25 top writers take part in Makassar Int’l Writers Festival

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar | Tue, 06/14/2011

Twenty-five local and international writers are taking part in the five-day Makassar International Writers Festival that began on Monday.

Eight of them are foreign writers such as Iraqi writer Rodaan Al Gallidi, Ethiopian writer Maaza Mengister, Egyptian Abeer Soliman, Turkish Gunduz Vassaf, and Australian Janet de Neefe.

Local writers include Sapardi Djoko Damono, Trinity, Ryana Mustamin, Erni Aladjai, Shinta Febriany Sjahrir, Hendra Gunawan and Hamran Sunu.

Festival director Lily Yulianti Farid said Monday evening that the festival would combine literature reading, workshops on literature and film, discussions and a tour.

Hundreds of artifacts unearthed in S. Sulawesi

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar | Wed, 03/30/2011

Researchers say they have discovered hundreds of artifacts spanning several eras from sites in Bantaeng, South Sulawesi.

“We can classify the archaeological findings in Bantaeng into the pre-historic, pre-Islamic, Islamic and [modern] Bantaeng periods, based on the artifacts' characteristics,” research team leader Naniek Harkantiningsih said.

Ten researchers from the National Archeology Research and Development Center, the Cultural and Tourism Resource Development Agency and the Culture and Tourism Ministry conducted research in eight Bantaeng sub-districts between March 14 and 28.

Naniek said the team found approximately 600 artifacts, including Chinese ceramics and pottery that dated to the Yuan, Ming and Sung dynasties, and artifacts from Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and the Netherlands.

Researchers also found several coins and a burial complex that might date to the Islamic period in the 1between the 15th and 18th centuries, he said.

The burial site, discovered in Ulu Ere and Gantarang sub-district, was still intact and had been unknown to local residents, he added.

The artifacts, which would be conserved in cooperation with local groups, were evidence that Bantaeng was a center of the spice trade, shipping cacao and vanilla to European countries during the Gowa Tallo kingdom, Naniek said.

“The cultural remains must be preserved and be turned into a cultural heritage site as well as an object of tourism. This way the remains will bring benefits as an archaeological research center and as a source of economic development to the regency and people of Bantaeng” she said.

The researchers began work in January 2007 and were expected to investigate sites in nine regencies and one municipality in the province before the project ends in 2015.

Researchers will next move to Bulukumba, Sinjai, Bone and Maros regencies.

S. Sulawesi gets new museum

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/09/2011

South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul YL is scheduled to inaugurate the Balla Lompa Museum in Gowa regency, South Suluwesi, on Wednesday.

Situated around 10 kilometers from Makassar, the museum contains a collection of hundreds of artifacts from the Gowa Kingdom, tribunnews.com reported.

The museum is being inaugurated after it is lifted, about 3 meters off the ground. Thanks to this unique ceremony, it will also receive a certificate from the Indonesian Record Museum as the first museum to be lifted manually.

During its heyday, the Gowa Kingdom covered several other provinces in the Eastern part of Indonesia. One of the kings was I Mallombassi Daeng Matawang Karaeng Bontomangape Sultan Hasanuddin, who has been nominated by the government as a national hero.

Tanri Abeng to build cultural museum in Rotterdam

Antara News, Fri, February 25 2011

This is just a piece of the story as I know, there are many more other literacy in this epic. In fact, the original text translator who was invited by the Dutch Government to translate some 6,000 pages of the manuscript, Muhammad Salim is able to translate it in a period of 5.2 years

Makassar, S.Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Former Minister of State Enterprises Tanri Abeng who became the originator of the staging epic I La Galigo, will build a cultural and historical museum in Fort Rotterdam in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

"After staging the epic I La Galaligo, we hope that the cultural and historical museum will also be built in Fort Rotterdam in Makassar," he said here Friday.

He added that there are officials who do not know the heroism saga of South Sulawesi I La Galigo which drove him to establish the museum filled with works of literature like epic I La Galigo.

Tanri Abeng that explained Surek Galigo also called La Galigo was an epic and myth of Buginese civilization in South Sulawesi written between the 13th and 15th centuries in the form of poetry in the ancient Bugisnese language.

The story was written in ancient Bugisnese Lontara letters, composed in pentameter and in addition to tell the story of human origins, also serves as a daily practical almanac.

The epic I La Galigo is the oldest and longest in the world before the epic of Mahabharata of India. It mostly contained poetry written in ancient Bugisnese language.

This epic tells the story of Sawerigading, a courageous hero and also foreigners.

He said that the epic I La Galigo Surek is not a history text because it is full of myth and extraordinary events. However, the epic is still given to show historians the Buginese culture before the 14th century.

"This is just a piece of the story as I know, there are many more other literacy in this epic. In fact, the original text translator who was invited by the Dutch Government to translate some 6,000 pages of the manuscript, Muhammad Salim is able to translate it in a period of 5.2 years," Tanri Abeng noted.

Therefore, the national businessman from Selayar district (South Sulawesi) said, it is very sad if there are officials or many people who did not know the epic figure of I La Galigo who received a recognition as a world heritage.

Hence, I will try to create a cultural and historic museum for the younger generation who wanted to know about the literary works of South Sulawesi and do no need to go overseas to study it, he said.

"If you want to study literature or the heroic figure of the Buginese in Makassar there is is no need to go abroad, and simply go to Fort Rotterdam museum. I do not want the younger generation to forget that in South Sulawesi the world has ever given birth to a legacy" Tanri Abeng said.

