NEWS FROM INDONESIA.

Meeting of brothers in charge of garden and livestock.

Resolution 28B of the General Chapter 2018 encourages all FIC provinces and communities to develop educational programs, aiming at fostering the awareness and care of the environment in the spirit of the encyclical Laudato Si’ of Pope Francis. The ConCon 2022 further requests our provinces to remain committed to promoting awareness of individual brothers and communities in caring for the environment and at the same time, taking concrete steps to implement the resolution.

In line with this resolution, Indonesia province has organized a gathering for all brothers who are in charge of gardening and livestock in the province. From Saturday 5th to Sunday 6th November, 2022, these brothers met in St. Josef Community, Candi-Semarang. The meeting was organized by the Asset Management Advisory Commission (KPPA) of Indonesia Province to enable brothers discern and share ideas on concrete ways to improve their efforts in environmental management.

(Bro. Marcellinus Senen in his garden)

Brothers from various communities in Java and Yogyakarta also attended the meeting. The management of Budi Mulya Semarang Foundation (YBMS) was also invited. It was expected that the meeting would inspire the management of YBMS in designing and mentoring programs for our communities and the society at large.

The participants were invited to reflect on the values and concerns expressed in Laudato Si', the document of Pope Francis. Bro. Michael Sidharta Susila facilitated the meeting.

One of the things called for in the Laudato Si document is an appeal to treat every creature in the world as a subject worthy of respect and dignity. This may change the mindset of human beings thinking of using fellow creatures as objects only for their (human) benefit. With such a fundamental mindset, spontaneous awareness will emerge and will help us take care of nature and the environment.

(Second year novises in their garden)

Participants gained knowledge on how to carefully plan and prepare for projects regarding gardening and livestock keeping. Bro Heribertus Sumardjo was the group leader during the discussion on this topic. The significance of gardening and animal rearing/breeding was also discussed in detail. Gardening is a way of improving the environment we live in through the addition of plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Organic gardening improves the air and the soil quality. Growing our own food is a way of beautifying our space; and, instead of taking something away from the natural world, we are adding something green and beautiful. Participants recognized that good parcels of land are available for gardening and livestock grazing in the province. If the administration of these projects is proactive, the outcome will benefit our congregation.

It was also deemed essential to help young people learn about ecoenzym, and this was the topic on Sunday morning. The discussion was led by Sr. Agata Titi BKK and Mrs Esti Anggoro of Semarang's Bongsari Parish. Mrs Esti Anggoro is an ecoenzym activist and a member of the Save Nature Movement. The two presenters helped the participants to understand in depth what ecoenzyms are, their benefits, and how they are made in full. Ecoenzyme movement has been around for quite some time. The subject is excellent for natural environmental management.

(Bro. Petrus Sutimin in his garden in Tumbang Titi, Ketapang, West Kalimantan)

It can also be utilized to improve human health. Some groups are already benefitting enormously from the application of ecoenzym. The interaction made the brothers realize that there are numerous ways to express gratitude to God for human existence.

Furthermore, using appropriate methods and means for these projects can easily be done on a modest scale. Of course, the most crucial advantage is for the brothers in question. It could be feasible for such activities to generate revenue for the congregation. Hopefully, the brothers will be inspired to use their ingenuity to exploit our gardens and yards, beginning with modest available means within the vicinity.

 Bro. Michael Sidharta