Asian Transformations in Action - Api-fellowships.org

PERSISTENT PROBLEMS, PROMISING SOLUTIONS AND BENEFICENCE33farming of coffee, which is carried out through subak,the village cooperative. The village is also a watercatchment area, where the underground water forms ariver which flows down to Southern Bali. “We have strictrules on the conservation of bamboo planted from thetime of our ancestors,” emphasizes Pak Juta, the villagehead. Bamboo prevents erosion; hence, indiscriminateharvesting of bamboo is not permitted.Category 5: Advocacy philanthropy“The notion that philanthropy, to retain itscharacter, must remain non-controversial representsa fundamental misunderstanding of the institution,which not only prevents its historical development, butalso destroys its essential values. The most traditional ofcharitable purposes ordinarily require the acquisition,development and dissemination of information andideas and they are not rendered the less charitablebecause such information or ideas are disputable anddisputed.” (Albert M. Sachs in Rabinowitz 1990)The critical role of institutions in the developmentof policies, advocacy for social justice and equity andsystemic change require philanthropic support. Thewords of Albert M. Sachs affirm this.• Transparency International IndonesiaTransparency International Indonesia (TII) is a civilsociety organization established in October 2000 as partof global efforts to eliminate corruption and promotetransparency and accountability in government, businessand civil society. It is governed through voluntaryassociation by a Board of Directors and a SupervisoryBoard. TII’s projects extend to seventeen regions whereit has regional and field offices.TII’s main strategic programs and projects focus onadvocacy, policy changes and public education. Researchand capacity building for communities, governmentofficials and businesses on issues related to corruption aresome of its priorities. Corruption Perception Surveys inthirty-two cities in Indonesia are an important tool forpolicy advocacy and public education. Building islandsof integrity through Integrity Pacts is another strategicintervention in the battle against corruption. Otherareas of work are political party financing, tax reforms,CSR, extractive industries and tax reforms. Publicationsof research findings and guidebooks strengthen TII’sadvocacy and capacity building activities. A major TIIproject is the monitoring of the rehabilitation of Acehfollowing the devastation of it in the Asian tsunami.“One organization alone cannot fight deep-rootedcorruption. Coalition building is important,” says RizalMalik. TII participates actively in several coalitionsstriving for policy reforms for greater transparency andaccountability in government and business to achievesocial justice, a central element in achieving sustainabledevelopment.Category 6: Philanthropy-support organizationsResearch institutions and associations play effectiveroles in the growth of indigenous philanthropy andthe quality of philanthropic efforts. In Indonesia, thePublic Interest Research and Advocacy Center andthe Center for the Study of Religion and Culture atUniversiti Islam Negara have undertaken surveys andstudies on patterns of giving in Indonesia and on wellknown indigenous philanthropy institutions.The recently established Philanthropy Associationof Indonesia likewise undertakes research, advocatesfor policies to spur growth in the philanthropy fieldand promotes national, regional and internationalnetworking.The Asia Pacific office for the UN MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDG) at the United NationsDevelopment Programme in Jakarta is also pivotal increating awareness on CSR and the need for Indonesiato achieve the goals by 2015.ConclusionThis paper attempts to bring a better understandingof the pluriformity of philanthropy in the modernera in Indonesia, the most populous Islamic nation inthe world. The philanthropic institutions examinedin the study are transforming charity, rooted inreligious, cosmological and community values, intosocial investments such as the eradication of poverty,education, advocacy, environmental protection andsustainable development. Corporate philanthropyis likewise emerging as an important contributor todevelopment in Indonesia. However, there are manychallenges to the institutionalization of philanthropy.These are:• Transforming and creating more professionallymanagedphilanthropic institutions to enhancegiving and serving;• Finding solutions to prevent the loss of landto development and the loss of communitiesthat sustain traditional and cultural forms ofphilanthropy;• Confronting perceptions on the purpose ofAsian Transformations in ActionThe Work of the 2006/2007 API Fellows