Pancur Kasih promotes ethnic harmony

Pancur Kasih promotes ethnic harmony

Bambang Bider, Contributor, Pontianak, West Kalimantan

Unique handicrafts made by the Dayak tribe decorate the
reception of a likewise unique credit union. Two glass paintings
on either side of the entrance depict a dancing Dayak couple
dressed in traditional costume. Their hospitable faces radiate a
warm welcome to visitors.

While there is skepticism about whether interethnic
relationships in this province will ever improve, this financial
institution seems to be going against the grain. Located at Jl.
Selat Sumba III, Credit Union Pancur Kasih (Love Fountain Credit
Union, CU-PK) has been doing the impossible since 1982. That is,
fostering reconciliation through a cooperative undertaking that
involves different ethnic and religious groups in this province.

Interethnic relations have been a touchy issue in West
Kalimantan. A bloody ethnic conflict has pitted native Malays and
Dayak against Madurese migrants. Other major ethnic groups
include Chinese and Javanese.

This credit union was established under the auspices of the
Pancur Kasih Social Work Foundation (YKSPK).

"It all started after AR Mecer, P. Florus and Stefanus Buan
took part in credit union basic education, a program jointly
conducted by the socioeconomic development division of the
Pontianak Diocese and the Indonesian Credit Union Coordination
Board (BK3D)," said Oktavianus Kamusi, the CU-PK manager.

The foundation, believing that a credit union was one of the
appropriate ways to develop popular economic undertakings,
campaigned for the establishment of this credit union. In 1987,
CU-PK came into being.

Kamusi said that in the beginning the credit union was meant
only for members within the foundation, who were generally
Christians of Dayak origin. "It was this early image of the
credit union that had persuaded non-Dayak people to join," he
said.

With its operation, CU has been striving to narrow the
economic gap between the indigenous and the nonindigenous
although there are some who believe that this gap is the root
cause of the communal conflict in West Kalimantan.

The credit union has freed itself from the controversy over
the matter. "CU-PK began by being concerned with the economic
condition of low-income earners and has never taken ethnicity
into account in its operation," said Kamusi, who is convinced
that CU-PK can be an effective means to bring about interethnic
reconciliation, a condition supported by solidarity, the third
pillar of the cooperative movement.

In 2003, CU-PK boasted about 13,267 members, of whom some 30
percent are Chinese, Malay, Madurese, Javanese, Batak and so
forth. "These people became interested in joining CU-PK as early
as 1998 and 1999," he added.

Mariati of the West Kalimantan Economic and Cooperatives
Supervisory Board (BPEK), who is a member of Credit Union
Katulistiwa Bhakti (CU-KB), a credit union that, along with CU-
PK, is a member of BK3D, said: "Before the era of regional
autonomy was ushered in, there was a cooperatives regional office
in the province. Financially battered cooperatives continued to
receive funds from the central government. Today, that is no
longer the case, so these bad cooperatives are in great trouble,"
she said.

"In 1998, we conducted a comparative study between CU-PK and
CU-KB. We were prompted to do this because there were a lot of
irregularities in work unit cooperatives in the West Kalimantan
provincial administration," she said.

She said that the first lesson learned from this comparative
study was that CU-PK was exemplary in managerial transparency
about, among other things, its cash flow, accountability and
membership. "It is almost an ideal cooperative," said Mariati,
who is this year's recipient of the largest dividend. She added
that she had never been discriminated against by fellow members
and the board of CU-KB, most of whom are non-Muslims.

She said CU-PK was a place for apprenticeships and comparative
studies for local government cooperatives and cooperative
activists from Papua, Maluku, Java, Bali and East, Central and
South Kalimantan.

As of Dec. 31, 2001, CU-PK's assets were worth Rp 37 billion,
and it ranked first in the Indonesian Credit Union Movement.

"For this achievement, CU-PK has received two citations --
both in management -- from the State Ministry of Cooperatives and
Small and Medium Enterprises," Kamusi said.

Kamusi said that for the pluralist community of West
Kalimantan, CU-PK was useful in that it provided loans at a low
interest rate.

"As it can offer low-interest loans, community members can
borrow money for their enterprises. This means opening up more
job opportunities and eventually raising the standard of living
for people living in West Kalimantan."

Abdul Hanan, an owner of public transportation vehicles and a
member of CU-PK for two years said, "I only regret not having
gone to CU-PK earlier. Otherwise, I would have had more than
three public transportation vans in operation now."

Hailing from Jember, East Java, Hanan said that CU-PK had been
instrumental in helping his business, especially because he could
get low-interest loans, enjoy solidarity with other members and
develop his business. In this way, he added, he could employ more
people.

"In my opinion, CU-PK really intends to help me. The honesty
is most important of all. Although they know I'm a migrant, I
have never been treated badly," he said. He promised he would
encourage his friends to join CU-PK, too.

"I used to think that CU-PK was only for certain religious and
ethnic groups. I realize how wrong I have been. I know many
outsiders, like me, who have benefited from CU-PK," said Zaleha,
a teacher.

Kamusi added, "All this is a result of the cooperation and
commitment of its members, who trust the credit union. This
commitment is based on solidarity and is free of discrimination
against any group's background. It is hoped that CU-PK will be a
basis for a popular economy that is capable of competing with
capitalism."