UN Connect Newsletter - May 2017

UN Connect Newsletter

What’s Inside: Page 1. Conservation Farming: New Hope in Eastern Indonesia.

Page 1. Mobile Health Boosts Immunization in Urban Slums Page 2. Lighting Up Flores Island Page 3. UNODC and Indonesia’s National Narcotics Board Promote Access to Treatment and Rehabilitation for People who Use Drugs Page 3. Youth Volunteering Innovation Challenge Workshop Page 4. Translator Gator 2: A Language Game for Disaster Management Page 4. The Millennial’s Generation and Sustainable Development Goals Page 4. International Day of UN Peacekeepers Page 5. Know Your UN, Ocean Conference

Conservation Farming: New hope in eastern of Indonesia The conservation agriculture technique has shown promising results, with maize yields on average 77% higher, when compared to conventional farming practices

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tanding near a 24-square meter cornfield in Bakiruk Village, Malaka, 35 km west of Atambua, which borders East Timor, Herman Besseran (55) cited a biblical story of Thomas who doubted Jesus’ resurrection. “I was like Thomas at that time. I could not believe it works, until I saw it with my own eyes,” he exclaimed.

MAY 2017

The Secretary at the Food Security and Extension office in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), Edgar Tibuludji, admits that the success of the pilot programme will make it easier for other farmers to adopt and replicate the method. About 1000 extension workers participated in the training of trainers and Photo caption: A farmer in a conservation agriculture cornfield. trained farmers in NTT on conservation agriculture.

A farmer since 15, Herman could not believe that the “simple” method of The Indonesia government plans conservation farming could transform to scale up the technique as part of the the dry soil he ploughed into fertile climate smart agriculture intervention ground. But, after six months working and mainstream it into agricultural with his farmer group in a conservation practices across the country to project plot, his doubts disappeared. increase corn production as part of the national food security programme.

Using the conservation farming technique, the corn leaves are lush green while the soil below is covered with bean-vines. Before the new technique, the leaves were yellow and Want to know more about the the soil below was full of weeds.

United Nations in Indonesia?

Please visit the UN in Indonesia In Nusa Tenggara province, the website at: http://www.un.or.id Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with support from local governments and NonGovernmental Organizations (NGOs), Mobile Health Boosts has introduced Conservation Immunization In Urban Slums Agriculture since 2013. Currently, the Conservation Agriculture pilot project he line curls out of the door has been introduced to 664 farmer and into the alley, where groups with around 12,783 members. dozens of mothers stand The method has maintained and even patiently, cradling newborns under the improved the quality and fertility of the early morning drizzle. soil.

Like other young mothers in this The method entails covering infertile West Jakarta slum, Eka* looks forward soil with leaves or vines, use hometo the opening of made compost and apply crop rotation. the posyandu (community-level health All simple ways yet unfamiliar for those post) each month. “At the posyandu I farmers that had relied excessively on get my baby checked and vaccinated inorganic fertilizers and burnt biomass for free,” she said. for more than 30 years.

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The UNICEF Director for East Asia Pacific, Karin Hulshof, during a visit to Indonesia learn about the challenges and achievements of UNICEF’s work in this upand-coming middle-income country of more than 250 million people.

Regional and the met Eka in April to

neighbouring East and Central Java provinces.

Community-based initiatives like this are essential to boosting low immunization coverage, according to Karin.

“The level of engagement here between mothers, health workers and government officials was

Eka lives in Eka* waits at the local health post in Cengkareng, marvelous,” she said. one of hundreds West Jakarta to take her youngest daughter for a “It is hard not to feel health check-up. (©UNICEF Indonesia/2017/Cory of informal that if all children living settlements that have sprouted up in informal settlements in Jakarta have due to accelerating rural-urban access to the kind of services here, the migration rates in Jakarta. While indicator [on low rates of immunization] these slums can be vibrant zones of will start to come up.” community life, they are typically Though grinding poverty and social poor, densely populated, and exclusion leave indelible marks, “there located near riverbanks, where was a lot of heart on display here, a lot flooding is common and sanitation of dedication to improving the is poor. community,” she added.

