proses penghitungan yang berjalan dari segala bentuk kecurangan dan intimidasi, teguh dan tegarkan hati dalam mengawal demokrasi di Republik Indonesia tercinta.”

Makna kultural

Perintah harian itu segera disambut oleh rakyat dengan kegembiraan dan rasa syukur. Keikhlasan Megawati menggendong dan menuntun Joko Widodo alias Jokowi untuk menyeberang jalan dengan selamat membuktikan bahwa sebagai pribadi Megawati memang sudah ”duduk” (resolved).

Ia ibarat bunga bakung dan matahari, selalu meneduhi dan memberi energi bagi terwujudnya Indonesia Raya yang ditegakkan dengan ketiga pilar Trisakti Bung Karno (berdaulat secara politik, berdikari di bidang ekonomi, dan berkepribadian dalam kebudayaan).

Dengan konstruksi seperti itu, ambisi politik Megawati sejatinya bukan lagi sekadar urusan kontestasi kekuasaan dan hak-hak istimewa politik dan ekonomi, melainkan menyaksikan rakyat Indonesia bisa mesem (tersenyum). Cukup pangan, sandang, papan, serta biaya pendidikan dan kesehatan yang terjangkau. Apalagi jika rakyat bisa gemuyu (tertawa).

Maknanya, selain kebutuhan dasar tersebut, mereka juga mempunyai tabungan dan bisa piknik. Pendeknya, dalam batas-batas tertentu, secara teoretis Megawati boleh disebut sudah post-materialist.

Sementara itu, di rumah panggung yang dulunya milik si Pitung di Marunda, Jakarta Utara, Jokowi, yang mendapat mandat dari Megawati Soekarnoputri, dengan santun mendeklarasikan diri sebagai calon presiden dari PDI-P.

Secara kultural, Deklarasi Marunda tersebut penuh makna. Salah satunya adalah kuatnya narasi perjuangan untuk menegakkan keadilan, membebaskan diri dari kemiskinan dan ketakutan, serta menggalang keberanian dan optimisme bersama.

Ini berkaitan dengan kondisi Marunda yang selama ini terbelit kekumuhan dan suara-suara kemiskinan. Jokowi berkehendak bukan saja membebaskan beban berat mereka, melainkan juga seluruh bangsa Indonesia.

Komunikasi politik kultural

Merenungkan hal tersebut, saya teringat kata-kata Emak, 18 Agustus 2013. Katanya, pada saat yang tepat, Megawati pasti akan mengumumkan Jokowi sebagai calon presiden. Sejatinya, Megawati perasaannya halus dan bisa membaca ”tanah punya mau” (gerak sejarah).

Lebih dari itu, Emak juga mengatakan, menurut gugon tuhon (kepercayaan) orang-orang tua dulu, Raja Jayabaya dari Kerajaan Kadiri pernah menulis dalam bukunya yang berjudul Musasar.

Salah satu isinya: ”Pada suatu masa nanti bekas kerajaan Majapahit akan lebih adil dan makmur apabila dipimpin oleh anak yang lahir di dekat Gunung Lawu, rumahnya pinggir sungai, masa kecilnya susah tukang cari kayu, badannya kurus seperti Kresna, wataknya keras kepala seperti Baladewa, kalau memakai baju tidak pantas, ada tahi lalat di pipi kanannya, dan mempunyai pasukan yang tidak kelihatan”.

Mendengar cerita itu, saya langsung tertawa. Tanpa berpikir pun, mudah ditebak, ilustrasi tersebut mirip dengan Jokowi. Agar Emak tidak tersinggung, penulis menahan tawa dan pura-pura batuk.

Meski penulis menekuni pendekatan budaya politik, sejauh ini bangunan teoretisnya berpijak pada sejarah kampung dan bukan gugon tuhon. Preferensi politik masyarakat ditentukan oleh lingkungan tempat dia dibesarkan. Mereka yang tumbuh di lingkungan pertanian padi, misalnya, mempunyai preferensi politik berbeda dengan mereka yang tumbuh di perkebunan tebu.

Alam bawah sadar masyarakat yang tumbuh di lingkungan pertanian padi secara umum lebih percaya pada klenik. Mungkin karena terlalu banyak upacara tradisional di sini.

Sebaliknya, mereka yang tumbuh di perkebunan tebu lebih terikat pada ideologi. Ini bisa dilihat dari sejarah republik di mana pemberontakan komunis umumnya terjadi di daerah perkebunan, terutama perkebunan tebu. Konflik kelas antara petani dan pihak pabrik (tebu) menjadi medan sosialisasi ideologi kritis bagi mereka yang tumbuh di lingkungan tersebut.

Akan tetapi, setelah Deklarasi Marunda ini saya berpikir dari kacamata komunikasi politik kultural. Jika ibu saya saja meyakini gugon tuhon itu, berapa banyak orang Jawa yang juga mempercayainya?

