Asian Transformations in Action - Api-fellowships.org

CIRCLES OF POWER AND COUNTERBALANCES 29from both Muslims and non-Muslims. The wakafcontributions are only for the initial building of the EPas it is envisioned to eventually become a self-sustainingmodel for villages. A donor who contributes IDR75,000receives a certificate for the purchase of a piece of wakafland. However, Dr. Budi points out, “All wakaf belongsto God. EP has taken precautions to ensure no onewill ever sell the assets of EP.” Strict adherence to theprinciples of transparency and accountability in regardsto wakaf donations are observed. The amount of wakafdonations collected is announced daily on radio.The EP addresses the devastating consequences of theexploitation of non-renewable resources, the use ofagricultural chemicals, unbridled urbanization and thelack of access to education and economic self-reliance.The importance of economic activities is visible. At theEP model farms, 48 farmers are growing vegetables thathave a higher market value than conventional produce.The EP markets the produce directly to supermarketsand other outlets. The farmers are guaranteed aminimum income to address fluctuations in prices andthe impact of weather patterns. Interestingly, thesefarmers cited economic benefit as the first reason fortheir participation in the EP activities.The EP model is ecologically friendly and upholdssustainable development principles. It is designed tobe self-sustaining in food and energy and produce zerowaste. Santris (students of pesantrens) receive a holisticeducation in agriculture, Islamic knowledge, science,technology, Islamic values, entrepreneurship andleadership. The integrated education system emphasizeshow to love nature and is intended to build the spiritualand social capital of villages. It is hoped that after theygraduate from the EP, the students will go to rural areasand work with local villagers to empower a village andmake it less dependent on the cities.• Dompet Dhuafa (DD)Dompet Dhuafa (DD), founded on 2 July 1993, isa successful model for zakat collection through theadoption of modern management principles andstrategies—organizational development, transparencyand accountability. DD is one of several like-mindedinstitutions that mobilize and manage IndonesianMuslim community resources, specifically for thezakat, infak and sadaqah (ZIS), which are all formsof charitable giving in Islam (Saidi 2006). DD wasinitially a sister institution of the Republika. In 2001,DD separated from being managed by Republika andassumed greater organizational independence. The ZISresources are managed optimally with professionalism,transparency and accountability.DD’s vision and mission are captured in its logo, whichcontains a picture of a hook, and its motto,“Whoever is unable to fish needs to be providedwith a place to fish from. When the fishing placeis available, he needs to know if there are any fishout there. When there are fish out there, the anglerneeds to be protected from being pushed aside bythose with more experience and more fish hooks.”The main programs of DD are health services, education(including an international school for selected poor malestudents), economic development, human resourcedevelopment, charity and natural disasters response.Its major sources of funding are domestic and includeearned income service fees (0.5 percent), corporatecontributions (0.5 percent) and public donations (99percent). DD’s marketing and fundraising strategies,such as using the media and celebrities, have beenvery successful. Rahmat Riyadi, the President of DD,says: “DD’s success is not a reflection of its successfulfundraising but its success in gaining public trust.”• Yayasan WisnuThe Yayasan Wisnu (YW) was founded in 1990 inBali by Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhistsof different ethnic origins (e.g., Chinese, Javanese,Manado, Balinese). YW takes its name from tri hitakrana, the Hindu triad of Brahma, the Creator; Wisnu,the Conserver; and Siva, the Renewer. Its vision is to bea “catalyst for change through sustainable developmentprinciples for a better quality of life for the Balinese.”YW’s office in Seminyak Kuta stands on land donatedby the family of one of its founders and current director,Made Suaranath. The office was designed by anotherfounder, Popo Danes, an international award-winningarchitect.The initial programs of Yayasan Wisnu focused on wastemanagement and recycling. In Bali, the hotels generatedmuch waste that was dumped indiscriminately. YW wassuccessful in developing recycling models and facilitiesthat are now managed by others.As some of the founders, staff and project participants ofYayasan Wisnu began to express a need for a shift in itsfocus, a three-day consultation on the future directionsof YW was held in 2003 with the founding Board, staffand various stakeholders. The consensus was that the realproblem of development is the paradigm of top-downinterventions. “When a culture and its practices arestill alive, the process is different from urban planningconcepts of the West,” says Suaranath. The meetingAsian Transformations in ActionThe Work of the 2006/2007 API Fellows