O2 Members Network with Indonesian Allies

Oxygen Collective members Nathan Pundt and Becky White recently
traveled to Indonesia where they met members of Taring Padi, an
“independent non-profit cultural community” that uses art to build
the ecology and democracy movements in their home in Central Java and
throughout Indonesia. [http://www.anakseribupulau.info/]

In Bali, they were supporting the work of community leader Pak Tjok Agung
who is developing programs in his village of Pejeng to build the local
economy and community in ways that are sustainable and not dependent on
tourism. After the terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005, the Balinese
economy has struggled, especially in areas outside of the main tourist
centers. Pejeng is one of the oldest inhabited parts of the island and
tourists do come to visit the old temples and archaeological sites, but it
doesn’t receive the overwhelming visitation and tourist money like nearby
Ubud.

Pak Tjok has offered land near a temple in the center of the
village for visitors to come and support local programs for reforestation,
organic agriculture, education and other community projects. A large
focus is growing natural dyes such as indigo for Pak Tjok’s well-known
batik studio where he employs several villagers to make beautiful batiks
with these all natural dyes. They are currently seeking funds to finish a
building that will house a library, computer, and rooms for visitors who
can teach english or other skills as they learn about batik and help with
the other projects.
Back in Java, members of Taring Padi are trying to stop Exxon Mobil
from expanding its dangerous and exploitative oil mining in their home
village, Blora. Two years ago, Taring Padi hosted a Forest Art
Festival in the Blora region, a forested (and deforested) region that
it is a historic center of the teak industry. This festival brought
together local people and activists from other parts of Indonesia,
Australia, and America by sharing visual and performance art – both
traditional music and dance and modern performance, punk rock, and
electronica. Participants networked, built site-specific art projects
with natural materials, and planted trees. The next Forest Art
Festival is planned for 2008. We hope to travel to Java to
participate and bring together our strands of the global struggle to
protect and restore forests everywhere.
For more information about these projects or to buy hand-made batiks
to support the work in Pejeng, contact nathan@o2collective.org