Terlepas dari kontroversi yang mungkin timbul, apabila hal itu dikapitalisasi secara tepat, ia bisa menjadi mesin optimisme. Orang akan bersedia bekerja keras, prihatin, hidup sederhana, membangun, dan bergotong-royong mengikuti panduan Jokowi.

Hormat saya kepada Megawati Soekarnoputri!

SUKARDI RINAKIT, Peneliti Senior Soegeng Sarjadi Syndicate

Jenderal Purnawirawan TNI dan Polri [Mulai] Rapatkan Barisan Untuk Jokowi

http://politik.kompasiana.com/2014/03/15/jenderal-purnawirawan-tni-dan-polri-mulai-rapatkan-barisan-untuk-jokowi-638750.html

Masih ingat pra-jelang-selama kampanye Pilpres 2004 dan 2009;!? ketika itu, tak sedikit mantan petinggi TNI dan Polri, para purnawirawan bintang di bahu, merapatkan barisan, dan dengan satu nada mendukung Kandidat Presiden (yang kebetulan juga mantan Jenderal). Pada waktu itu, walau mantan para bintang tersebut sudah tak punya anak buah, namun kharisma mereka masih berpengaruh pada keluarga TNI dan POlri yang masih aktif.

Akibatnya, hasil Pilpres 2014 dan 2014, sedikit tertebak, ada banyak limpahan suara dari Kelg Besar TNI/Polri kepada Kandidat yang didukung oleh Para Purnawiran Jenderal TNI/Polri, (walaupun setelah yang didukung mereka menjadi Presiden, cuma segelintir dari purnawirawan tersebut yang masuk ke/dalam lingkaran kekuasaan).
Kini, 2014, dalam hitungan jam, ketika Joko Widodo dijadikan Kandidat Presiden oleh tuntutan publik dan disetujui PDIP, para Jenderal Purnawirawan TN/Polri pun menyampikan dukungan mereka. Para purnawirawan Jenderal TNI dan Polri mengapresiasi pencapresan Jokowi. Mereka adalah

1. Jenderal TNI (Purn) Luhut B. Pandjaitan


2. Jenderal TNI (Purn) Wismoyo Arismunandar


3. Jenderal TNI (Purn) Subagio HS


4. Jenderal TNI (Purn) Fachrul Razi


5. Letjen TNI (Purn) Yunus Yosfiah


6. Letjen TNI (Purn) Sumardi


7. Letjen TNI (Purn) Johny Lumintang


8. Letjen TNI (Purn) Agus Widjojo


9. Letjen (Purn) Abdul Muis


10. Mayjen TNI (Purn) Syamsir Siregar


11. Mayjen TNI (Purn) Samsudin


12. Mayjen TNI (Purn) Zainal Abidin


13. Mayjen TNI (Purn) Suadiatma


14. Mayjen TNI (Purn) Heriyono


15. Mayjen TNI (Purn) Zul Effendi Syarif


16. Laksamana Muda (Purn) Handoko


17. Irjen Pol (Purn) Bibit Samad Rianto


18. Mayjen TNI (Purn) Heriyadi


19. Marsekal muda (Purn) Sonny Rinjani


20. Brigjen TNI (Purn) Paulus Prananto


21. Brigjen TNI (Purn) Eddy Kustiwa


22. Letjen TNI (Purn) Sintong Pandjaitan

Jenderal TNI (Purn) Luhut B Pandjaitan, mewakili rekan-rekannya, menyatakan, “Saya dan teman-teman purnawiran yang lain mengapresiasi langkah yang diambil Bu Mega. Ini merupakan langkah yang sangat baik untuk kemajuan bangsa. Teman-teman yang lain beberapa akan setuju dengan kami, …” (detik.com).

Walaupun mereka, para mantan Jenderal tersebut, cuma menyatakanmengapresiasi, namun itu bisa terbaca sebagai dukungan dari mereka (sama halnya dengan Pilpres 2004 dan 2009,  para mantan Jenderal juga cuma apresiasi pencapresan SBY). Dan hal tersebut, entah mau disebut apresiasi atau dukungan, bisa menjadi atau terbaca publik bahwa Jokowi mendapat restu dan dukungan dari para Jenderal Purnawirawan TNI dan Polri.

Sama-halnya dengan bibi sayur yang tadi mampir di depan rumah, ketika ditanya, Pak Jokowi mangke nyalonkan dadi Preiden, Mbo milih mboten!? Jawabnya sederhana, Pasti milih; kulo saking Jawi Tengah, se’durung e sampun ngertos Pak Jokowi, pasti ingin Pak Jakowi Presiden(Pasti memilih; saya dari Jawa Tengah, sebelumnya sudah mengenal Pak Jokowi. pasti ini Pak Jakowi jadi Presiden)

Dengan demikian, pupus sudah keraguan (jika masih ada pada hati) publik terhadap dukungan berbagai elemen pada pencapresan Jokoi. Bagi mereka, terutama dari strata sederhana, awam, orang kecil, Jenderal aja dukung Jokow, mengapa aku/saya tidak!?

