RI, Lebanon to organize interfaith dialog

Antara News, Monday, February 8, 2010 01:37 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The governments of Indonesia and Lebanon will organize an interfaith dialog that will present religious leaders from both countries in Yogyakarta in the middle of 2010, an envoy said.

"This will be the second dialog of its kind organized by both nations," Indonesian Ambassador to Lebanon Bagas Hapsoro said here on Sunday.

The interfaith dialog will be attended by religious leaders and academicians of both countries. "This is interesting because in Lebanon alone there are 12 different religious groups," he said.

He said that the dialog would be held as a means of bridging the interactions and communications of religious leaders who had nowadays played an important role in building harmonious relations among religious communities.

In the dialog religious leaders are also expected to share their common experience in building and nurturing religious harmony and in establishing and increasing a new dimension in the relations between the two countries, the ambassador said.

Indonesia and Lebanon have previously organized an interfaith dialog in Beirut in late 2008 under a theme: "Promoting Interfaith Dialogue In a Plural Society."

The dialog was organized in cooperation with the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut and the Dar El Fatwa of Lebanon.

Envoy distributes Lebanese aid in Padang

Antara News, Tuesday, January 12, 2010 16:52 WIB

Padang (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Ambassador to Lebanon Bagas Hapsoro here on Tuesday distributed US$49,700-worth of aids from Lebanon for the reconstruction of an elementary school, SD 38 in Padang`s Kampung Baru area which was destroyed by the September 30 earthquake.

On the occasion, Bagus Hapsoro expressed hope that relations between Indonesian community, especially from Padang, and Lebanese community would improve in the future.

"The reconstruction of the school with the assistance from Lebanon is expected to be a cohesive force in the improvement of the relationship," Bagus said.

He also called on the people of Padang not to be disappointed in whatever situation but continued to be hopeful.

The assistance from Lebanon was symbolically received by Padang Mayor Fauzi Bahar, who extended his sincere gratitude to Lebanese community who have helped alleviate the misery of earthquake victims in Padang.

Fausi also expressed hope that the people in Padang would seen the devastating earthquake from a positive point of view.

According to him, Padang municipal administration would soon set up evacuation shelters for the local people when an earthquake and tsunami occur.

Meanwhile SD 38 Kampung Baru headmaster Kasniwarti said the powerful earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale that jolted Padang on September 30, 2009 destroyed seven classrooms of the school.

Consequently, some 270 students at present are studying under two makeshift tents and two emergency rooms provided to them by local education office.

Padang school to be repaired with Lebanese aid

Antara News, Monday, January 11, 2010 21:16 WIB

Padang, W Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Elementary School 38 in Padang which was heavily damaged by the 30 September 2009 earthquake will be rehabilitated with financial assistance from Lebanon, a local education official said.

"The Lebanese assistance will be given to the school through the Indonesian Ambassador to Lebanon, Bagas Hapsoro, on Tuesday," HM Nur Amin, head of Padang city`s education office, said on Monday.

He said he did not know exactly the amount of the Lebanese assistance. "I do not know the exact amount. I also do not know whether it is aid from the Lebanese government or the Lebanese people," said Nur Amin.

According to Nur, many schools affected by the temblor in Padang still needed to be repaired, Most of their students were still studying in tents and emergency buldings.

Therefore, he said, it was hoped many more parties would provide financial assistance to repair damaged schools in Padang.

"We can not rely on Padang city`s regional budget to rehabilitate school buildings, because the budget is very limited, "he said.

He said his office had been allocated a budget of Rp22 billion for 2010. Most of the funds were to be used for routine activities, the implementation of the National Examination, and enrolment of new students.

Since the earthquake on September 30, education aid from outside West Sumatra had been flowing to the city of Padang. On January 8, 2010, Southeast Sulawesi Governor Nur Alam, also gave assistance worth Rp3.2 billion for the reconstruction of Junior High school (SMP) 29 Nanggalo.