Continued Social Relations: From Migration to Human Trafficking

Migration is not a new phenomenon in humans history, human were migrating, moving from one place to another place since the begining of its existence. Recently, IOM (International Organization for Migration) reported that the total number of international migrants has been increasing from 150 million in 2000 to 214 million persons in 2011 (IOM, 2011). Hence, as Long (Brown) argue that migration is often appeared to be the communal decision shaped by the social interaction and as migrants are often being trafficked, it is important to understand the needs of the continued social relations in Migration. In my opinion and based on Browns article, a continued social relation could create a social capital which is important to ensure a safe migration and to prevent human trafficking.

A continued social relation will bring information and social capital that affects who moves, where they go, how long they go, what they do and how well they prosper upon arrival (Brown). By all these information, an individual will be able to recognize the safe way in doing migration. A person will be able to recognize whether those who migrate are really having profit from migration, which place is safe for migration, how long that it takes and could takes, what is necessary to do before-during-and after migration to gain positive effects of migration. This information could be attained through a well established social capital by maintaining a continued social relation.

Another important reason for maintaining the social relations is to prevent human trafficking. I have been working in three area in West Java; Indramayu, Cirebon and Kuningan. These three areas are well known to be the source area for migration and as the source area for human trafficking, because most of those migrants are being trafficked by their agent. From 2007 until 2008 there are 232 human trafficking victims in West Java, these numbers are 84 percent from the national trafficking victims. By the empirical experiences in these three areas, it is understood that continued social relations and the social capital are very much helpful to prevent human trafficking. Hence, the local organizations consist of the survival, the success migrant and others even local government are playing a big role in providing all the information needed by a migrant to avoid human trafficking. Furthermore, these social capital also functioned in two area in preventing human trafficking such as; education and economic. In education area, the social capital will deliver training or discussion on safe migration and human trafficking through the local meetings such as PKK or Pengajian (local organization in the village where woman usually meets in a regular time for gathering, religions activity or to build another activity). The second area where local organizations could involve in preventing human trafficking is in economic area. Developing the economic area is important to support the financial needs of villagers for most of the migrations are based on financial problem. By developing small scale business such as a small shop for daily needs, small grocery or credit unions could build local economic empowerment to answer one of the reasons why migrants are being trafficked. The better the local organization is, the easier the local economic improvement.

To sum up, a continued social relation could create a social capital that will improve local power to gain positive impacts of safe migration and to prevent their migrant workers from human trafficking.

Bibliography:

Brown, D. L. (2009). A perspective for examining rural migration during the 21st century.

IOM. (2011, November 08). Fact and Figures. Retrieved November 08, 2011, from International Organization for Migration: http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/about-migration/facts-and-figures/lang/en

Bua Lango

Adonara, a little island in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia is filled with unique traditions, one of them is Bua Lango, having meals together with all family members and ancestors. Bua Lango usually takes place in Ri’e Hikun, a special corner made as the worship place for the ancestors. It is held to show our grateful to ancestors for their blessed during the whole year to the whole big family member. In the past, people held Bua Lango to be thankful to their ancestors for the field results but nowadays people held Bua Lango not only for the crops (because some family lost their land by selling activity) but also for the blessings in their work, health, and education. Bua Lango must be attended by all family members from the same grandfather and grandmother. The one that didn’t follow Bua Lango for some reason will be represented by other family member. Man will represent male ancestors or male family members who could not attend Bua Lango and women will represent women ancestors or women family member who could not attend Bua Lango.

The preparation for Bua Lango is quite simple. First, simply boil a Bu’rak fish, a special fish that lives in the sea surrounding Adonara Island. Second is to prepare the rice as the staple food. Third is preparing the cutlery as many as the number of family. The next preparation is to make few little baskets from leaves to put rice, peanut, corn and other crops on it, and then preparing big basket from leaves to place it all. Finally, Bua Lango is ready to hold by closing all the windows and doors in the main house, for no one is allowed to come and go out of the house during the process.

The process of Bua Lango is very unique. It consists of two big parts which are the opening and closing. In the opening process, first, each of the participants will get Oho, traditional process of shampooing using coconut milk. Second, each of them will have a facial wash, chest wash, hands wash, and legs wash. The third process is drinking Tuak, traditional beer. The next step is eating the rice and fish. All of those steps are held as many as the ancestors or family members that each person represents. For example, if a woman represents seven grandmothers then she would have to drink tuak for seven times. After that, the leader of the ceremony will put all the small baskets in the street in front of our main house. In the end of the opening process, all the participant could eat the meals and drink tuak together as many as they want. After that, the entire participant will wait for sunset to hold the closing part. In the closing part, they all have to repeat the opening ritual except for eating the meals replaced by only drinking tuak.

Bua Lango is not only about sharing a day with the ancestors to show gratitude for the whole year and to pray for the ancestors’ blessings for the next year but it also gives chance to the family members to get closer. Since this tradition doesn’t allow anyone to come and go out of the house, most people spend this moment to share each other. Sometimes, we share serious problems and sometimes we share jokes such how we first used hand phone, while continuing drinking tuak.

