Report
Period: 20 - 31 March 2005. Country: Indonesia
  Purpose of the Visit
  Preliminary Research on NGOs Supporting the Revitalization of Adat
  SUGISHIMA Takashi  (ASAFAS: Division of Southeast Asian Area Studies)
  Record of Activities
  3/20 (Sun)
    		• Leave Kyoto - Arrive in Jakarta
      3/21 (Mon)
    		• Visit Dr. John Haba and Mr. Ruben Silitonga at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) to discuss the next research project
      3/22 (Tue)
    		• Collect materials at the head office of the Association for Community and Ecological-Based Legal Reform (HuMa: Perkumpulan Untuk Pembaharuan Hukum Berbasis Masyarakat dan Ekologis) in Jakarta
      3/23 (Wed)
    		• Visit Prof. Dr. Supiandi Sabiham at the Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB: Insitut Pertanian Bogor) in Bogor to consult with him about the next research project
      3/24 (Thu)
    		• Collect materials at the head office of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN: Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara) in Jakarta
      3/25 (Fri) – 29 (Tue)
    		• Collect materials at the Center for Scientific Documentation and Information (PDII- LIPI), the National Library of Indonesia, bookstores, and publishing companies in Jakarta
      3/30 (Wed) –  31 (Thu)
    		• Leave Jakarta - Arrive in Kyoto

     

      Outcome and Progress Report
     
              The surge of attention given to adat (custom) is a distinctive feature in present-day Indonesian local society. The decentralization regulation (Law No. 22/1999 on Regional Administration), which was legislated one year after the collapse of the Suharto regime, defined adat as the basis of village administration. Given that Indonesia is predominantly rural, it is hardly surprising that there has been a rapidly growing interest in adat among local people, especially local politicians and intellectuals. In response to this situation, a number of NGOs have been established to give active support to the revitalization of adat in local society. During this trip, I visited two such NGOs' head offices in Jakarta and collected some information on their activities and publications. In addition, I gathered materials on an amendment to Law No. 22/1999 and the spreading effects of a newly revised regulation (Law No. 32/2004 on Regional Administration) at the Center for Scientific Documentation and Information (PDII-LIPI), the National Library of Indonesia, and at bookstores and publishing companies.

     

      Future Tasks
                Due to limited time, I could visit only two NGO offices in Jakarta during this trip. On my next trip to Indonesia, I hope to make contact with a few more of the NGOs that are generating discussion about adat and have headquarters outside Jakarta, such as Forum for Community Participation Development (FPPM: Forum Pengembangan Partisipasi Masyarakat).

     

     
    The head office of HuMa. I remember the kind welcome the staff extended on my visit to the office.   My dear old friends in Jakarta gathered to hold a welcome and farewell party for me on Saturday night, March 27, 2005. Thank you very much for a wonderful evening.
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