Human Society and Its Environment
Stage 3 Unit of Work
PRIMARY SCHOOLS
ACTION PROJECT KIT
“Three billion people – half the worldʼs population- live on less than $2 a day.
In a world of great wealth, in a world of scientific and technological wonders, in a world in which
people are more aware than ever before of how ʻthe other half livesʼ, that should be unacceptable.
Extreme poverty is an affront to human dignity and human rights.”
Kofi Annan – Ex United Nations Secretary General
www.manly-manado.org.au
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CONTENTS
1. Rationale
Page 3
2. Program Outline
Page 4
3. K- 6 HSIE Syllabus Stage 3 Outcomes & Indicators
Page 5
4. Teaching Strategies & Lesson Activities
Pages 6-10
5. Background Notes for Teachers
Pages 11-16
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RATIONALE
This unit of work on the Community Partnership between Manly and Manado is designed to
give students in the Manly community a global perspective on the inequalities that exist in our
world and provide them with tangible evidence of how community-based organisations can
have a significant impact on helping to reduce these inequalities.
This H.S.I.E unit provides students with opportunities to develop understanding and
appreciation of Indonesian culture, past, present and future. Comparisons will be made
between Australia and Indonesian Students are encouraged to find practical ways that they
can support and help our friends in Manado.
This resource for teachers and students is designed to encourage and develop within
students the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to take their place as informed and
engaged global citizens. This case study includes a series of lesson activities, which are
designed for students in Stage 3 Human Society and Its Environment and provide teaching/
learning activities for differentiated independent and small group work. It also includes up-todate case studies, graphs, maps, charts, webquests, ideas for Internet research, and
practical ideas for action.
One of the guiding beliefs of Manly-Manado is that poverty can be overcome through
education, reflection and action. The concern of 2005 to Make Poverty History has extended
to communities across the globe. This call to social action extends especially to our youth.
They, too, play an important role in working with the poor to help change the underlying
structures that cause poverty and suffering for so many of the worldʼs peoples.
This unit provides opportunities for students to develop understanding and appreciation of
traditional Indonesian culture and how it has changed as a result of interactions with other
cultures.
ʻPoverty is the lack of freedom, enslaved by crushing daily burden, by depression and fear of
what the future will bringʼ.
Voices of the Poor (World Bank)
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PROGRAM OUTLINE
Unit Duration:
Approximately 9-11 weeks
Focus Questions:
CUS 3.4 & EN S3.6 How and Why Do Cultures Change?
CUS 3.3, 3.4 & SS S 3.7 Why are our links with Asian Neighbours important?
Topics:
Geography & Physical features of Manado, Indonesia
1. Indonesian History,
2. Indonesian Culture & Changes
3. Global Connections:
- Trade Links Australia has with Indonesia
- Asian Influences in Australia
- Micro Finance Loans
- Australiaʼs International Aid Programs
- Manlyʼs involvement with Manado
Assessment Strategies:
Group project presentations, brochures, end of topic test, bookwork, class participation.
Links to other KLAs:
English – Students develop skills in writing, speaking and listening, reading and dramatic
performance.
Science and Technology - content crosses over from the Built Environments strand.
Creative and Practical Arts – group performance and model making.
Resources:
Manly-Manado website: www.manly-manado.org.au
Indonesian video, library books, travel brochures, Manly-Manado guest speaker.
The Boardʼs website for Lesson Ideas, Outcomes and Indicators
(http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au).
Recordings of traditional Indonesian/Balinese music, eg the gamelan.
Teachers should ensure that the resources selected reflect both tourism and non-tourism
related activities. Avoid an overemphasis on exotic aspects of Balinese culture that may be
reflected in travel guides.
Literacy Notes:
This unit provides opportunities for students to explore recounts, information reports,
explanations, discussions and expositions. The HSIE teaching strategies/practices in this unit
include brainstorming, retrieval charts, consequence charts, artefacts, task cards and jigsaw
groups.
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OUTCOMES & INDICATORS
CULTURES CUS3.4 Examines how cultures change through interactions with other cultures
and the environment.
• Describes the cultural diversity that exists in Australia today
• Identifies ways in which education, religion and culture influence the viewpoints people have about their
identity
• Explores cultural change in Manado/Indonesia and compares with Australia
• Identifies the impact that the environment can have on any culture
• Identifies some of the influences of technology on cultural change, eg television, Internet, satellite, radio
• Examines how cultural diversity causes cultural change, including conflict situations.
ENVIRONMENTS ENS3.5 Demonstrates an understanding of the interconnectedness between
Australia and global environments and how individuals and groups can act in an ecologically
responsible manner.
