Great news for the planet! Ani and I just got back from five days in Jogyakarta. Jogja is one of Indonesia’s central cultural cities. It has been the birth place of political and cultural movements and reforms that have swept the country. My friend Bebek, a political permaculturist, pointed out to me earlier this year that it is poignant that Ecobricks ignited there. And, now, sure and steady, the Ecobrick movement is moving outwards from Jogja!
While in Jogja with Ani, the top city and provincial environmental heads requested to meet with us. Each is overwhelmed by the popular support of Ecobricks in their region– and by the requests they get from other bureaucrats to replicate the Ecobrick dissemination system that we got going in Jogja. They are proud that their city is leading the way in the country and are looking for ways to encourage the plastic packing of their citizens.
One such development is in the neighbouring province of Magelang. Intrepid environmental activist Ibu Atin, one of our ecobrick friends, once she heard that we were in town invited us to visit. How could we say no? She has single handedly got full ecobrick endorsement from the government in her city and has been mobilizing the trash transformation in her community and her network Magelang Peduli Lingkungan, which is a network a hundred civil organization and groups that are concerned about the environment in the Magelang region.
We said we’d visit, and in only two days, she convened an Ecobrick conference for us to attend in Magelang! We rode out on motorbike to the beautiful property of host Pak Aji (head of the country’s water authority and the director of the Magelang environmental college) and were received by more top officials. This include the mayor’s wife, who is the head of the women’s group organization in all the region. She is particularly passionate to transform the plastic problem in Magelang into a solution. She has been trying to connect with us for the last year, so it was a special honor to finally meet, connect and intend.
The result: we’re sure to be doing some more Indonesian Trainer of Trainer workshops very soon to keep up with the viral local dispersion and assist our new friends in Magelang with their care for their communities biosphere.
I have great feeling about Magelang. We’re going to put into effect a fantastic municipal and provincial supported Ecobrick dispersion that will smoothly transition to a long term citizen powered plastic solution, the making of tons of Ecobricks, and the jump start of a new Ecobrick garden building industry.