Itu kata mereka yang kecil dan sederhana; bagaimana dengan anda!? Tentu saja anda punya pilihan sendiri.

Nah ….!!!

We were Us : Keith Urban & Miranda Lambert

)

A giant virus emerged from Siberia's melting permafrost and came back to life

http://www.slate.com/articles/video/video/2014/03/giant_virus_revived_pithovirus_comes_back_to_life_from_melting_siberian.html
by Paca Thomas

Forget Google Earth - this app gives unprecedented access to space satellites that monitor everything from forest fires to sea life

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2572972/Forget-Google-Earth-app-gives-unprecedented-access-space-satellites-monitor-forest-fires-sea-life.html
By ELLIE ZOLFAGHARIFARD


Massachusetts-based group Raytheon has created the free VIIRS View app to give users a glimpse into the type of data meteorologists use every day

Google Earth has allowed us to view the world in a new way by exploring our planet’s landmarks from the comfort of our desks.

But if zooming in on the Taj Mahal isn’t exciting enough, then this app could provide a glimpse into the dynamic processes shaping Earth.

Created by Raytheon, the free VIIRS app provides a similar functionality to Google Earth with the addition of data from advanced weather satellites.

From forest fires to tiny phytoplankton in the world's water, the weather satellites help provide a picture of the state of the Earth.

Dubbed VIIRS View, the app provides images in countless combinations of visible light imagery, low-light night-time imagery and concentrations of ocean chlorophyll.

Using the app, users can sweep over storm patterns emerging above Antarctica or zoom in on fishing fleets lined up off the coast of Japan at night.

This data has, up until now, only been easily accessible to data meteorologists and climatologists who use every day to track the weather and monitor the Earth’s environment.

Dubbed VIIRS View, the app provides images in countless combinations of visible light imagery, low-light night-time imagery and concentrations of ocean chlorophyll. Pictured here is Europe under low light

A screenshot of the app showing chlorophyll concentrations in the U.S. Higher chlorophyll concentrations are shown in red then yellow, while lower concentrations are in yellow and blue

WHAT DOES VIIRS SHOW?

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a scanning radiometer.

It collects visible and infrared imagery of the land, atmosphere, cryosphere, and oceans. 

Among other things, the data is used to measure cloud and aerosol properties, ocean color, sea and land surface temperature, ice motion and temperature and fires.

Raytheon’s VIIRS View app provides a glimpse into the type of data meteorologists and climatologists use every day.

All of the data was generated by the Raytheon-built Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer (VIIRS) Suite currently flying aboard the NOAA/NASA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) spacecraft.

Suomi NPP orbits the Earth approximately 14 times each day, covering virtually the entire surface of the planet in each 24-hour period.

Users can change the levels of each dataset by adjusting the bars under tiny globes at the bottom of the screen. They can zoom in by clicking, or get more information by selecting the ‘i’ icon.

The first globe on the left changes the settings for visible light imagery which is essential for understanding the state of our global environment.

Beyond the land masses and oceans, the most obvious daylight feature is cloud coverage, which can help predict the path and intensity of storms.

On the far right, a globe can be spun to change setting for night time images.

Since the launch of Suomi NPP in 2011, scientists have been using this data more and more to track weather around the clock, providing for more accurate, and more timely, forecasts.

Users can change the levels of each dataset by adjusting the bars under tiny globes at the bottom of the screen. They can zoom in by clicking, or get more information by selecting the 'i' icon

Pictured is the Korean peninsula in low light view. This image shows how the south is consumed in light, while the north is almost completely dark

Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a scanning radiometer currently orbiting in space

It’s also proved valuable for disaster monitoring and response teams who can, for instance, assess the extent of regional power outages using night time images.

The central globe adjusts the levels of chlorophyll concentration which provides an indication of phytoplankton in the oceans, seas, lakes and river.

Phytoplankton are single-celled algae and other plant-like organisms that, like plants on land, use chlorophyll to create photosynthesis.

Finely tuned space sensors like VIIRS are able to detect chlorophyll in the water because of the unique way it reflects and absorbs sunlight.

By mapping the amount and location of phytoplankton, scientists gain valuable insight into the cyclical evolution of the ocean environment.

VIIRS View is currently available for Mac and PC users. Mobile device versions are coming soon. It can be downloaded here.

A view of chlorophyll concentrations around Australia. VIIRS View is currently available for Mac and PC users. Mobile device versions are coming soon

Forget Waterworld - this amazing floating city could use freshwater from melting icebergs to generate power and grow its own food

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2573717/Forget-Waterworld-amazing-floating-city-uses-freshwater-melting-icebergs-generate-power-grow-food-farm.html
By ELLIE ZOLFAGHARIFARD


Arctic Harvester makes use of the abundance of fresh-water icebergs by capturing them with its circular shape. It then uses their nutrient-rich water to grow crops

HOW ARCTIC HARVESTER WORKS

Arranged in a circular form, the Arctic Harvester floats on the water and delivers icebergs into its central bay.