Eka*- Not her real name.

** Lighting Up Flores Island

Without

residency

papers,

UNICEF Regional Director Karin Hulshof wipes a tear from a child to receive a health check-up at a local health post in West Jakarta. (©UNICEF Indonesia/2017/Cory Rogers)

urban slum dwellers often cannot access essential health services like immunisation, greatly increasing the risk of disease outbreaks. Since 2015, UNICEF has been piloting a mobile health solution for boosting vaccine coverage among children aged 12 to 23 months in several Jakarta slums. Local health workers go door-to-door to register newborns using RapidPro, an interactive messaging system. In the following months, automated SMS are sent to parents to remind them to bring their children for vaccinations at the right time.

Progress is evident. Nearly 3000 infants have been reached and the programme is being replicated in

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ast Nusa Tenggara is one of the poorest provinces in Indonesia. Nearly one in three people have no access to electricity. In Manggarai, on Flores Island, 600,000 people still live in darkness. When the sun goes down, children study by a single candle and women work around the home without the safety of light. But a micro-hydro power plant has now changed the lives of hundreds of people.

effective and sustainable source of electricity for the village. While many people participated, the micro-hydro generator only managed to supply electricity to 60 households. Due to lack of resources, electrical wires from the turbine reached homes in the village by being strung on simple bamboo poles. Not only were these poles not resistant to harsh weather conditions, but there were also not enough.

“To be honest, I was so scared of the dark,” said Noberia Marini. “Before the power plant, completing my chores like cooking dinner was impossible. I am more comfortable now. If I need light no one has to go to the back of the house to turn on the generator. We feel safer.”

A partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Indonesia through the Strategic Planning and Action to Strengthen Climate Resilience of Rural Communities (SPARC) project and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, funded by Bank NTT, has expanded the reach of the micro-hydro power plant to benefit more households. The bamboo poles were replaced with 150 steel and storm-resistant poles, which connect to power 316 households, government offices, schools, health facilities and the church.

The partnership between local communities, UNDP Indonesia, Bank NTT and the Ministry of Environment, aims to continue expanding access to electricity to fully light up villages in Flores.

** DID YOU K NO W T HAT ?

The electrification has enabled student to study at night to study at night.

It started in 2013, when Father Marsel Hasan, a local pastor, led and motivated the community to fundraise for a water turbine, which was a cost

Indonesian peacekeeping forces are coordinated by a team of government and military bodies including the Ministries of Political, Legal and Security; Foreign Affairs; Defence; Law and Human Rights; Finance; National Development Planning; and the Cabinet Secretary, Army Commander, Chief of National Police and State Intelligence Agency.

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UNODC and Indonesia’s National Narcotics Board Promote Access to Treatment and Rehabilitation for People who Use Drugs

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n many countries, imprisonment is the most common form of punishment applied for criminal justice offenders.

However, the significant growth of prison population has led to overcrowding which in turn makes prisons prone to violence and abuse as well as creating a financial burden for governments.

This challenge is also faced

by Indonesia, which currently houses approximately 207,000 inmates in 485 prisons. These numbers constitute nearly one percent of the total population of the country. From the overall prison population, 83,000 inmates (40 percent) are imprisoned for drug-related offences. Most of them are drug users who were convicted for drug possession and have little access to rehabilitation as prisons are not equipped with adequate treatment and rehabilitation programmes.

Despite the challenges, the participants agreed on the need for continued efforts to strengthen and harmonize the criminal justice system’s responses for people who use drugs and the necessity for clearer guidance on responsibilities and coordination among law enforcement agencies for inmates placed in rehabilitation centres. The participants also highlighted the need for adequate infrastructure development for rehabilitation centres at the subnational level.

The recommendations from all five seminars are being compiled

by UNODC and will be used to further engage with national and international counterparts as part of UNODC and BNN’s partnership.

