The Angkringan is a space to pause, sit down for a minute, get out of your daily routine, and catch your breath. It's based on the famous angkringan of Yogyakarta, food stands that appear at night with cheap snacks like "cat rice" (a little rice, vegetables, and fish or chicken in banana leaf and newspaper) and peanuts, and we hope you find it as refreshing as the conversation at the Yogyakarta angkringan. Our angkringan features light essays related to INSIST's vision and mission, for anyone who has an interesting, or even enlightening, story to share over some coffee and fried bananas.

AN EARLY MORNING SHOCK
when we were not yet totally awake

In the early morning of 27 May 2006, at 5.54am, a strong earthquake shook the whole province of Jogyakarta and part of the neighbouring province of Central Java, at a maginutide of 5.9 on the Richter-scale. Hours after, through TV channels, news quickly spread throughout the world that thousands of people had died, tens of thousands were injured, and hundred of thousands were displaced because their houses had been flattened or damaged. Two of the most densely populated districts--Bantul in Jogyakarta, and Klaten in Central Java-- were the most devastated spots.

All of this happened in the hectic days of preparation and anticipation of the eruption of the restless Merapi Volcano --one of the most active volcanoes in the world, situated only about 30 kilometres north of Jogyakarta City --the second most popular tourist destination in Indonesia after Bali. The local government of the District of Sleman, the site of the volcano, had already spent weeks preparing for a possible disaster that could have happened at anytime. Based on so-called scientific estimates, they had persistently tried to convince the villagers around the volcano to evacuate immediately, and take refuge at 'safer' places in the available refugee tents. However, most of these villagers did not take this warning seriously, and did not respond. They even ignored the similar appeal of the Sultan of Jogyakarta, their own King, who is also the Governor of Jogyakarta Province. These people were more likely to listen to an old man living on the southeastern slope of the volcano, only about 5 kilometers from its endless smoking and firing peak. The old man, namely Mbah (the Grandpa) Maridjan, had not yet given them any signs to move. Then, polemics erupted almost daily on TVs and newspapers: a traditional belief vis-a-vis a modern creed!

Which side would you have taken?

So, the quake interrupted the debate. All attention shifted from the north to the south, to the shoreline of the Indian Ocean, the epicentre of the tectonic movement, and the affected areas up to 40 kilometres inland. Both followers of traditional beliefs and the modern creed then worked hand in hand to help the victims, forgetting their differences, at least for a while. Wonderful, human suffering is more important than anything else. Condolences and help came from everywhere.

However, self-centered behaviour and greed are also an inherent part of human life. Besides there being a lot of sincere help for the victims, there were also a lot of underlying vested-interests. Especially in the first and second weeks after the quake, there were many surprises! Almost everyday, on TVs screens and in newspapers, rich and glamorous celebrities suddenly became heroes and angels for the victims --with proud smiles into the camera, symbolically handing over (and holding up) their packages of aid or donations. The roads to affected areas were filled with trucks and cars displaying stickers saying "From the people of...." or "Emergency relief from...". As well as this, temporary tents everywhere were decorated with colorful flags and banners of donor countries, aid agencies, so-called humanitarian organizations and, also, political parties!

When will our right-hand ever be able to give help to others without our own left-hand recognizing it?

And, as usual, politicians and government officers appeared in their typical red-tape bureaucratic manner: slow, inefficient, but always full of promises and rhetoric. While they talked about their plans for reconstruction and rehabilitation, the President of Indonesia talked about the possibility of funds from soft loans from abroad. During the meeting of Indonesia's creditor countries in Jakarta, from 14-16 June 2006, the Indonesian Ministry of Finance also spoke calmly of offers of new loans from the Asian Development Bank, Japan, and South Korea.

What is concerning, is that only a very few people today see the disaster as an opportunity to rebuild the affected local communities, in a better and fairer way, with dignity--primarily based on their own resources. (Toto Rahardjo)