Stamps have long served as tiny ambassadors, capturing a nation’s identity in collectible form. For this year’s UN Day, young artists across Indonesia breathed new life into these miniature canvases, turning everyday mail into diplomatic expressions.In celebration of UN Day on 24 October, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Communication and Digital, with support from the UN in Indonesia, launched a special stamp to honour the enduring partnership between Indonesia and the United Nations. The month-long competition attracted 68 creative entries from youth across Indonesia, and after extensive deliberation, three outstanding designs emerged as winners.1st winner - Armelsa Ferdinandus (18), Jakarta The UN logo, doves, and Garuda Indonesia reflect Indonesia's active role as a member state dedicated to global peace and development. The bottom corner features miniature illustrations of Indonesian cultural icons celebrating the nation's rich diversity. A handshake symbolising the spirit of cooperation in fostering international harmony."The overall design exudes a sense of optimism, diversity, and peace while showcasing Indonesia's contributions to maintaining global stability and collaboration," said Armelsa Ferdinandus, who won the title of the 1st winner.2nd winner - Rice Angraini (18), Bengkulu Rice chose to showcase Indonesia's customs and culture—like traditional dances, arts, and unique local wildlife—because she wants the world to experience the beauty of the nation's traditions.“I believe Indonesia is just as stunning as any other country, and through this theme, I aim to showcase our nation's richness and spirit of peace," said Rice Angraini.3rd winner - Revant Marloun (15), Jakarta "On this stamp, I envisioned the cooperation between the UN and Indonesia through art and culture," said Revant Marloun. The design illustrated the UN logo using pen strokes, symbolising an international art tool intertwined with the mega mendung batik pattern created with a canting, representing a traditional Indonesian art tool. These two artistic elements unite to form a collective masterpiece— ‘United Nations Batik.'“Additionally, these tools symbolise the stationery often used to formalise cooperation agreements," he added.Stamps as a lasting symbol of partnershipUN Day, reflecting the ratification of the Charter of the United Nations in 1945, will be celebrated at BINUS University under the theme of Youthnovation - Celebrating Youth, a tribute to the innovation and potential of young people. This event will highlight the crucial role that fresh ideas and perspectives of the youth play in shaping a sustainable future.“Young people are key to shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future. The United Nations is committed to working alongside Indonesia’s youth to support their innovative contributions and ideas. This event and the stamp competition showcase the incredible potential of Indonesia’s young generation,” said Gita Sabharwal, the UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia.We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all young Indonesians who participated in the stamp design competition. Your creativity and passion truly made the judges’ task challenging.Stay connected with us by following the UN's social media channels in Indonesia on Instagram and X for more exciting opportunities like this. Your voice matters, and we look forward to seeing what you create next!

Simeulue, Aceh – When Ahmadi sings a lullaby to his one-year-old grandson, the songs include one that is not about boats and stars but instead about precautions to take during a possible tsunami:A village once sank,That’s how they tell the tale,It began with an earthquake,Followed by a massive wave,The entire land submerged,Suddenly, just like that. If the quake is strong And the waters recede, Quickly find A higher place to be.That is called smong,The history of our ancestors. Remember this well.  “When there is an earthquake and a tsunami, you are in panic, you cannot be expected to think,” said Ahmadi, who like many Indonesians has only one name. “This is why the emergency drill must be engrained and be second nature. This has to start from an early age.” Despite being the closest inhabited island to the epicentre of the earthquake that caused the largest tsunami so far in this century, the death toll on Simeulue was relatively low. Six inhabitants died on this island of 100,000 – a lower rate than in any other affected area – after what was the third largest earthquake anywhere in the world since modern seismography began in 1900. “This was due to the local wisdom passed on from generation to generation in the form of a smong,” said Acting Regent Teuku Reza Fahlevi. The inhabitants of Simeulue had experienced a tsunami in 1907, and the oral tradition of running for higher ground when the sea recedes helped to save many lives in 2004. “In many other coastal areas of the country, people rushed into the seabed to pick up fish – and were crushed by the gushing sea water as waves of up to 30 metres wracked havoc and brought devastation,” he said.Better prepared for when disaster strikesTwenty years on, the province of Aceh in far western Indonesia is much more prepared. The smong is now part of the curriculum of every primary and junior high school on Simeulue as well as in some other regencies, Ahmadi, a journalist and local storyteller, said: “For full preparedness, we cannot rely on grandparents only – we must make sure every child is prepared.” The association of storytellers in the province is working with the Simeulue Board of Education to lobby the remaining regencies to do the same, Mr Fahlevi and Mr Ahmadi said.  