The Government of Indonesia recognizes that the imprisonment of people who use drugs and those with drug addiction does not provide an effective means to reduce demand and prevent

relapse after release. In an effort to strenghten responses by the criminal justice system and promote access to treatment for people who use drugs and come into contact with law enforcement, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in collaboration with the National Narcotics Board (BNN), conducted a series of seminars in five cities, Bali, Surabaya, Makassar, Medan and Jakarta, across Indonesia. As many as 216 representatives from the local National Narcotics Boards, prosecutors and courts actively participated in the

Mr. Darmawel Aswar, Director of Legal Affairs of the National Narcotics Board delivering a presentation on Indonesia’s policy on access to treatment for people who use drugs who comes into context with the criminal justice system.

social impacts and sustainable development.

Participants were accompanied by mentors to receive advice in refining their proposed ideas.

The interest and enthusiasm of the young people towards the YVIC was seen from the 75 proposals submitted to the UNV between 30 January and 5 March 2017. Twenty three participants from eight selected teams came together to Jakarta from all over Indonesia, including AsahAsihAsuh, Deafriends, IBBIeducare, Jong Jakarta, Porteeria, RobinHerb, VOSCHA, and Warung Imajinasi.

The two-day event served as a platform for information and knowledge sharing provided by guest speakers as well as the young volunteers. The guest speakers shared their knowledge and practical experience on the basics of volunteerism, volunteer management, theory of change and designing thinking, among many more topics. At the end of the workshop, three teams were selected to receive financial as well as mentorship support, while prototyping their projects.

seminars. They examined the provisions outlined in the Interministerial regulation on handling people who use drugs into rehabilitation, and discussed challenges faced by local criminal justice practitioners to implement the regulation. The seminars also provided guidance on how the relevant agencies can effectively implement the provision of the regulation.

** Youth Volunteering Innovation Challenge Workshop

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he United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Indonesia held the 2017 Youth Volunteering

Innovation Challenge (YVIC) workshop in Indonesia on 20 - 21 April, with the support of the UNV Regional Office in Bangkok and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Indonesia. With the theme "Developing Skills for Life and Work through Volunteerism", the workshop aimed to explore and support innovative volunteering activities on

The three selected teams were: Deafriends will offer sign language classes and certification for the hearing impaired to work as sign language interpreters; RobinHerb will support unemployed/school drop-out youth through creative waste recycling activities; Warung Imajinasi will develop capacities of high school students in Kertasari district to equip them with leadership and better learning skills to contribute to developing their communities.

Following one and a half monthprototyping, one final team with the strongest progress and results achieved will attend the YVIC regional workshop in Bangkok, Thailand in June 2017.

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Translator Gator 2: A Language Game for Disaster Management

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alling all word geeks across Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. Pulse Lab Jakarta is launching a language game for natural disaster management called Translator Gator. The more you play, the bigger your chances to win the prizes.

Compete with games from across the region to win return trips to Thailand and Jakarta, gift cards and many other prizes.

You can play at http://translatorgator.org where you will need to register and choose your strongest language. After that you are randomly assigned translations, synonyms, categorization and evaluation tasks for natural disaster-related words.

You will earn points for every task you will have finished. You need to collect as many points as you can by 31 July 2017.

The top two players from across 11 countries will get to visit Pulse Lab teams in Bangkok and Jakarta.

Translator Gator aims to build a repository of disaster-related keywords in local languages across the region, which can be used for computational social research to inform disaster-response.

The taxonomy or keywords will be shared with academia to this end.

By playing this game, you will also contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 13 on climate action.

For more information, please email us at plj-tg@un.or.id or follow our social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @PulseLabJakarta.

We hope you have fun!

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SDGs IN INDONESIA? Check out the SDGs Secretariat at http://www.sdgsindonesia. or.id

The Millennial’s Generation and Sustainable Development Goals

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outh and technology are inseparable. Youth today are even more connected compared to a few decades ago and they also have the capability and capacity to use the technology to promote and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) right at their fingertips.

