God, the Almighty of Creator within Human beings's Struggles in Papua

God, the Almghty of Creator within Human beings’s Struggles in Papua
Towards grounding Jakarta - Papua dialogue

Indonesian version of this article can be found at the another link of my blog
http://farsijanaforpizza.blogspot.com/2013/11/tuhan-sang-pencipta-dalam-kekuatan.html

    By Farsijana Adeney – Risakotta

Religion became a part of the modern world today. Predictions about the death of religions are over. With a face that resembles like cultures, religions have appeared to be restrengthened as the source of human power in the 21st century. The debate about the existence of the Creator or the universe was formed as the result of an evolutionary process alone has exceeded the saturation point. After all, each group with each argument can be maintained and trusted by the belief that every person and community allow these beliefs evolved into a reminder to all those who believe. In an era where freedom of speech, conscience and religion is recognized as a fundamental part of living with people in the modern world, it brings diversity in the expression of the human beings who answered the question about the existence of the Almighty, the Creator of the universe.

Logic framework of the Creator as the protector of the family, an ethnic group, clan  village until the state expanded more sense when the approach to explain the teachings conducted by recognizing the role of the Creator Spirit who lives and works in human life. Understanding the Spirit of the static changes with enrichment depiction of the Creator is involved in everyday life of people on earth.

Limitation of religions within the framework of evolutionary understanding has begun to change, especially given the connectedness and inter-influences among religions. Ongoing reform and transformation in every good religion associated with understanding its teachings and practice values ​​that appear in any religious act.

When I was in the hospital Ventura County Medical Center, I was served by a very friendly nurse. We were involved in-depth discussion when she asked about Bali and Hinduism which has caused her to make a big commitment.   Called Cyndy, she was born in Southern California, USA as a Catholic from a parent who was the native of Mexico. 32 -year -old young lady, Cyndy then expained that she did not practice Catholic, even she was  baptized at the church. Now she is learning Hinduism.

 

I asked her why she was interested in Hinduism, she said the Hinduism’s teaching about the body as the center of an individual discipline to understand life takes her attention to understand more.  Hinduism doctrine about the gods and goddesses as well as various dimensions are quite difficult to use in prayer to solidify her choice did not prevent the deepening of the Hindu religion within her private life.   “Raga” which is a cosmic within human body, is an instrument to lead her to uncover the mystery of suffering ( samsara ) in accordance to  reorder the description of the class structure in society that can be equated with castes.  

 

As a child of immigrants in the United States, Cyndy  was educated by her parent with strict disciplines. She has to speak good English in order to participate in the community level that the high levels of quality of life. Her body herself becomes the center of the struggle to overcome the suffering appearance of the classes struggles at the same time she has to be able to strengthening the unique personal space to develop herself. In this context, the doctrine of salvation in which human suffering has been taken over by Christ within the teaching of Christianity appears not to answer the reality of a young woman ‘s struggles to overcome the pressure on her as a child of immigrants. She thinks she the one has to fight in this world. Her body is the center of her efforts to overcome her suffering. Works as a nurse at the hospital as if aware of the suffering of the human body itself of various pain and painful of the physical limitation.

 

Then coming a question for her, as a Hindus practicers from the West what will be most appropriate for her to hold her caste? As a young American, the recognition of the existence of differences in lifestyle and social capital can provide her for a new notion that reality in the United States has given birth to her a new caste. Understanding of the caste born of human social reality that exists in the modern age as well as touching on the universal teachings on human rights that caste is seen as a social class struggle must be done continuously.

In the United States space to the extent of the development of religion and spiritualism value wide open. Though it must be admitted, the impact of the separation of religion and politics visible requires on the prohibition of the teaching of religion as faith in public areas such as schools from the elementary to the high level. Responsibilities of religious teaching are taken over by families who are often too busy to give attention to their children. Children grow up in a country controlled by the tolerance to provide a place to perform various religious teachings to strengthen consciousness as a human in the world. Responsibilities as human beings to understand his or her call to serve the neighbor were awakened by the power of self. In school, since childhood, intelligence, sensitivity, concern for others and ourselves formed skills based on strengthening the capacity of the individual as a human being.

The first time I was served by Cyndy, I somewhat was spellbound. She was small, dark-haired, but her face revealed the face of a movie star Sophia Loren. When Cyndy fed me in my second day at the hospital during the time when my husband had to give a public lecture in the evening at Westmont College in, she said that many people thought she is from France. She said very softly with eyes full of charisma and deep affection. But Cyndy who born in the United States has to open herself to be freed from the various categories defined in the books. The uniqueness of human’s diversity as shown in are so many different ways to interact with each other to address the humanitarian conditions such we faces.

After I was in the hospital for two days, then my husband was discharged and taken home to our friends, Charles and Katherine Farhardian. The room which we used at the house was called Papua. When I entered the room Papua, I was deeply moved, because I feel like I'm back to my grandparent’s house in Serui where my mother was born. The home stage solid save a lot of stories since I was a kid to when I visited it in 2007. That is my fate, an accident took me to the home of Papua in San Barbara.