Here, freshwater from the iceberg goes to hydroponic greenhouses to grow fruit and vegetables, which are then delivered to towns along the coast.

Solar panels would provide power for both plants and people during the long summer days.

Meanwhile an osmotic system, which generates power from a combination of saltwater and freshwater, fills in any energy gaps to power the community.

Glaciers are melting at unprecedented speeds and the problem is only getting worse.

But while policy makers are left scratching their heads, a group of French students believe they have come up with a Waterworld-type solution to make use of the nutrient-rich water.

Their concept, dubbed Arctic Harvester, envisions the creation of large villages and towns that float around the Arctic while ‘eating’ icebergs.

They hope the floating hydroponic communities will help grow local food for Greenland, which currently ships in almost all of its produce from overseas. 

‘The floating facility is equipped to house a community of 800 people, inspired in its compact urban form by vertically oriented, bayside Greenlandic villages,’ wrote Meriem Chabani, a student at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture Paris Malaquais.

They hope the floating hydroponic communities will help grow local food for Greenland, which currently ships in almost all of its produce from overseas. 

‘The floating facility is equipped to house a community of 800 people, inspired in its compact urban form by vertically oriented, bayside Greenlandic villages,’ wrote Meriem Chabani, a student at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture Paris Malaquais.

The team hope the floating hydroponic communities will help grow local food for Greenland, which currently ships in almost all of its produce from overseas

The circular structure would have room to house 800 people. The largest area is dedicated to collecting water from icebergs. Equipment to transfer the crops to local towns is also stored on board

Arranged in a circular form, the Arctic Harvester floats on the water and delivers icebergs into its central bay.

Here, freshwater from the iceberg goes to hydroponic greenhouses to grow fruit and vegetables, which are then delivered to towns along the coast.

‘The central bay is thus the heart of the Harvester’s agricultural process, the centre of its sustainable energy production, as well as an ice garden, offering social spaces and floating communal greenhouses for use by the inhabitants,’ said Ms Chabani.

The propeller-less Arctic Harvester would drift with the currents that carry the icebergs, often circling the ocean currents between Greenland and the coast of Labrador.

The propeller-less Arctic Harvester would drift with the currents that carry the icebergs, often circling the ocean currents between Greenland and the coast of Labrador

Solar panels on the outer circular structure would provide power for both plants and people during the long summer days (left) The right image shows the view of the bay from inside the floating town

Shaped in the circular form of a traditional local village, the harvester floats on the water and gathers melting icebergs into a central bay

Solar panels would provide power for both plants and people during the long summer days.

Meanwhile an osmotic system, which generates power from a combination of saltwater and freshwater, fills in any energy gaps to power the community.

Last year, the concept won first prize in the ‘Innovation and Architecture for the Sea’ category of the Jacques Rougerie Foundation International Architecture Competition.

The team is now working with Polarisk Analytics, a London-based consultancy that works in polar regions, to develop their idea further.

The Paris-based team is now working with Polarisk Analytics, a London-based consultancy that works in polar regions, to develop their idea further

Beras Cerdas

Mau tahu 'beras cerdas' dari Jember?

http://www.tempo.co/read/news/2011/07/04/095344668/Mau-tahu-beras-cerdas-dari-Jember

TEMPO.CO, Jember - Seorang dosen dan peneliti Fakultas Teknologi Pertanian (FTP) Universitas Jember (Unej), Ir. Achmad Subagio, MAgr. Ph.D, berhasil menciptakan beras tiruan dari ubi kayu atau ketela. Dalam waktu dekat, beras tiruan itu akan diujicobakan kepada masyarakat di sejumlah kabupaten di Jawa Timur. "Kami bekerja sama dengan Badan Ketahanan Pangan (BKP) Jawa Timur," kata Subagio, Senin, 04 Juli 2011.

Beras tiruan pengganti beras asli itu, kata dia, secara resmi akan diluncurkan kepada publik pada saat peringatan Hari Pangan Sedunia bulan Oktober mendatang. Beras analog (analogue rice/mimetic rice) buatan Bagio itu, diberi nama 'Beras Cerdas'.

Doktor lulusan Osaka Prefecture University-Jepang itu mengungkapkan beras tiruan buatannya itu memiliki 'lima kecerdasan'. Pertama, cerdas dalam bahan baku, beras tiruan itu dibikin dari tepung lokal, berbahan lokal yakni Mocaf dan bahan alami lain yang bisa diperoleh atau ada di daerah di Indonesia, seperti sayuran. Kedua, cerdas dalam proses pembuatan. "Saya jamin, seperti halnya Mocaf, teknologi pembuatannya, simpel, bisa diproduksi massal oleh industri besar dan kecil seperti usaha kecil dan menengah (UKM)," katanya.

