Anomali YEC News

A view of the Mayor's Office in Malang Municipality

Maintaining the ecosystem balance and environmental preservation through societal involvement in Malang has always been the intention of Anomali’s Urban Environmental Watch Program. Through a series of small and creative grass-root actions; such as the Bird Watching Program, Tree Caring Program and Beach Clean Act, Anomali is actually aiming to shape Malang Municipality to become a city with sustainable environmental awareness and actions, or in more widely known as an Eco City.

Mr. Amol Titus, Reggy's Mentor

Due to the gravity of urgency and feasibility, British Council have decided to support the Project, envisioned by Reggy Hasibuan as one of British Counncil’s Climate Champion. As a Climate Champion, it is Reggy’s passion to bring solution to the mitigation of Climate Change issues to grass-root level, even into an area as scoped down as Malang Municipality. British Council has also provided Reggy with a mentor to help him realise his vision into reality through a series of environmental managerial skills. The CEO of WISE Indonesia, Mr. Amol Titus, has agreed to become Reggy’s mentor and personally assist him to shape Malang as the first Eco City in Indonesia.

For Wise Indonesia website please refer to: www.indonesiawise.com

Oriental White Eye, one of the most hunted bird in Malang

Malang is chosen due to the unique nature that it has. Aside from the averagely small size for a municipality, Malang is also known as a student city with a multitude of Highschools and Universities in close proximity, making them as strategic sources for volunteer recruitment. The city currently also has 9 City Forest and 21 City Parks, eventough the enclosure of the total of open green areas have yet to achieve 30% of the city’s area. The current open green areas, hilly contour added with the river Brantas, which is the biggest river is East Java, has made Malang into a city with spectacular bird population and species, and most of them live inside the city. To Anomali, the birds are the indicator of clean air and ecosystem balance, reflecting the environmental policy of the city and thus, worth to be closely monitored. However, rapid economic problems have become the factor that contributes to the diminishing open green areas as they are converted as comercial areas, increasing shanty areas, and increasing difficulties in acquiring fresh water, fluent electricity and piling house hold waste.

In November 18th 2009, British Council supported Reggy’s Eco City project by conducting a workshop to disseminate the information regarding Malang to spread awareness and support to invited participants from city planning experts, environmentalists, business leaders, media groups and governmental agencies. As the result of of the workshop, a set of instruction, guidelines and advises were composed to further assist the shaping of Malang Municipality as an Eco City.

For press releases regarding the workshop please refer to:

English:http://www.unleashingideas.org/blog/$blog/2009/11/18/jakarta_opens_gew_with_pecha_kucha_night?_c=1

Indonesian:http://sains.kompas.com/read/xml/2009/11/19/07562224/reggy.dan.keinginannya.mewujudkan.malang.eco.city

Indonesian: http://www.britishcouncil.org/id/indonesia-gew-eco-cities.htm

Due to the level of existing awareness, capacity and support, Anomali sees Malang Municipality as the city that would offer more opportunities rather than challenges to be shaped up as an Eco City and we are looking forward for the support, suggestions and critics of everyone who are reading this blog.

The Welcoming Screen inside the Debaters Hall

Since its establishment in 2003, Phyxius Debate Association has become the most influential English Debate Society in West Java and even National scale in terms of activity and identity. Just recently they held the 4th Phyxius English Debate Championship, participated by schools from Jakarta and Bandung. For this special occasion, Anomali also assisted St. Albert school from Malang to participate in this competition, regardless of distance constraint. Our aim is for our new partner school in Malang to witness the debating experience in national scale and also to learn from Phyxius as a full-fledged and established English Debate Club.

The event turned out to be a massive blast for everyone who were participating. From Anomali side, we were glad to see our other partner schools from Bandung and Jakarta there. From our kids from Malang, they were surprised and astonished by the quality and the enjoyment of the tournament. Anomali would like to congratulate the committee for being able to create a platfrom of debate competition not just as an academical challenge, but also as a youthful and entertaining event. We think that the strategy used to introduce motions entertainingly and the strategy used to build tension and competitiveness amongst participants are good learning opportunities for other schools. More importantly Anomali would also like to congratulate PDA for being able to stay succesfuly independent and self-maintained for the past seven years as an English Debate Club. We are proud to have assisted you all steps of the way.

The Yet To Be Glorious Malang's St. Albert Team.

Our heartfelt congratulations also goes for the teams who managed to secure high-ranking positions in the competition, which just happened to be schools under Anomali’s partnership. We would like to congratulate SMAN 81 Jakarta as the champion, and of course Ruth as our favorite speaker (we have a good picture of her actually wearing a skirt!), also for Canisius College as the runner up. Good job for their coaches, especially Mr. Erry from Anomali as Canisius College’s coach. Malang’s St. Albert managed to secure the position as the octo-finalist, in which we deemed not bad as their first debate competition experience. Overall, the days of PEDC are really good days for us.

Teacher from East Kalimantan poses in front of the Training's banner.

Anomali under the support from The Minisitry of Environment, British Council and Hans Seidel Foundation, has facilitated “Youth Debate and on Negotiation Skills on Climate Change” in Hyatt Hotel, Sanur, Bali 14-15 October 2009. The training was followed by 25 selected students from 15 junior high schools and high schools across Bali and Jakarta.

Mr. Reggy Hasibuan, the chairperson of Anomali was requested specifically to act as a facilitator in this event. This training was held as a side event to the Conference on

Reggy and the Training's Participant

Article 6 to UNFCCC which is regarding Education, Training and Public Awareness. The participants of the training were given the chance later on to join in the conference to provide their insight as young people from Indonesia, and also as a chance to implement the debate and negotiation skills.

Mr. Ibnu Najib and Mr. Wilson Ang, who are other British Council’s Climate Champions participating in the Conference as Moderators, also stopped by the Training to provide motivations to the student participants.

In the end, the training received warm and enthusiastic reception from all the student participants, the Ministry of Environment and also from the International Delegations in Article 6 Conference.

Students from Junior Highschool in Bali Casebuilding