Jakarta Fair '99 not only for business
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Fair 1999 has opened an opportunity not only to promote business but also to increase public awareness on various social issues.
A large number of visitors was always the reason traders and industrialists participated in the annual event. A similar reason was aired by various social organizations participating in this year's event.
Until yesterday, more than half a million people have visited the bazaar, held at the former Kemayoran Airport in Central Jakarta, from Aug. 6 until Aug. 22.
The Indonesian Women's Association For Justice (APIK), a nongovernmental organization (NGO) promoting women's social and legal rights, was among the nonbusiness institutions participating in this year's event.
"We see the Jakarta Fair as a good opportunity to promote our mission," Iit Rahmatin from APIK said.
She said many female visitors showed great interest with the association's programs, especially its free legal consultation for women.
"So far 13 guests have acquired our free legal advice, some asking on behalf of friends or relatives," Iit said.
She said most female visitors came to APIK's stand asking for solutions to gender-related cases, including divorce, spousal abuse, sexual harassment and problems with boyfriends.
The stand provides the association's monthly newsletter and brochures discussing cases of under-age prostitution, child abuse and labor rights.
Swisscontact, a Swiss-based environmental organization, took the opportunity to promote clean air in Jakarta.
In cooperation with the city administration, it is now working on a program called SEGAR! Jakartaku (My Jakarta is fresh). The program, aimed at reducing air pollution in the capital, focuses on reducing gas emissions from motor vehicles.
Adya, a Swisscontact staff member, said they tried to persuade car owners to regularly check the car's engine and always use environmentally friendly products.
Yet the organization found it difficult to change people's habits since environmentally friendly gasoline is more expensive than regular.
About one block north, students of the Jakarta Art Institute (IKJ) are grouped under Sekte Komik (comic group) Association of comic writers. They opened a stand to promote Indonesian comics amid the struggle against foreign domination of the comic industry here.
"We are independent and don't restrict ourselves to a specific comic style," comic artist, Al Fitri M.Z. said.
However, Alfi acknowledged that Japanese and American comics strongly influenced local comic artists' writing style.
Sekte Komik's stand is usually crammed with people looking at paintings and sketches of different comic creations decorating the walls. Visitors can also procure their works, which are unavailable in stores.
At one corner of the fair's exhibition hall, a group of bookworms have set up a stand selling rare books through auctioning.
The stand, Pasar Buku (book market), has already auctioned off 12 book collections.
One book, the first edition of "Dibawah Bendera Revolusi" (Under the Flag of the Revolution) by Indonesia's first president Sukarno, was auctioned off at Rp 1.5 million (US$196).
Most books were obtained from book markets in Pasar Senen, Central Jakarta, and others from private collections.
To accommodate interests of other bookworms, they have opened a book club for readers to trade information and discuss new books. (03)