Congress to discuss social safety net program<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The social safety net program will be at the top
\nof the agenda at the national congress of the Nahdlatul Ulama
\n(NU) Family Welfare Institute when it opens here next month.<\/p>\n
President B.J. Habibie will open the institute's sixth
\ncongress at the State Palace next month, although subsequent
\nsessions of the congress will take place in East Java, NU
\nofficials said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Ilyas Ruhiyat, the chairman of the NU's law making body, said
\nthe congress would focus its attention on several social issues,
\nincluding the promotion of family planning and family welfare
\nprograms and education.<\/p>\n
"Discussion of the social safety net programs will be high on
\nour agenda," Ilyas said after meeting the President at Merdeka
\nPalace. The program is under the spotlight with several parties
\nquestioning the transparency of the use of its funds.<\/p>\n
Habibie was accompanied to the meeting by Minister of
\nReligious Affairs Malik Fajar and State Minister of Women Affairs
\nTutty Alawiyah.<\/p>\n
Ilyas was accompanied by the institute's chairman Andi M.
\nRamly and NU deputy chairman Rozy Munir. The NU, which is chaired
\nby Abdurrahman Wahid, is the country's largest Muslim
\norganization.<\/p>\n
Rozy said the institute had worked since 1977 to promote and
\nincrease awareness of family planning and contraceptives.<\/p>\n
He said it had succeeded in promoting the use of condoms,
\ncontraceptive pills and injections, and vasectomies.<\/p>\n
"We are working hard to get family planning widely accepted,"
\nsaid Rozy.<\/p>\n
Last week, the government of Singapore asked the NU to
\ndistribute humanitarian aid which included medicine and 500
\nmetric tons of rice destined for people in East and Central Java.
\nThe donation was part aid worth S$12 million (US$7.2 million)
\npledged by Singapore last July.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah, the country's second largest Muslim
\norganization, was also asked to distribute humanitarian aid
\ndonated by the government of Singapore. (prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/congress-to-discuss-social-safety-net-program-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}