Norwegian Wood Inspires SBY to Lyrical Heights

Jakarta Globe, Abe Silangit, May 28, 2010

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s journey to the Norwegian capital for a two-day Climate and Forest Conference has inspired him to write a song, which he titled “Oslo.”

The composition, which tells of saving the world’s forests, was written by the president during his stay at Oslo’s Holmenkollen Park Rica Hotel, which is in hills ringed with trees.

During his final press briefing before coming home to Jakarta on Sunday, Yudho yono announced his new creation and spontaneously asked for a guitar to demonstrate his vocal abilities.

“Unite world for our Earth, let’s do it, let us hold hands to look after it. Lift your hands and pray to God for the safety of our children and grandchildren,” the lyrics went.

Sadly, Yudhoyono asked for the performance to be off the record.

“Please, turn off [the camera] because [the song] is not done yet. It will reduce my royalty fees,” he said to laughter from the audience. He added that he was on the lookout for a singer who would be perfect for the song.

Yudhoyono has released three albums. The most recent, “Ku Yakin Sampai Di Sana” (“I’m Certain I’ll Get There”), was launched in January.

“The songs were written from a belief that nothing can change the fate of a country except the people themselves and the conviction of a noble purpose,” he said then.

He launched his first album, “Rinduku Padamu” (“I Miss You”), in October 2007. He followed up with “Evolusi” (“Evolution”) in January 2009.

More than 50 heads of state and environment ministers attended the Oslo conference, which opened on Wednesday.

Yudhoyono, along with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, witnessed the signing of a letter of intent under which Indonesia and Norway will establish a partnership for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation to tackle greenhouse-gas emissions from deforestation, forest degradation and peatland conversion.

Under the partnership, Norway will commit a total of $1 billion.

A song for a visit: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (right) plays a guitar as he and sports minister Andi Mallarangeng sing a song the President composed, on the sidelines of a climate conference in Oslo. Yudhoyono said Friday his song was inspired by the conference. – JP/Aditya Suharmoko

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President, Prince Charles to Discuss Natural Conservation

Jakarta Globe, May 27, 2010

(L to R) Prince Charles of Wales, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Crown Princess Mette-Marit pose for a photograph following the International conference on climate and deforestation held in Oslo on May 26, 2010. (Photo AFP/Gorm Kallestad)

Oslo. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is slated to meet the Prince of Wales, better known as Prince Charles of the United Kingdom.

Presidential spokesman Julian A Pasha said in Oslo, Norway, on Thursday that the meeting will be held on the sidelines of the Climate and Forestry Conference at Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica in Oslo.

“It would still be about the environment,” Julian said, adding that the meeting is held at the request of Prince Charles.

The meeting between the President and the British crown prince will be held for about 25 minutes before the head of state receives UNEP executive director Archim Steiner and UNDP director Helen Clark.

Prince Charles has always been heavily involved in environmental issues.

The former husband of the late Lady Diana also pointed out that the management of nature is also called on by all religious creeds.

In his visit to Indonesia, he also visited Jambi to give aid for forest conservation.

Prince Charles’ idea of fund raising was a great support to the Kyoto Protocol and showed that the developed countries already had a wish to help the developing countries overcome climate change.

He also used the opportunity of G20 in London in April 2009 to express the idea of fund raising for the safety of forests in the world.

Prince Charles invited G20 heads of state and government to attend the 40 minute meeting at Clarence House in London.

One of the agendas forwarded by Britain as host of G20 in 2009 was low-carbon emission development as a package of the long-term agenda of rebuilding the world economy.

Antara

RI committed to rainforests protection despite financial constraints

Aditya Suharmoko, The Jakarta Post, Oslo | Thu, 05/27/2010 4:06 PM

Climate talks: Indonesian President Susilo Yudhoyono (left) and Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg speak at press conference during the Oslo Climate and Forest Conference in Oslo, Norway, Thursday. The conference was attended by 50 heads of state and environment ministers. –AP/Hakon Mosvold Larsen

Cash-strapped Indonesia remains committed to protection of its rainforests as part of the global initiative to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) Plus scheme, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says.

"Working with our developed country partners, we will protect Indonesia’s globally significant carbon- and biodiversity-rich tropical rainforests while helping local populations become more prosperous," Yudhoyono said Thursday in a speech during the opening session of the Oslo Climate and Forest Conference at Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica in the surrounding hills of Oslo.

The President's statement affirmed his pledge on Wednesday night that Indonesia "would conduct a moratorium for two years where we stop the conversion of peat land and of forests" during a historical agreement signing with Norway, which provides a US$1 billion grant for Indonesia in phases to protect the Southeast Asian nation's forests.

Yudhoyono also said Indonesia would preserve its forests "with or without international help".

But having financial limitations, Yudhoyono expected the REDD Plus scheme to be pushed forward.

"Cancun (meeting in Mexico) must produce a robust and workable decision. In this regard, a decision on REDD Plus could bring about the immediate action that we need to take," he said in the speech.

Indonesia still has a 14.15 percent poverty rate of about 230 million people in population, based on latest data released by the Central Statistics Agency.

In Indonesia, forest areas of a size equaling 300 soccer fields vanish every hour, according to Greenpeace.

Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said based on a March's international conference in Paris about 54 countries agreed to provide $4 billion in commitment to take necessary actions to protect the world's largest rainforests located in Brazil and Indonesia, which function as global "lungs" to transform carbon dioxide into oxygen.

"In today's market forests are more worth dead than alive. We want to change that ... There will be more (incentives) in leaving (them) than cut," he said.

He added that all developing countries should be in the driver's seat to reach the global goals with the help of multilateral institutions like the United Nations and the World Bank.

In his speech at the same forum, Britain’s Prince Charles said the time available to turn the words into actions was "running out". He also praised the agreement signed by Indonesia and Norway.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon said he would look forward to a successful outcome in the next meeting in Cancun.

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