Mr Ahmadi himself was living in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh when the 2004 tsunami struck, and immediately fled to higher ground. He tried to convince many of his neighbours to do the same, but most would not listen, he recalls. “When I returned, I saw corpses all around,” he said. “Today, the loss of life would be far smaller – we are much better prepared.”Over 167,000 people died in Indonesia during the event on 26 December, and a further at least 60,000 in other countries on the Indian Ocean. The United Nations – at the request of the Indonesian government – provided major relief support to the survivors. Ten UN agencies were involved in the work, from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) helping the internally displaced, to the United Nations Childrens’ Fund (UNICEF) providing emergency supplies for children and the UN Development Programme aiding reconstruction efforts (see box below for a full list).The UN’s Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) facilitated the emergency response phase in 2004 and, together with partners, advocated for the importance of building community resilience through disaster education since 2006 based on international best practices. OCHA – along with other UN agencies, the Red Cross Society, universities, the private sector and NGOs – has remained involved long after the tsunami to support Indonesia and the Province of Aceh in improving disaster risk preparedness.The tsunami has ushered in a new era of a more systematized and structured disaster management across the country, based on international best practices. Regulations have been put in place to establish and streamline processes in providing health care and food in case of disasters and also to establish local agencies to coordinate humanitarian efforts on the ground. The National Agency for Disaster Management (BNBP) has strengthened engagement with stakeholders across emergency response, recovery and development to implement global policies.“We believe that disaster risk reduction, sustainable development and climate change must be addressed holistically,” said Raditya Jati, Deputy Minister at the National Agency for Disaster Management (BNBP). “Sustainable resilience ensures that we protect our development gains by investing in resilience building.” The country has mainstreamed the post-2015 frameworks on Sustainable Development (SDGs), the UNFCCC Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, an international agreement adopted by UN member states at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2015.“There have been major strides by the national and provincial governments, supported by multi-stakeholder partners, including community and faith-based organisations, on increased preparedness,” said Thandie Mwape, Head of OCHA Indonesia. The focal areas include education, and regular tsunami preparedness drills have been mandatory in all the schools in the province since 2010, she said. The implementation of a disaster-safe school programme was followed nationwide in 2012 leading to further increased preparedness. A siren system has been installed in some provinces and the population educated on what to do in case the alarms go off.By now, thanks to the progress on disaster management in the country, the Humanitarian Country Team, which is made up of the UN, development partners and local NGOs, is focusing its support to the government on strengthening disaster preparedness capacity and enhancing anticipatory action, as well as the haring of best practices from Indonesia to countries in the region and worldwide.“Indonesia is a knowledge hub and there is much that the world can learn from here – learnings that will lead to saving lives,” Ms Mwape said.Explore the unique art of Smong from Simeulue – click here to listen!BOX:Support provided by UN agencies in emergency response in Indonesia following the 2004 tsunamiThe 2004 tsunami emergency response in Indonesia was the largest international response to a natural disaster. It involved the largest number of donors – both public and private – and the largest number of implementing agencies. UN agencies worked in collaboration with their partners. Their work included: This article was first published at UN News site through this link: Twenty years on: Indonesia ‘better prepared’ following tsunami (https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1155616), 11 October 2024.

Playing with words in the borderless land of imagination gives children a place where no rules apply and no limitations exist. But for some children, living amidst hard circumstances like Ali, a 13-year-old Afghan refugee living in Jakarta, this special space can sometimes seem too distant to reach. His family waited for 10 years for a country to accept him as refugees. They had to move from one place to another, and the complexities of his daily life left only a narrow window for him to be alone and wander, let alone write.But listen to Ali’s short story – read out during a workshop on inclusive literacy supported by UN in Indonesia as part of the Patjarmerah Kecil Festival last Saturday – when he was asked to describe his daily life in the clouds. "I wake up and eat the cloud for breakfast. When I’m thirsty, I just open my mouth to drink the rain. Then I play football. When I’m tired, I just sleep on the cloud," he read his story shyly, his eyes smiling.With a simple question, Ali’s imagination took a leap. And so did the imagination of the other 30 children, 10 of them refugees, who took part in the session conducted by Reda Gaudiamo, a champion for digital literacy in Indonesia.David, a 10-year-old from Jakarta, when asked to complete a sentence starting with “what if,” wrote, “What if I became King of the Gods? I could make rain and stop time.”Nadia said, “What if I became a cat? I could run, climb, and steal food.” But there was also a simple wish from Athia, a child refugee from Sri Lanka: “What if I became the last child in my family? I wouldn’t need to take care of my siblings or help Mom in the kitchen,” she said.As the afternoon wore on, the children became less patient and wanted to read their stories as loudly as possible. Sometimes the stories were too complicated end, hung in the air, waiting for the next moment to conclude.In the workshop, children felt free to express whatever crossed their minds. It seemed the spirit of boundlessness became their own.  