The role of youth as agents of change in promoting, disseminating information and achieving the SDGs depends on creativity, commitment and the use of

The question to be answered is how can the youth play a pivotal role in the development of communities. The answer is easy.

Use the knowledge, skills and experiences. For instance, students majoring in community health service can share information on the importance of washing hands with soap before eating and provide simple facts on the benefits; all related to SDG 3- Good Health and Well-being. Those who have knowledge in agriculture can share with the community optional crops that are easy to grow to supplement staple foods to contribute to Goal 2Zero Hunger.

There are many other easy ways to

technology. Thus, youth need to be empowered to inspire change.

contribute to the achievement of the SDGs.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres emphasizes how youth are the vanguard of progress.

“All of you have the talent, energy and ideals to prevent conflicts, defend human rights, secure peace and realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

Let us not forget the value and potential of young people to achieve the SDGs.

No matter how big or small the initiative is, it must involve youth, regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation or political background.

Moreover, efforts should be made to include those marginalized and prone to be left behind in achieving the Goals.

Youth should always be at the center stage.

eacekeeping is an investment in global peace, security, and prosperity. It is a flagship enterprise of the United Nations.

Today, it deploys more than 113,000 military, police and civilian personnel in 16 peacekeeping operations on four continents. It is a flexible, evolving instrument that brings together political, security and technical tools to assist countries make the difficult transition from conflict to peace.

Science, technology and innovation are tools that can help achieve the SDGs. At universities in Indonesia, students are introduced to the Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi or The Three Pillars of Higher Education, which consist of Education and Teaching, Research and Development and Community Service. All these seek to develop the young people to be responsible and give back to their communities in any way possible.

** International Day Of United Nations Peacekeepers – 29 May

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Over time, peacekeeping has grown from simply monitoring ceasefires to protecting civilians, disarming ex-combatants, protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law, supporting free and fair elections, minimizing the risk of land-mines and so much more.

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Women are expected to be fully represented in peace processes, political life, and in branches of government including in uniformed services. All of these efforts are fundamental investments in building lasting peace.

Peacekeepers Day allows us to pay tribute to the Blue Helmets’ invaluable contribution to the work of the Organization and to honour more than 3,500 peacekeepers who have lost their lives serving under the UN flag since 1948, including 117 last year.

DID YOU KNOW THAT..

The number of Indonesian personnel on duty in various UN PKOs (according to the data from the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations as of 30 November 2015) is 2,840 personnel, and puts Indonesia 12th out of 124 Troops/Police Contributing Countries (T/PCC).

Register Voluntary Commitment for implementation of Goal 14 The Ocean Conference shall adopt by consensus a concise, focused, intergovernmentally agreed declaration in the form of a "Call for Action" to support the implementation of Goal 14 and a report containing the co-chairs' summaries of the partnership dialogues, as well as a list of voluntary commitments for the implementation of Goal 14, to be announced at the Conference.

Voluntary commitments for The Ocean Conference are initiatives voluntarily undertaken by Governments, the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organizations, international and regional financial institutions, non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations, academic and research institutions, the scientific community, the private sector, philanthropic organizations and other actors - individually or in partnership - that aim to contribute to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14. Any voluntary commitments made within the framework of the 2030 Agenda targeting SDG 14 can be registered as voluntary commitments for The Ocean Conference. Register at http://bit.ly/2lShNIJ

Your UN:

UNIC Jakarta along with the Embassy of India will commemorate the International Day of Yoga.

The event will be carried out at Taman Menteng on 17 June 2017, 06:15 – 07:15 AM! FREE YOGA MAT FOR EARLY BIRDS.

This Newsletter is compiled by the UN Communications Group (UNCG) in Indonesia, designed, edited and published by the United Nations Information Centre, Jakarta.

For more information contact us at: unic.jakarta@unic.org twitter: @UNICJakarta

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