Papua as a place, like my grandparents house in Serui  in Papua, but Papua is also present in me, as maintained by our friend,  Charles Farhardian. One room of his house is a place where a lot of stories from Papua stored properly in a place very far away in the city of Santa Barbara, California, United States. Wall hangings made ​​from the skin of wood in the shape of Wamena’s art was hanged on the wall of the left from my bed where I laid. There was a photo of one of the chiefs in the Baliem valley in the cupboard to the right of my head lying. All the goods of the land of Papua have a story that thrills me. I was laying on the bed with a variety of spirits that have moved and stayed    in the Papua room. Including also the spirit of my grandmother whose name is "Cootje" is given to become my other name.

In this room, I read for the first time the stories of  leaders’ figures like Amelia Jigibalom Papua, Benny Giay, Willem Rumsarwir, Obed Komba, Marjono Murib, Helena Matuan, Nehemiah Jesua Jikwa, Octovianus Mote, Uma Mark Kilungga, Noakh Nawipa, Herman Awom, and Nicholas Jouwe. Their stories were collected by Charles Fahardian and left with the beauty and power of Eastern Indonesian style of language as the original narrative - Papua tells about themselves, their tribes and their country, Indonesia.

When I read these stories I am more aware of ourselves that survived the terrible accident in order to meet with the Papuan leaders in their story that I revamp. Death that pickes us anytime is beyond the control of self as human beings. But in the stories I am aware of the great power beyond the human self as a person, as a tribe, namely the power of the state, government and military are working systematically to destory my Papuans sisters and brothers.

The stories that they tell a story is true - stories like the Indian tribes in the United States, those whose land was taken by immigrants from Europe in a land called the United States. These stories I 've known 36 years ago as a childhood story by Mark Twain who wrote the book series of stories Winnetau, Apache tribal leaders who was  very brave fight toward the injustice European nations who took their lands.

By the end of October 2013, we were invited to speak and shared with Presbyterian churches in several cities in New Mexico about the religious life in Indonesia. Here when we passed through the territories Apache tribes while I remembered back when I felt like a child of one of the Indian leaders. But it turned out we were taken through out the places which brought me to the recognition of the same name, the Apache. Our host, Gordon and Martia Glass stopped at the building called Apache Nugget by where I decided to get one of the wool blanket that is made specially ​​for a girl and given to her when she is born. This quilt has a very old design made ​​by Pendleton Woolen Mills to the Nez Perce Indians in remembering a leader named Chief Joseph.

 

Chief Joseph was the leader of India who was highly respected by his tribe and its enemies the U.S. Army . He led the 1400 Indian people  to cross the U.S. border into Canada . But in a war that many who died so that as a leader, Chief Joseph was willing to stop the war so that peace efforts could begin . Chief Joseph said : " ... I 'm tired of the fight .. Now cold and no blankets ... Hear my other soldiers , my heart is sick and sad .. and from where the sun will rise , I will not fight again for forever " . Termination of the war opens the negotiations with the U.S. government.  Furthermore , this is the beginning of the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the boundaries of the various Indian tribes that must be respected and handed back by the United States government. My blanket, with Chief Joseph design are given special names in Indian languages  which " .. Hin - mah - too - yah - lat - kert .. " that means thunder rolling down hill . Values reflect caracteristics blanket such as courage, strength, courage and determination .

So I stayed in the home of Papua together with the Papuan Chief Joseph blanket that I always use since I acquired it in New Mexico, in the land of the Apache. When I read the life story of Papuan leaders who edited by Charles Fahardian with the title of the book The Testimony Project " Papua " , the more I believe, our accident in Ventura , California happened so that I could meet with the leaders of Papua in Papua home to hear stories them to be reconnected with the Indian leaders’s stories.

 

Life stories of Indian national figures are refreshed back to me after a trip to New Mexico would also strengthen Papuan leaders in Papua. Suffering of lossing the Papuan land is like the situation of the Indian people in USA back to the early of the arrival of settler in this American continent.  Injustice and violence committed by the Indonesian military reminding us to the same stories here in USA and need to be stopped.  In addition, the leaders of Indian tribes are also willing to start a war to stop the peace process to reduce the loss of ordinary citizens who died in the war.  I wonder if the Papuan leaders willing to stop fighting and start negotiating with the Indonesian government to reduce more casualties than among civilians in Papua.

I  have rewriten this story out to enlist the support of all Americans and citizens of the world to encourage the Indonesian government to undertake immediate the Dialogue of Jakarta and the Papuan people. The momentum of this dialogue has been very long awaited. Even the recommendation of the  hearing meeting conducted on 25-27 July 2013 in Jayapura was to request immediately the Dialogue Jakarta - Papua, then can continue to the reconstruction of  regulation on the status of Papuan Special Autonomy. This recommendation is different from the current reality in which people are being forced to accept the Papua Special Autonomy Plus (Rancangan UU Otsos Plus).

