Heritage society promotes RI culture

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

There are probably countless expatriates who prefer to remain tourists in the course of their stay in Indonesia and who will likely know little about the country they have been living in by the time their work contracts expire.

Even if they are willing to learn more about the country and its culture, there will probably be fewer who devote much of their time to promoting Indonesian culture here and abroad.

Their lives revolve around working, shopping and leisure- travel, while those who are well-versed in Indonesian culture are indeed rare.

Among these are expatriates members of the Jakarta-based Indonesian Heritage Society (IHS).

Comprising over 500 members from 35 different nations, the society's main objective is to learn about Indonesian culture and make an effort to preserve it, while encouraging others to enjoy it, too.

In close collaboration with the National Museum in the past 32 years, the organization has played an indispensable role in promoting Indonesian culture, especially to foreigners.

Its members have helped the museum translate historical documents and books into either English or Indonesian, as most of the old books in the museum's collection are in Dutch.

In the face of the formidable task of documenting the country's rich cultural legacy, the society lends a hand by taking part in wide scope of research and recording projects in the fields of ancient history, ethnography, ceramics, stone sculptures and textiles.

The organization has also set up language tuition, which aims to provide regular classes for museum staff in Dutch, Japanese and English.

For foreign visitors who have no idea about the country's cultural richness, the society offers a training course for tour guides that is conducted in English, French, Japanese and German, and many other languages based on request.

To increase the knowledge of its members as well as the public at large, the society holds a series of six weekly evening lectures presented twice a year with topics ranging from Indonesian cuisine to the role of Chinese in the Islamic proselytization in the archipelago.

Beginning with only 17 volunteers, the nonprofit organization was established initially as the Ganesha Volunteers on Feb. 28, 1970, with an objective of supporting the museum and promoting the preservation and appreciation of Indonesian art and culture.

The new organization quickly attracted many expatriates. From an initial group of 17 volunteers, organization's membership has fluctuated over the past five years to between 400 and 570 people, representing up to 35 different nationalities. In the course of its existence, the organization has registered the membership of thousands of expatriates.

"Expatriates joined the society because they wanted to know more about the place that they are living in --more than just living here, going to restaurants, pubs and going back home. We have to understand where we are," IHS chairwoman Peggy Ball told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview at the organization's library in Sentral Senayan building in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

Expatriates are also keen to join the organization because they can build close friendships with their Indonesian counterparts while learning more about the country's culture.

"If we just go out as a group of foreigners looking at the same old stuff, it would not be interesting and we would not learn very much. But with the help of our Indonesian members, it is possible for us to meet people and go to places that we had not been able to access before," she said.

Indonesians make up society's third-largest grouping.

Apart from the valuable insight they have received in joining the society, IHS members have also taken pride in assisting the National Museum. "We feel like we are doing valuable service to Indonesia," Ball said.

Members of the organization also take pride in their service to the museum, and consider that the National Museum is one of the best in the world.

"Museums in Europe might have lots of air conditioning and flashy exhibitions and resources to hold traveling exhibits, but when it comes to collections, it is fantastic and huge," she said.

Under Ball's chairmanship, the society in October 2003 was presented with a special award of appreciation by the Jakarta History Museum for the support given to it over the year.

Assuming the society's leadership in 2003, Ball was no stranger to the country and its culture.

Born in 1949 and holding a college degree in the arts and an education certificate that qualifies her to be a school teacher, Ball arrived in 1993 when she accompanied her husband who worked for a U.S. oil company here. They stayed in the country until 2000.

When her husband returned to the country in 2002, she decided to devote most of her time to the society. "The kids are all grown up and gone, so that has given me enough time to be active in the organization," she said.

Ball said that she was impressed with the country and its people upon her first visit. "The creativity of Indonesians is one of its great gifts to the world.

Besides, I came from Montana, a place in the U.S. with a lot of mountains and snow, so it is nice to be here where it's warm," she said.