Here I am in the cold spring of Maastricht

It’s been four days since my arrival in Maastricht, one of  the old city in The Netherlands. I come all the way from Adonara by my self without any clue of how cruel the journey would be, but it was wonderful indeed.

The first impression of Maastricht is it’s cold spring season that kills me and caused me flu and the next impression is that this is a wonderful peaceful city where no body is in hurry, without traffic, without pollution, I can breath easily and walking along the city streets while listening to the birds sound, smelling the tulips and feeling the falling flowers.

The city is not like any other city in Indonesia where big supermarket stands tall covering the city landscape, this is a humble city where the old buildings and  a small beautiful garden dominating the landscape besides the Maast River

What good is a lie

Lying is the act of not telling the truth. In my opinion, lying will bring more  to disadvantages rather than advantages. First of all, it will bring us to a new problem of lying, for one little lie will lead us to another little lie which will end up in a big lie.  Another disadvantage of lying is that it will cover the true problem, which often postponed the problem solving, in this case when the problem is recognized, it is already too late to handle it. Furthermore, lying will bring us to a land of confusion; not knowing which one is the truth and which one is the lie. Lying will also make us become untrustworthy person in the society. Once people find out we are lying, they will never trust us anymore. Although some people might think that there is an exception which allows one person to lie to save one’s life, what good is a life if it’s saved by a lie. We only live this life once and none of us will escape from it alive, but each of us could write a good record to our life with one little thing; not lying.

Dayak Indramayu

Photo of Dayak Indramayu people taken from Petronela Somi Kedan’s doc.

It’s been a great weekend for me, especially because I can meet my friends from Padang in ANBTI (Aliansi Bhinneka Tunggal Ika). They held a cultural show in Fatahillah Museum to appreciate the variety of Indonesian’s culture. This cultural show followed by 33 provinces and a few traditional communities from Indonesia. Each group presented their culture with their attribute along the way circling Kota and on the performance on the stage. One of the interested community in this event is  “Suku Dayak Indramayu” but they actually called themselves as “Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandu Indramayu”.

Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandu Indramayu is a long name for a community. This name created by the former of this community called Pak Tua. For this community, suku is not the same with tribe, but it means foot, what we use every day to sustain our lives. The second word, Dayak might sound like Dayak tribe in Kalimantan, but it is actually come from Sundanesse which means choosing which one is right or wrong. The next word is Hindu, it is not one of the biggest religions in the world but it refers to womb, where every human being comes from. Budha comes from the word “wuda” which means naked as we are all born naked. The words Bumi Segandu refers to the power of life. The last word Indramayu had a philosophic meaning as women or mothers as the source of life.

There are some specific characteristics with this community; first, they had a unique performance, they only used two kind of colors as their clothes, black and white, the man’s are only used pants and never use clothes, but the way their women’s clothes is unknown because the woman never appear in publics (this make me baffling how does the women’s life in this community and why does they can’t be appear to public). Second, they had their own environment with high walls boundaries their place to the society. Third, they had a unique ritual held every Friday night that makes the man sinking their naked body into the river. The last I ‘d determine from this community on the first meeting is that they don’t have an identity card as a citizen because they don’t admit any other religions, for them, what you believe as the truth doesn’t come from a religion but it comes from your own reflection.

Ceremonial Greetings In Adonara Island

Ceremonial Greetings in Adonara Island

Photo:Adonara Island taken from Emanuel Boro Nama’s Doc.

There are lots of ceremonies in Adonara Island-East Flores-NTT, one of them is ceremony held to greet people who come home to this island for the first time.

These ceremonies have no name because it’s consists of few single ceremony.

First, tetua, a person who considered older and wiser among others in a community, will over a piece of land from Adonara Island to her/his tongue that should be eaten. This is the symbol of honoring the homeland as the land of the ancestors.

Then, in front of the door of a main house, a house where tetua and other families are receiving her/him, tetua will shower that person with water as a symbol of removing bad evil and unfortunate that she/he bring from another island.

Next, that person will be lead by tetua to the riu hiku, a special corner in a room for the ancestors, as Adonara people believe that their ancestors are still living among them, thus they serve the ancestors with a bed, a chair and a table with some foods and tuak, a traditional beer.

Finally, tetua will do a pray in local language to tell the ancestors that one of their granddaughter or grandson are coming home and asking for the protection from all the ancestor to every steps and words from the granddaughter.

Those ceremonies are used to be held on the first day a person arrives. Adonara’s people believe that if the ceremonies are didn’t hold on the first day, than the person will get sick and unfortunate. I believe that, if the ceremonies are didn’t held than we will lose our ethnicity and identity as a great nation with all the wonderful traditions and local wisdoms.

Struggling for freedom

after the rain

Even after the whole rain,,,,,i’m still hopping for the best and preparing for the best!!!