 

I am also writing to spreading out prominent Papuan stories that have been done by Charles Farhardian that Papuan leaders could venture out to prepare them to start a dialogue with the Indonesian government. Because dialogue without Papuan leaders who elected by the people will not produce peace. Dialogue between Jakarta and Papua, Papuan leaders should engage the government and the Indonesian military, they are seen as criminals, rebels, traitors of the nation state of their own.

 

The Papuan leaders who are considered criminals, rebel targeted for killings or putting in jail for a life in prison are actually a believer whose power solely based on defense and the justice that comes from the Creator, Lord of Heaven and Earth. Papuan leaders voice must be heard because they are reminiscent of the struggle values ​​of justice, equality, faith in God Almighty, well-being, such as a written representation on the Indonesian ‘s Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution , which is also on good religious teachings of Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Kongfocu which is the basis of human life in Indonesia.

Six months ago , I sprained right elbow , and I acknowledged
the grace of God because God desires for me to tie my right hand so that I could be an artist to paint, to sculpt a statue of the wire with my left hand so my solo exhibition entitled " Blogs and artistic visualization of Indonesiaku Indonesiamu Indonesia for all " could bring us all about wealth and Indonesia in protecting human limitations .

Among the works of art that I showed off, especially in the theme of 11 satirical series of national law, there were two works related to Papua, the first entitled  Bumi Torang Terbelah which is translated as Our breaking earth", the second one titled  Hukum Rimba or " A law of jungle". While the exhibition took place on May 27, 2013 there was the Papua Festival on Peace followed by a discussion with the community in Yogyakarta, which also involved Papua Intellectual Forum and indigenous people of Papua who have lived in Yogyakarta and Semarang. At the discussion I presented the book titled Petisi Warganegara NKRI untuk Papua to the Chairman of the Papuan intellectual Forum.

See the link:
http://satulingkar.com/detail/read/10/2153/suara-kritis-blogger-muda

I painted with my left hand (nomor 1-3)

 

 

My right wrapping hand helped me to finish 11 wire art on the title of 11 satire of national law -4



wire art on the title of Bumi Torang Terbelah (our breaking earth - 5)

wire art on the title of Hukum Rimba or a law of Jungle -6

Performance of dance which is titled Reconcilition after the war - 7

Gathering together after the festival - 8

Situation during the discussion on the Peace for Papua - 9

I presented the book titled Petisi Warganegara NKRI untuk Papua to the Chairman of Forum Intelektual Papua - 10

 

Giving a speach at the opening of my art exibition (11-12)

Some links to information about the exbition on Blog and Art on Indonesiaku Indonesiamu Indonesia untuk semua can be seen at: 

* Opening of the single art exhibition on Indonesiaku Indonesiamu Indonesia untuk semua (http://www.pinterest.com/farsijanaar/opening-of-the-single-art-exhibition-on-indonesiak/ 

* Festival Papua Perdamaian (http://www.pinterest.com/farsijanaar/festival-papua-perdamaian-the-festival-of-papuas-p) 

*Paintings of Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta (http://www.pinterest.com/farsijanaar/paintings-of-farsijana-adeney-risakotta/) 

*Photographs of Peace

(http://www.pinterest.com/farsijanaar/photographs-of-peace/) 

*Posters of articles (http://www.pinterest.com/farsijanaar/posters-of-articles) 

and

* Art wire of Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta (http://www.pinterest.com/farsijanaar/art-wire-of-farsijana-adeney-risakotta/)

One of my wire art work titled " A Dancer Justice", made ​​when my right hand was put into a cast.   So when a therapist designer at the hospital in Ventura, California came to measure the size of my body to make the brace, I said that the first measurement taken from my body to create a work of art. But now is no longer the same measurement of my body for a work of art, but rather to create a shield that will protect broken bones on my back, to relieve pain and to remind me of the pain due to the injustice suffered by my sisters and brothers in Papua.

 

Left: Dancer of Justice and the painting that is examined by students was titled God Execution

 

 

I was about to leave the hospital in Ventura, California. My Indian blanket wrapped my lower body warmly (11/5/2013)

"Raga" in my body as part of the suffering self but is also associated with suffering brothers and sisters in Papua . Suffering as I do not carry myself as understood by Cyndy as a Hinduism, but has been taken by Jesus Christ first suffered  was crucified , died and then rose . As witnessed in the life stories Papuan leader, a source of strength in their struggle exist  is only in God. 

Now the only activity I can do for 12 weeks using a brace to do is to type with a straight arm on the laptop while I have to stand up every 30 minutes from my chair to walk around to re-typing. I type until I feel tired to put me into a sleep. I am typing to find the face of justice, love, equality, prosperity which we all think is already practiced in our daily lives as God's people.

At our home in Boston, I was typing the story of Testimony Project Papua

Now I would like to release one by one the stories of Papuan leaders as I in my limitation of breaking back bone, is typing slowly. I thought God has given my husband and me alive from the tremendeous car accident so that I can type out the stories to be spread out worldwide so many people can hear these voices.