• Uses maps and globes to locate global and Australian reference points, eg hemispheres, political states,
lines of latitude and longitude, mountains and oceans, physical and cultural regions
• Locates patterns of movement of people, products & information, including where goods and services come
from
• Locates and describes patterns of human involvement in environmental areas for e.g. use of rainforest
areas
• Compares human use of an environmental area with use in another area of the world, eg cities of Sydney
and Jakarta, rainforests of Queensland and Indonesia, urban and rural areas
• Explains the effects of human changes on an environment, evaluating the positive & negative aspects of
changes
• Explains the effects of natural changes on the environment, such as floods, earthquakes and fires, and how
people respond to these changes
• Locates places on a globe that they hear about or view in written, media and electronic texts
• Draws accurate sketch maps of a known area and includes title, key, scale and direction
• Evaluates a variety of ways of addressing environmental problems in Australia and other countries
• Uses geographical terminology and tools to locate and investigate environments
• Identifies how aspects of religious and belief systems can affect the way groups interact with the
environment
• Investigates an environmental issue of global significance.
ENVIRONMENTS ENS3.6 Explains how various beliefs and practices influence the ways in
which people interact with, change and value their environment.
• Evaluates alternative views about the care and use of natural and built environments, eg economic, spiritual
• Identifies the different viewpoints that may be held by groups and individuals, including Aboriginal peoples,
farmers and miners, about land use
• Identifies their own code of behaviour as it applies to their local area
• Expresses a personal point of view on an environmental issue and provides supporting evidence
• Compares the relative costs and benefits of different technologies used to modify and create environments.
SOCIAL SYSTEMS & STRUCTURES SSS3.7 Describes how Australian people, systems and
communities are globally interconnected and recognises global responsibilities.
Gathers information about some of Australiaʼs major exports and imports
Explains how global interactions need to be assessed for their global implications
Describes how and why Australia is interdependent with other nations, eg trade, international treaties
Explains the ways in which technologies and systems assist global interconnections eg satellites
Identifies human rights, when these are respected, and situations in which they are not respected
Describes universal human needs and the efforts of organisations in meeting these needs, eg ManlyManado, Bridge of Hope, Project Compassion
• Identifies some organisations that support employers and workers, eg associations, federations, unions
• Makes statements about global responsibilities, eg care of the planet, human rights
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Lesson 1: Unit Introduction
• Make statements about global responsibilities, eg in meeting responsibilities of users and producers of
goods and services, care of the planet, human rights
• Describe universal human needs and the efforts of organisations these needs
• Appreciate our standard of living when compared to children in third world countries
• Appreciate the richness of Indian culture and traditions
• Empathise with people in poverty and be willing to make a difference through understanding, donations,
prayer, political lobbying, etc
1. Begin a list of all the different ways in which Australians are globally connected.
2. Make explicit the focus question for inquiry: ʻHow is Australia globally connected and what
are our responsibilities?ʼ
3. Students brainstorm the names of countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
4. Class discussion to determine prior knowledge of Indonesia:
Map location, environment, history, culture, language, art etc.
If students have visited places in Indonesia or countries nearby they are encouraged to
share experiences.
5. Class Mind map: What can we learn about studying another culture?
Explain that we are studying Manado to learn about another culture and to be able to
make comparisons between traditional and contemporary Indonesia. The unit of work
explores global connections and how our community can partner with a community in a
developing country.
6. Students draw a concept mind map of Indonesia use categories to help students
brainstorm- people, location, climate, history, religion, art, work, family, government.
7. Questions to investigate: students write 5-10 questions to answer at the conclusion of the
unit.
8. Colour Indonesian flag using correct colours (optional title page for the unit).
9. View a short video on Indonesia.
Extension: Students find brochures, artefacts, pictures or relevant information about
Indonesia to share with the class.
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Lesson 2. Environmental Features of Manado
• Locate features on world maps, such as political boundaries, latitude and longitude, major cities and other
natural features
1. Students use atlases and travel brochures to locate Indonesia on a world map and find
where Manado is in relation to the islands, Australia and other countries in Asia.
2. Students locate main rivers, cities and oceans in and around Indonesia.
3. Using the given worksheet, students explain the features of Manadoʼs city and village
environments.
4. Discuss what the climate might be like and how this encourages tourism.
Lesson 3. History of East Indonesia
• Compares cultural change in Australia with cultural change in other nations
• Investigate the characteristics of various cultural groupings
1. Distribute timeline information sheet. Read and discuss Manado and Indonesiaʼs history.
2. Cut out and arrange the significant dates in order on a timeline. Colour and illustrate the
timeline in books.