For a moment, they forgot to take a look at their tablets or mobile phones and existed in their true form: a child.The Patjarmerah Kecil Festival is an annual celebration of children's literature and creative learning in Indonesia. The festival showcases a diverse selection of children’s books and promotes literacy and the creative economy.The festival and book market travel across Indonesia with the mission of creating fair and equal access to literacy,This goes beyond just reading materials and also providing the same learning spaces and opportunities for everyone.The United Nations in Indonesia participated in this year's "Patjarmerah Kecil" Children's Literary Festival, leveraging its global platform to enhance the annual celebration of children's literature and creative learning in Indonesia.The International Organization for Migration (IOM) participated in the workshop entitled "Tell your story today” on July 6, the workshop included 10 refugee children and 20 local child authors.Indonesia continues to see a gradual decline in illiteracy rates. According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2023, the illiteracy rate among the population aged 10 years and above stood at 3.18%.Globally, one in five children, adolescents and youth are excluded from education, with disparities exacerbated by poverty, gender, language, disability, ethnicity and migration status, among others. Transforming education has been identified by the United Nations as one of only six key drivers to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).------------------------------------------This article was originally published on the IOM Indonesia website that can be accessed through this link: https://indonesia.iom.int/stories/writing-without-borders

BIANCI and SAUKABU, SOUTHWEST PAPUA – Between the light blue sky and the azure blue sea, the islands of Raja Ampat in Southwest Papua are famous for their beauty and as one of the world’s most biodiverse areas. Thanks to a collaboration between the Ministry of Village, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration, the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and local authorities, the inhabitants of these remote islands have enjoyed a substantive and measurable increase in their living standards. Most of the adult population of Bianci village, a four-hour boat ride from the provincial capital of Sorong, participates in the production of salty fish and fish floss. These products earn the villagers twice as much as when they used to sell raw fish. Halal-certified, quality-controlled and vacuum sealed, the products are sold at nearby diving resorts, in supermarkets across the province as well as on Sorong’s central market. “The development of the village is our own responsibility – and this project is the catalyst that allows us to take matters into our own hands and grow,” said Village Head Sayuti Daad. “Earlier, there was no significant economic activity here.”Bianci is one of 1,110 Indonesian villages supported through the Integrated Village Economic Transformation Programme (TEKAD), under the leadership of the Ministry. The villages TEKAD works in have a combined population of over 1.6 million.In Raja Ampat, 19 communities benefit from TEKAD experts, who help villagers design business plans with long-term development strategies to be supported by the Village Fund. The Fund, managed by the Ministry of Villages, allocates Rupiah 68 billion Indonesian (US $4.3 billion) nationally to develop rural communities. While men in Bianci continue their traditional practice of fishing in the surrounding rich seas, women now use equipment and tools provided by the Village Fund to prepare salty fish and spicy fish floss, both of which are staple foods for Indonesians in cities. A kilogram of fish prepared this way fetches around Rp 35,000 (US$ 2.2), almost double the sales price of raw fish, which is just Rp 20,000.  Furthermore, for many of the women, it is the first time they have a job, Mr Daad added: “It provides a different status, to be paid for their cooking.”TEKAD’s mission is to support economic transformation in interested villages in the poorest regions of Indonesia, including Southwest Papua. By hiring and training local facilitators to work with the villagers, the programme ensures community buy-in for long-term planning.“Durable development solutions necessitate money to be spent on projects with long-term economic benefits, rather than spending on various short-term initiatives each year,” said Yumi Sakata, Programme Officer at IFAD’s Jakarta office. “With the support of TEKAD facilitators, the beneficiaries – mostly rural women – are learning sustainable business models.”According to TEKAD data, the investment in Bianci was Rp 130 million in kind and Rp 100 million in cash, which the villagers used to buy raw materials and construct a facility for drying the fish.Towards a coconut-based economyA further hour away by speed boat, the 200 residents of Saukabu have developed plans – with TEKAD support – for an even more significant increase in their income. While their knowledge of English is limited, they are very familiar with the acronym VCO (or rather “vee-cee-oh”), which stands for virgin coconut oil, used in facial treatments, massage and high-end cooking. Located near the group of picturesque isles that decorate Indonesia’s Rp 100,000 note, the island’s primary produce is coconuts – with around 40 tons per year.  Villagers have traditionally sold coconuts raw or smoked and have earned Rp 100,000 for a large bag of 50 coconuts. They are now piloting the production of virgin coconut oil, which – depending on its final quality – can earn between Rp 1 and 2 million per 50 coconuts. Most of the value-added work is done by women. TEKAD has been a major lifeline to the area, said Wahab Sangaji, Special Economic Advisor at Raja Ampat Regency. “If we had one wish, it would be to extend TEKAD support and know-how to all 117 villages of the regency,” he said.Changes are palpable beyond improved coconut and fish products.Having worked with the islanders since the launch of TEKAD in 2021, facilitator Trully Novalia says the longer-term benefits outweigh concrete profits: “TEKAD is bringing about a mindset change – for people to have goals and plans and to think about economic opportunities,” she said. “This will enable them to develop and implement business ideas long after this project ends.”Afi Gamso, a mother of three in Bianci, though, is content with more immediate benefits for now. “From the newfound money, I could buy new clothes and school supplies for my children,” she said. “It’s important they look decent at the high school in town.”