Ketiga, cerdas dalam cara memasaknya dan mempersiapkan, artinya produk itu bisa dimasak secara sederhana seperti memasak beras atau mie instan yang cukup menggunakan dengan 'rice cooker' atau panci masak. Keempat, beras itu juga cerdas dalam pemanfaatan kesehatan, dan kelima, cerdas untuk tujuan pembangunan nutrisi, eknomi dan kesejahteraan rakyat.

Untuk dua 'kecerdasan' yang terakhir itu, kata Subagio, terbukti dari hasil penelitian dan percobaannya yang saat ini sudah mencapai 95 persen. "Kita melihat peluang lain, bahwa mocaf jadi beras cerdas, itu ternyata bisa 'dimainkan',"katanya.

Artinya, beras bikinannya itu bisa dikombinasikan dengan bahan lain agar bisa sesuai atau disesuaikan dengan selera, juga kebutuhan konsumsi karbohidrat secara umum dan kebutuhan khusus. Misalnya untuk kebutuhan khusus masayarakat yang rawan gizi atau mengalami gizi buruk, beras tiruan itu ditambah dengan sumber protein, yodium dan zat besi. "Begitu juga untuk penderita kolesterol atau diabetes, autis serta ibu hamil dan menyusui, dengan mudah ditambahkan unsur yang dibutuhkan, dan diambilkan dari bahan lokal juga. "Untuk ibu hamil dan menyusui, misalnya kita tambahkan sayur katu, dan sayuran lain yang banyak mengandung asam folat," katanya memberi contoh.

Soal kandungan dan prosesnya, Subagio kembali meyakinkan bahwa semuanya terjamin higienis, organik alias alami. Karenanya, dia berani menyatakan bahwa beras cerdas itu memiliki kandungan gizi lebih daripada beras. Selain kandungan karbohidrat dari tepung mocaf, juga beras, ditambah bahan-bahan alami lain, yang mengandung protein, antioksidan, vitamin dan mineral. "Jelas begitu (lebih). Apalagi, 25 sampai 30 persen beras cerdas ini bahannya juga dari beras padi,"katanya.

Sejauh ini uji coba secara laborat, mahasiswa dan dosen menyatakan tidak ada masalah dengan cita rasa beras tiruan itu. Cita rasanya khas, tidak ada aroma dan rasa ubi kayu atau ketela. Dan yang penting, mampu mengenyangkan seperti habis mengkonsumsi nasi dari beras.

Saat Tempo mencicipi beras cerdas yang sudah matang, rasanya mirip seperti mengkonsumsi nasi ketan. Terasa sedikit 'lengket' di gigi saat mengunyah. Namun tetap gurih dan terasa hambar seperti makan nasi putih atau nasi jagung tanpa lauk. Ketika uap makanan itu diendus, sama sekali tak tercium aroma ketela atau singkong.

Bentuk 'beras cerdas' itu, sejauh ini diakui memang belum 100 persen sama persis dengan beras dari gabah yang telah digiling atau dikelupas kulitnya. Secara fisik, beras timan itu mirip pelet yang biasa dijadikan pakan ternak atau ikan."Kami sedang menunggu penyelesaian alat yang dibuat rekan dari Universitas Brawijaya, agar bentuknya nanti mirip atau menyamai beras asli,"kata Subagio.

Setelah nanti diproduksi secara massal, berapa harga beras tiruan itu? Dosen dan peneliti senior Fakultas Pertanian Unej itu, menjamin setara dengan harga beras. Setelah menghitung komponen mocaf, beras, dan ongkos produksi, beras cerdas untuk konsumsi umum, katanya, bisa dilepas dengan harga sekitar Rp 6 ribu per kilogram, atau setara dengan beras jenis medium. Namun untuk kebutuhan khusus, bisa lebih dari itu, misalnya untuk penderita autis, dan diabetes," katanya.

Subagio optimistis, gagasan yang akan diwujudkan bersama DKP Jawa Timur itu, akan bisa diproduksi dan diterima masyarakat luas.

Mahbub Djunaidy

Beras Cerdas dari Singkong

http://bisniskeuangan.kompas.com/read/2013/01/02/02350796/Beras.Cerdas.dari.Singkong

Walau di sekitar rumahnya banyak tertanam singkong, Jatima (46) alias B Saiful, warga Dusun Sembilangan, Desa Panduman, Kecamatan Jelbuk, Kabupaten Jember, Jawa Timur, mengaku belum pernah merasakan nikmatnya makan nasi dari beras cerdas. Padahal, bahan baku beras cerdas berasal dari singkong, tetapi rasanya menyerupai nasi dari olahan padi.

Jatima dan 50 orang lebih warga Desa Panduman, pekan lalu, bersama Kepala Desa Panduman Hj Murtini, Rektor Universitas Jember Moh Hasan, dosen Fakultas Teknologi Pertanian, Ahmad Subagio, serta Kepala Bidang Penganekaragaman Konsumsi Pangan Badan Ketahanan Pangan (BKP) Jawa Timur Apriyanto mengakui rasa nasi dari beras cerdas sangat enak. Warga yang merasakan nasi itu pun tak mengira, bahan baku beras tersebut dari singkong.