3. Students reflect on Indonesiaʼs history and use the timeline to discuss how Indonesiaʼs
history is similar/different to Australiaʼs history?
Extension: Select one aspect of Indonesiaʼs history and find out more about it.
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Lesson 4: Manadonese / Indonesian Culture
• Use a variety of source material, to investigate Indonesia, comparing its traditions, belief systems and
practices with Australia.
• Compares cultural change within a country and the influences of technology and the environment on cultural
change
• Compare and contrast cultures of other countries with our own
• Understand how historical events can influence a culture
• Appreciate that peaceful demonstrations can bring about national change
• Investigate ways that people express their identity through clothes, language or cultural activities
Resources: Video of life in Manado, photos, internet and books on Indonesia
1. Students reflect on the role played by the tourist industry in maintaining and highlighting
traditional Indonesian culture.
2. In groups, students examine tourist brochures to identify how traditional Indonesian
culture is presented in advertising/promotions/tours, noting aspects that are not featured.
They could then compare this with portrayals of Australian culture in similar brochures.
3. Students research the following questions:
• Are all people still living traditional village lifestyles?
• What traditions continue today?
• Why do they continue (for what purpose/s)?
• What aspects of traditional lifestyle have changed (for e.g. dress, music, food,
employment, technology, housing, land care)?
• What has caused these changes (for e.g. new industries, tourism)?
• Have these changes occurred amongst all people in Manado?
• Have the changes occurred slowly or rapidly?
4. Have students complete a retrieval chart of the changes:
Students locate pictures, in geographic magazines, tourist brochures or photo albums that
show aspects that have changed. These images could be used to illustrate the retrieval
chart.
Ask students to critically analyse commercially produced images to identify and discuss
aspects such as purpose and audience (Who has taken these shots? For what purpose?)
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Lesson 5: Group Research Project on Indonesia
Divide class into research groups1. Languages
2. Community Life
3. Traditional Beliefs
4. Dance, Drama & Music
5. Traditional Art & Craft
6. Festivals & Ceremonies
7. Family Life
8. Environment
9. Dress
10. Traditional Food
1. Divide the class into ten groups to become experts on one aspect of traditional and
contemporary Indonesian culture. Allocate task cards & explain project instructions.
2. Groups research and complete the task cards in order to prepare presentations that
incorporate a variety of resources and multimedia techniques
3. Students are to include in presentation how their aspect of Indonesian culture has
changed over time and include a comparison to Australian culture.
Lesson 6: Global Connections Manly-Manado
1. Organise a visit from a Manly-Manado volunteer to share with students about the
movement.
Key questions for discussion:
• What is poverty?
• Who are the poor?
• What causes poverty?
• What are the effects of poverty?
• What are the experiences of people living in poverty?
2. View website about specific families in Manado.
3. Students discuss the following questions:
• What are the main differences between your life and that of a child living in poverty in
Manado?
• What would be the difficulties of living with your whole family in a one-roomed house?
• What are some of the dangers of earning a living as a rag-picker?
Response to Poverty:
Students compose a ½ page response to the topic ʻThings I can do for people in povertyʼ.
Extension: Write a letter of encouragement to a family in Manado.
Students research other organisations that have been created to try and assist communities
experiencing poverty.
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Lesson 7: Cultural Changes in Indonesia
1. Have students reflect on ways in which Indonesian cultures have changed and are
continuing to change. Discuss the positive and negative effects of these changes for the
Indonesian people.
Changes occurring
Food
Land care
Employment
Technology
Causes/Influences
Positive or negative effects
2. Through discussion, compare the changes and effects with changes that have occurred or
are occurring in other parts of the world, including Australia.
3. Have students develop consequence charts and explore value positions based on some
current issues, including environmental, religious or political issues confronting
Indonesian people and tourists, for e.g. land sales for the development of golf courses,
the use of religious symbols on holiday T-shirts, wealth disparities, pollution.
Changes to Manado
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How has Manly, as a community, helped to make positive changes in Manado?
What other positive changes are happening in Indonesia?
How will the future look?
What International aid programs are running in Indonesia?
What can we do as individuals and as a class to help take action against poverty around
the globe?
6. What can we learn from the Manadonese through the community partnership, ManlyManado?
Lesson 8: Unit Evaluation
1. Students design an A3 fact sheet on Manado including features identified during the unit.
Their work is then displayed in the classroom.
2. Discuss positive and negative consequences of tourism and identify factors that influence
cultural change.
3. Students complete reflective questions about the unit. They reflect on what theyʼve learnt
about Indonesia, the physical and cultural environment of Manado, the people of Manado,
the global issue of poverty, and the community partnership between Manly and Manado.
