Greetings IDEP Supporters!

This is our first launch of IDEP Insight, a quarterly newsletter from IDEP Foundation. Here you can discover our current projects and updates, stories from the field and general information on how you can be aware and be empowered to contribute to our Indonesia-wide efforts in permaculture, disaster management and community education. 

We hope you will be inspired to continue assisting us in empowering Bali and Indonesia's community further. 

• IDEP's recent activities
• Events: IDEP in Australasian Permaculture Convergence 2010 & IDME
• Meet the Team: Sayu Maharani
• Educate yourself & others
• Inspirational Quote
• How you can help IDEP

IDEP's Recent Activities

Mount Merapi Volcano and Mentawai Islands Earthquake & Tsunami Emergency Response



26 OCTOBER 2010: The Mentawai Islands off Western Sumatra was badly damaged from a 7.7 Richter scale earthquake and tsunami that struck over a 24-hour period. The quake triggered a 3 meter (10 feet) tsunami, which reportedly swept away 10 coastal villages. Casualties have been recorded as at least 400 dead and increasing, with over 100 people still reported as missing.

On the day after the Mentawai disaster, Mount Merapi, an active volcano in Sleman, Java, erupted in hot ash and rocks, killing a total of 25 people. The volcano erupted 3 times more after the initial blast, killing a total of 122 people and displacing 250,000. The survivors are now refugees currently living in temporary evacuation shelters and relief aid tents.

Out IDEP Emergency Response team has been operating on both disaster sites, providing necessary aid relief for the survivors. We are currently working on recovery efforts to rebuild homes, educate the community further on disaster management and continue to provide tools and basic needs for the communities' livelihoods. We would like to thank our Emergency Response Supporters whose support has largely helped the communities in need.

To receive updates on our ER efforts, join our mailing list or view our ER update website.

Doing Time, Doing Permaculture - A Permaculture in Prison Project



IDEP Foundation & the Bangli State Prison in Bali is teaching prison inmates the importance of a sustainable culture by building organic permaculture sites at their correction facility.

This pionner program in South East Asia teaches the inmates values of sustainability, teamwork, organizational skills, recycling, resource management, environmental awareness and nutrition. Since the beginning of this program in June 2010, over 74 inmates have been educated and have contributed into building and organizing a 170m2 permaculture site that grows 15 kinds of organic vegetables. All produce grown in their site is used to feed the prison inmates themselves.

So far, the program has been greatly successful and we need your continuous support to make more of this happen! Click here to support this campaign.

Earthquake-proof Houses: A Campaign by IDEP & the Australian Government



IDEP, BNPB & the Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction is working in partnership for an earthquake-resistant housing development campaign. 'Rumah Aman Gempa' is a nation-wide media and education campaign based in Padang. Watch the Rumah Aman Gempa commercial and short film on YouTube. Support the building of earthquake-safe houses further at the official Rumah Aman Gempa website.

Anti-Deforestation, Education and Tree-planting Projects in West Bali

 

IDEP is taking off on a new campaign, which involves all of our causes of Permaculture, Agro-forestry, Disaster Risk Reduction and School Education. One project team led by our Program Leader Sayu Maharani, is currently working with close local partners to re-vegetate one of Bali's most deforested jungle area in Jembrana, West Bali. This agro-forestry project begun in August and has located one particular patch of forest to be re-vegetated with plantation systems that include productive trees to reduce the risk of landslide and erosive disasters.

A school environment education program also has begun, with more than 3 of the local schools of Jembrana district learning about sustainability, recycling, disaster risk reduction and the importance of environmental conservation. A recent visit by the IDEP's team to the schools confirmed the success these classes have on the local students, with the kids learning creative and fun techniques of environmental education through song-writing, class performances and hands-on gardening. IDEP plans to continue with these school programs, and include in-house permaculture and seed-saving gardens tended by the students.

Help us tackle major environmental issues in Bali by donating, or contact us to learn more about IDEP's education curriculum.

Bali Island Community Fights to Save Public Land

For the first time in Indonesian history, a Balinese community on neighboring island Nusa Ceningan, is fighting for their livelihoods as their main harbor of activity was illegally sold as public land. This small island, pristinely undisturbed by tourists and made popular only for its coral reef diving activities and seaweed export, now faces a challenge as its local community is no longer able to maintain their way of life due to private domestic buyers taking over the land for personal use.

A coalition of Bali's top grassroots NGOs, including IDEP, has been formed to assist the brave local warriors to set what is right from wrong - that community public land is not for sale. For the past 3 years, the people of Nusa Ceningan have spent every penny they could gather on legal fees and transportation costs to advocate their case. They are currently in serious debt and are in risk of losing their land to possible further corruption and inadequate public awareness. They need your help. 

Visit the official Nusa Ceningan campaign website to support the case.
 

Account Name : Yayasan IDEP Selaras Alam Bank : Bank Mandiri
Account No : 145-00-0707539-9
Branch : Ubud
Address : Jl. Raya Ubud No.14, Ubud, Bali 80571
Swift Code : BMRIIDJA

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