Sebagian besar warga beranggapan beras cerdas seperti nasi tiwul atau rasa gaplek. Namun, ternyata rasanya lebih enak daripada nasi dari padi beras untuk keluarga miskin (raskin). ”Jauh bedanya jika dibandingkan dengan beras pembagian. Rasa nasi dari beras cerdas ini tak kalah dari rasa nasi beras pulen,” kata Jatima.

Saat itu, mereka merasakan menu nasi cerdas dengan berbagai lauk yang disediakan di Balai Desa Panduman, seperti ikan asin goreng, orem-orem, sambal terasi, kerupuk, rempeyek, dan pepes tongkol. ”Lebih enak lagi kalau nasi cerdas dibuat nasi goreng dan diberi sosis. Lebih nikmat daripada nasi goreng dengan bahan baku beras,” kata Murtini. Kepala Desa Panduman itu pun tidak segan-segan mengundang warganya belajar memasak beras cerdas dengan aneka resep.

Teknologi cerdas

Beras cerdas adalah beras restrukturisasi dari beragam bahan baku, alami, dan asli Indonesia. Beras ini diproses dengan teknologi yang cerdas sehingga lebih bergizi dan lezat. Ahmad Subagio mengatakan, beras cerdas memiliki beberapa konsep. Pertama, cerdas dalam bahan baku karena beras itu dikonstruksikan dari tepung lokal modified cassava flour (mocaf) atau tepung singkong. Bahan baku juga bisa disesuaikan dengan kekayaan pangan daerah.

Kedua, cerdas dalam proses karena beras itu diproses dengan teknologi yang bertingkat dari rendah hingga tinggi. Jadi, bisa diproduksi dengan peralatan yang bisa dibuat sendiri oleh warga. Ketiga, cerdas dalam cara masak karena dapat dimasak dengan cara sederhana, seperti kebiasaan orang Indonesia dalam mengolah beras. Keempat, cerdas dalam pemanfaatan bagi kesehatan. Bahan baku yang cerdas itu bisa disesuaikan untuk target spesifik kesehatan tertentu, seperti mengatasi malanutrisi.

”Beras cerdas yang dimasak secara tradisional menghasilkan nasi dengan rasa, aroma, warna, dan ketampakan yang lebih disukai daripada yang dimasak dengan rice cooker,” kata Ahmad Subagio.

Beras cerdas ditemukan tim peneliti di Universitas Jember saat mengolah mocaf tahun 2004. Penelitian lanjutan membuktikanmocaf bisa digunakan sebagai bahan sumber pangan pokok, yaitu beras cerdas. Caranya dengan mencampurkan mocaf, jagung, protein susu, dan bahan tambahan untuk meningkatkan kandungan protein dan sifat fungsionalnya. Saat ini, bekerja sama dengan BKP pusat, Kementerian Pertanian dan BKP Jawa Timur mendirikan empat pabrik model, masing-masing berkapasitas dua ton per hari di Kabupaten Jember, Ponorogo, dan Blitar, Jawa Timur.

Beras cerdas diperkenalkan kepada warga di Jawa Timur melalui program peningkatan kesejahteraan masyarakat, dengan sasaran keluarga miskin. Di Kecamatan Jelbuk dan Sumber Baru, Jember, setiap keluarga sasaran menerima bantuan BKP sebanyak 10 kilogram beras cerdas. Ini bukan pengganti raskin.

Mewakili warganya, Murtini mengaku keberatan jika harga beras cerdas Rp 7.000 per kilogram (kg). ”Apabila harga beras cerdas Rp 5.000/kg, mungkin rakyat kami banyak yang membeli,” kata dia lagi.

Ahmad Subagio mengakui, harga beras cerdas bagi warga pedesaan memang masih berat. Masalahnya pada bahan baku. Tepung singkong sekarang mencapai Rp 4.000/kg. Setelah diproses, harga pokok beras cerdas menjadi Rp 6.500/kg. ”Harga singkong sudah tinggi karena pemerintah tak mendorong masyarakat menanam singkong. Apalagi kini Indonesia mengimpor singkong pula,” keluhnya. (syamsul hadi)

Beras Cerdas

http://ariewidayanti.blogspot.com/2013/04/beras-cerdas.html

Beberapa waktu lalu saya mendapat undangan Sosialisasi Beras Cerdas dari Managemen sebuah perusahaan BUMN, yang bekerjasama dengan Badan Ketahanan Pangan Jawa Timur. Langsung saja muncul tanya di benak saya. Beras Cerdas ? apa pula ini. Apakah beras varian baru, yang kalau dikonsumsi bisa meningkatkan kecerdasan? Atau apa? Penasaran mode on..