Editor: Aditia Maruli

Miniature traditional Gowa house to be built in South Africa

Antara News, Wed, February 23 2011

Gowa traditional house or Balla Lompoa. (gowata.blogspot.com)

Maskassar (ANTARA News) - A miniature traditional Gowa house from South Sulawesi, known as Balla Lompoa, will soon be built in South Africa.

South African Ambassador to Indonesia Noel N. Lehoko discussed the plan to build the Gowa traditional house at a meeting with South Sulawesi Vice Governor Agus Arifin Nu`mang here on Wednesday.

The miniature of Gowa traditional house in South Africa is expected to further strengthen cultural ties between the country and South Sulawesi.

"The purpose of my visit here is to connect the cooperation that has been done and to renew a memorandum of understanding that has expired," the South African envoy said.

Relations between South Africa and South Sulawesi have lasted for 300 years but remained strong because there used to be Syeh Yusuf tomb in South Africa but it has been removed to South Sulawesi.

Meanwhile, Agus Arifin said that in the past visit to South Africa by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono the plan to build a miniature of Balla Lompoa in Cape Town was discussed.

"The South African envoy mentioned the from central government and thus we will prepare the miniature of Balla Lompoa to be built in Cape Town," Agus Arifin said.

In addition, he said the cooperation with South Africa in the field of education, culture, trade, and tourism would also be developed.

Agus Arifin said that one of tourism cooperation that could be developed was a tour package to South Africa like Umrah package plus to Cairo and Palestine.

In education field, he said South Africa could also be a choice by South Sulawesi students to take their doctorate degrees in mining.

"South Africa with its surrounding countries have a high economic level and are open to South Sulawesi because of their cultural relations," Agus said.

Editor: Priyambodo

South Sulawesi's Parepare exploring marine tourism

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 02/09/2011

Parepare administration in South Sulawesi says it plans to explore the marine tourism potential of the Tonrangeng area in Bacukiki Barat.

Parepare Youth and Sports Affairs and Tourism Agency chief Muhlis Salam said the area could to have a similar success to the widely popular Bunaken National Park marine tourism site in North Sulawesi.

“This is a favorite holiday activity for local and foreign tourists,” Muhlis said Wednesday, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

He said that the administration had asked for a team of researchers from Hasanuddin University (Makassar) to study the area’s tourism potential.

According to preliminary research conducted by the team, the Tonrangeng area is home to 135 fish species.

Muhlis said the Tonrangeng area was next to Parepare, and could thus become an alternative getaway destination for city dwellers.

Manado to host Asia Pacific women`s congress

Antara News, Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Manado, N Sulawesi  (ANTARA News) - Manado, North Sulawesi, is to host an Asia-Pacific Female Officials Congress and an Indonesian Women Legislators Meeting, a spokesperson for the organizers said here Wednesday.

Meiva Salindeho Lintang, chairperson of the events` steering committee, said the congress would be hold in March in Manado City.

The women`s congress would be hold together with an Asean Regional Forum Disaster Relief Exercise (ARF-DIREx), she said.

The chief of the North Sumatera Legislative Assembly said the steering committee would invite First Lady Ani Yudhoyono to be the main speaker at the event.

The invitation had already been sent through the Minister of Women`s Empowerment and Child Protection Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar, Meiva said.

She also said preparations for the event, including arrangements for participants` accommodation, meals, and transportation, were now in full swing.

Local traditional attractions from Minahasa, Sangihe-Talaud and Bolaang Mongondow would be presented to greet the 300 to 500 delegates on their arrival, Meiva said.

The Bunaken National Park would be promoted during the Congress by the local administration, she added.

For the dead

The Jakarta Post, Fri, 12/31/2010

Local villagers in Saddang, North Toraja, South Sulawesi, take part in a traditional burial procession called Mabadong, which involves animal sacrifice. (Antara/Sahrul Manda Tikupadang

Sail Banda participants to be greeted in Wakatobi

Antara News, Thursday, July 22, 2010 15:09 WIB

Kendari, SE Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Sail Banda participants will be greeted with various cultural and art performances when they arrive at Wakatobi islands in Southeast Sulawesi on August 13, 2010.

"When the yachts participating in Sail Banda arrive at Wakatobi port on August 13, we will greet them with traditional "Bangka Mbule-mbule performance," Wakatobi district head Hugua said over his cellular phone from Wangi-wangi on Thursday.

Wakatobi is the name of an archipelago located in an area of Southeast Sulawesi, and in the biodiversity hotspot known as Wallacea as part of the Kepulauan Wakatobi National Park.

The Wakatobi is also home to Operation Wallacea, a UK based for non-profit conservation group looking at sustainable development of fisheries and coral reef research.

"When the yachts participating in Sail Banda approach Wakatobi, thousands of motorboats and local fishermen`s boats will rally around the yachts and escort them to the port," Hugua said.

He said Bangka Mbule-mbule is the ritual tradition of Bajo ethnic community in Wakatobi to ask for the Creator to bestow the local fishermen with blessing and save them from perils when they go fishing at open sea.

According to him, the Bangka Mbule-mbule attraction to greet Sail Banda participants would be performed by around 10,000 fishermen from various coastal areas in Wakatobi.

"About 1,000 motorboats and fishing boats carrying 10,000 fishermen will greet Sail Banda participants as their yachts approach Wakatobi," Hugua said.

He added that Wakatobi people have also prepared various art performances and dances to greet the Sail Banda participants in Wakatobi.

"Without much to say, the arrival of Sail Bada participants in Wakatobi will be marked with big parties because we have made a special committee to greet them as well as possible to make their visit pleasant," Hugua said.

Hugua also expressed hope that Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry would agree on Southeast Sulawesi Governor Nur Alam`s proposal for Wakatobi to host Sail Indonesia 2011.