Berbekal rasa itu, saya pun menghadiri  acara tersebut keesokan harinya. Dan...setelah penjabaran  oleh Bapak Achmad Subagio, PhD - penemu komposisi beras cerdas- saya pun jadi ngeh. O....gitu toh maksudnya...

Begini sodara-sodara.. Sebenarnya acara ini adalah follow up dari Gerakan Percepatan Penganekaragaman Konsumsi Pangan -topik ini sudah saya publish dengan judul Jangan Makan Nasi! - . 

Nah, sebagai salah satu upaya untuk menyediakan bahan alternatif pengganti beras, maka pemerintah bekerjasama dengan pihak-pihak terkait. Melalui serangkaian penelitian dan eksperimen, akhirnya ditemukan sebuah komposisi yang dinamakan BERAS CERDAS.

Beras cerdas ternyata bukanlah sebuah varian baru dari padi. Ini adalah beras analog alias beras "jadi-jadian". What?.. Ya, bukan beras betulan. Makin penasaran kan?

Jadi..sebenarnya "beras" ini dibuat dari perpaduan beberapa komponen  yang mampu memenuhi kebutuhan gizi kita. Seperti tepung cassava , tepung beras modifikasi, sayuran, minyak sawit, dan beberapa bahan lain. Bahan-bahan tersebut di mix dan dicetak hingga berbentuk mirip butiran beras. 
Lantas mengapa diberi embel-embel nama "cerdas"?
Jawabannya, karena : 

cerdas bahan baku 

Komposisi utamanya adalah tepung cassava yang berasal dari singkong. Singkong merupakan tumbuhan asli Indonesia yang mudah ditanam, di hampir semua daerah di Indonesia. Minim biaya perawatan pula..

cerdas proses

Diproses dengan teknologi yang mudah dan murah, sehingga dapat diproduksi dengan peralatan yang sederhana.

cerdas cara memasak

Cara memasaknya praktis. Cukup disiram air panas, tunggu sampai air terserap. Kemudian kukus selama 10 menit. Mateng deh..

ini nih penampakan si beras cerdas

Selain cerdas-cerdas di atas, masih ada beberapa kelebihan beras ini :

• Kandungan protein, serat, vitamin dan mineralnya lebih tinggi
• Bebas gluten
• Kadar gula lebih rendah
• Terdiri dari 5 varian. Yaitu : reguler, Fortifikasi (bisa ditambahkan zat-zat tertentu yang dibutuhkan), untuk anak masa pertumbuhan, penderita kolesterol dan diabet.
• Bisa diolah menjadi aneka makanan seperti beras biasa. Misalnya, nasi uduk, nasi goreng, dsb.

Menarik  kan?... Trus gimana dengan rasanya? 

Dengan semangat empat lima, sayapun mencicipi nasi cerdas yang disajikan bersama sayur lodeh rebung, oseng jambal pedas, tahu tempe bacem, plus otak-otak bandeng. Hhmmm..nyam nyam...

Teksturnya pulen seperti nasi biasa. Rasanya ... ada sedikit aroma dan rasa khas olahan singkong. Agak-agak apek gitu. But..so far masih ok kok. Cuma, mungkin kalo untuk lidah anak-anak, kayaknya butuh pembiasaan yang lebih lama.

Anyway..salut deh sama tim yang membidani lahirnya beras cerdas ini. Semoga bisa menjadi sumber pangan alternatif. 

Ayo!!! siapa mau coba?

Honour in the skies: The day a chivalrous German flying ace saluted a crippled US bomber and let them fly to safety instead of shooting them down

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2245472/Amazing-tale-WWII-pilots-encounter-German-flying-ace-saluted-American-plane-let-fly-safely-instead-shooting-down.html

The bombing mission targeting a German munitions factory had been a success, but Second World War pilot Charlie Brown's attempts to get home safely seemed doomed to failure.

His B-17F bomber had been attacked by no fewer than 15 planes - leaving one of his crew dead and six wounded; 2nd Lt Brown himself had been knocked out and regained consciousness just in time to right his plane after it went into a dangerous nose dive. 

But as he tried to return from the raid on Bremen to the safety of Allied territory after the mission on December 20, 1943, the danger was not over.

Brown soon had another major concern: a German plane was flying directly next to his own - so close that the pilot was looking him directly in the eyes and making big gestures with his hands that only scared Brown more.

Mercy: Charlie Brown (left) was the lone pilot controlling an American bomber in 1943 when Franz Stigler (right) decided not to shoot at the bloodied soldier because he 'fought by the rules of humanity'

Re-enactment: The German plane came purposefully close to the American plane

The moment was fleeting however, as the German quickly saluted the American plane  - nicknamed in 'Ye Olde Pub'  - before peeling away as soon as one of Brown's men went for the gun turret to attack their enemy.

The New York Post details Brown's ensuing 40-year struggle to come to terms with why that German pilot decided to go against orders and spare the Americans - allowing him to fly and land his battered plane safely and go on to live a happy and full life following the war.

The pilot in question was Franz Stigler, a 26-year-old ace who had 22 victories to his name - needing just one more to be awarded the Knight's Cross.

But on that day, as his Bf-109 closed in on the US plane he sensed something was wrong - the enemy plane was not engaging with him; in fact, unbeknown even to Brown, the plane had lost it's tail-gun compartment and one wing was badly damaged.

As Stigler drew closer he saw the gunner covered in blood, and how part of the plane's outside had been ripped off. And he saw the wounded, terrified US airmen inside, trying to help one another tend to their injuries.

It was then he remembered the words of his commanding officer Lt Gustav Roedel. 'Honour is everything here,' he had told a young Stigler before his first mission.

The crew of the B-17F - nicknamed Ye Olde Pub - that took off on a cold, overcast winter day in Britain to target an FW-190 factory at Bremen, Germany. That mission on December 20, 1943, was 2nd Lt. Charles L. Brown's first combat mission as an aircraft commander with the 379th Bomb Group.  

Back Row (l-r)

S/Sgt Bertrand O.Coulombe - Engineer/Top Turret Gunner; Sgt Alex Yelesanko - Left Waist; Sgt Richard A. Pechout - Radio Operator; Sgt Lloyd H. Jennings - Right Waist; S/Sgt Hugh S. Eckenrode - Tail Gunner; Sgt Samuel W. Blackford - Ball Turret

2nd Lt Charles L. Brown - Pilot; 2nd Lt Spencer G. Luke - Co-Pilot; 2nd Lt Albert Sadok - Navigator; 2nd Lt Robert M. Andrews - Bombardier  

The senior airman added: 'If I ever see or hear of you shooting at a man in a parachute, I will shoot you down myself.

'You follow the rules of war for you - not for your enemy. You fight by rules to keep your humanity.'

His moral compass was more powerful than his need for glory.

'For me it would have been the same as shooting at a parachute, I just couldn't do it,' Stigler later said.

He ended up escorting them for several miles out over the North Sea. But he feared that if he was seen flying so close to the enemy without engaging, he could be accused - and doubtless found guilty - of treason.

And when he saw a German gun turret looming into view he realised he had to make a decision. Meanwhile, the US crew had begun to train a gun on him.

Stigler made his decision, he saluted his counterpart, motioned for him to fly away from German territory and pulled away.

Flying aces: A specially-commissioned painting to mark the moment Franz Stigler's humanity and compassion allowed Charlie Brown to steer his plane to safety

Honoring past moves: Brown and Stigler met with then-Florida governor Jeb Bush in 2001

SUCCESSFUL MISSION THAT CAME SO CLOSE TO ENDING IN TRAGEDY

The bombers began their 10-minute bomb run at 27,300ft under heavy fire from anti-aircraft guns. 

Even before they had dropped their payload Brown's B-17 took hits that shattered the Plexiglas nose, knocked out the number two engine, damaged number four, and caused damage to the controls. These initial hits forced Brown to drop out of formation with his fellow bombers

Almost immediately, the solitary, struggling B-17 came under a series of attacks from 12 to 15 German Bf-109s and FW-190s.

In the ten-minute assault the number three engine was hit and oxygen, hydraulic, and electrical systems were damaged.

By tthe end of it, the planes controls were only partially responsive.

The bomber's 11 defensive guns were reduced by the extreme cold to only the two top turret guns and one forward-firing nose gun.

The tail gunner was killed and all but one of the crew in the rear incapacitated by wounds or exposure to the frigid air.

Lieutenant Brown took a bullet fragment in his right shoulder.

This was the state Stigler found the plane in, prompting his remarkable act of mercy.

The stricken B-17 did make it across 250 miles of the North Sea and landed at Seething in Norfolk.

As soon as he landed, Brown told his commanding officer about the spotting of the German soldier, but he was instructed not to tell anyone else for fear of spreading positive stories of the German enemy.

In 1987, more than 40 years after the incident, Brown - who was still traumatised by the events of that fateful day - began searching for the man who saved his life even though he had no idea whether his savior was alive, let alone where the man in question was living.

Brown bought an ad in a newsletter catering to fighter pilots, saying only that he was searching for the man 'who saved my life on Dec. 20, 1943.'

Stigler saw the ad in his new hometown of Vancouver, Canada - where he had moved after the war, unable ever to feel at home in Germany - and the two men got in touch.

'It was like meeting a family member, like a brother you haven't seen for 40 years,' Brown said at the pair's first meeting.

Stigler revealed how he had been trying to escort them to safety and had pulled away when he feared he had come under fire. He told Brown that his hand gestures where an attempt to tell him to fly to Sweden.

Their story, told in the book A Higher Call, ended in 2008 when the two men died within six months of one another, Stigler at age 92 and Brown 87.

In their obituaries, each was mentioned as the other's 'special brother'.

A B-17 bomber similar to the one flown by charlie Brown in his bombing mission over Germany