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Work Sheets
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Life in Manado- Family Study
Think about the stories you have read from the
Manly-Manado webpage. Write advantages & disadvantages
for:
Growing up in a small village
Advantages
Disadvantages
Having set family roles and responsibilities
Advantages
Disadvantages
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Time Line of East Indonesia
1509 - Portuguese established trading posts in pursuit of spices
1816 - a series of long wars were launched by the local people against the
Dutch colonial government.
1944 - Manado was heavily damaged by allied bombing during brief
Japanese occupation in World War II.
12th Century - Arab traders laid the foundations for the spread of Islam
16th Century - Dutch took control of some easternmost islands from
Portuguese
3-4000 BC – Malay, Vietnamese and Chinese migrate from South East
Asia
1658 - The Dutch East India Company built a fortress in Manado &
established greater control for the next 200 years. Christianisation by Dutch
missionaries.
1292 - Marco Polo became one of the first Europeans on the islands
1999-2002 – Religious persecution of East Indonesian islands, due to an
Islamic Jihad declared by extremists against the Christian community. In
hardest hit areas of Maluku & Central Sulawesi, about 8,000 people were
killed & hundreds of thousands fled their homes. Many survivors sought
refuge in Manado.
1958 – Jakarta government bombed Manado to rid rebel movement
Permesta
1945 – Indonesian independence
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Group Research Task-‘MANADO’
Make sure you understand what you need to achieve and how you will plan and present your
information. Remember to monitor your progress by answering the following questions.
Group Planning
1. Our group topic is : _______________________________________
2. What we know already: ____________________________________
__________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. What we need to complete the task: __________________________________
4. How will we find information and what resources we need: __________________
________________________________________________________________
5. How long will it take: ______________________________________________
6. Answers to Questions in point form: __________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
7. What I have learnt after doing this task: ______________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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Task Cards
Extension Group or Independent Activities
Stage 3 Study of a Cultural Group: MANADO
Indonesian Languages
 Research languages spoken in Indonesia.
 Explain how the languages are used.
 Research how people are named
 Create a glossary of terms that you might find
necessary if you were to visit Manado.
Traditional Beliefs
 Research the major religion
practised by
people of Indonesia.
 Find out about some of the
major beliefs in Manado and
customs associated with these
beliefs.
Traditional Art and
Craft
 Research and describe
the features of traditional
painting, carving, sculpture
and craft.
 Describe how art is a part
of traditional life.
 Explain the importance of
art and craft Indonesian
people.
Community Life
 Research how traditional Indonesian districts are
divided into counties, villages and banjars, and how
these are governed.
 Describe ways in
which people live and
cooperate with each
other.
 Construct a model
or diagram of a
village and a chart of
community roles and responsibilities.
Dance, Drama & Music
 Listen to a recording of
traditional Indonesian music.
 Explain the importance of
traditional dance, drama and
music to Indonesian people.
Festivals and Ceremonies
Research the major festivals and
ceremonies
Explain the origins of some of
the festivals and ceremonies,
and customs associated with
these.
Create a calendar
showing when festivals
and ceremonies are
celebrated.
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Family Life
 Research and describe
some of the traditional
roles and responsibilities
of men, women and
children in Indonesian
families.
 Research and describe
the traditional housing of
Indonesian families.
 Construct a model or diagram of an Indonesian
house showing its layout, functions of rooms and
building materials.
Dress
 Research traditional everyday
dress for Indonesian people and
clothing for ceremonies.
 Explain the significance of
some of the traditional patterns
on the fabrics.
 Explain the significance of the
‘kris’ worn by males.
Environment of Manado
 Research: the location of
Sulawesi; major landforms;
native flora and fauna; climate;
ways in which people use the
environment.
 Research the traditional
beliefs and stories
about the origins of
the island.
 Construct a map or
Sulawesi.
model of
Traditional Food
 Research traditional
Indonesian foods/recipes.
 Find out why some foods
are popular.
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MANLY-MANADO Group Project
This is a group project, which has 3 parts:
RESEARCH
1. Split questions fairly between your group members.
2. Research your own questions individually.
3. Print & photocopy information (from websites & books) and store in a folder.
4. Write a draft copy of answers to your questions in your book.
5. Decide how many slides will be used for each question and show in your book
6. Summarise each answer into a few points (about 5 per slide). Each point should
only be 1 line and represent a paragraph of your full answer.
POWERPOINT
1. Type your points onto the same PowerPoint Slide as your group members.
2. Decorate the Slide pages with colourful backgrounds, pictures, etc.
3. PowerPoint presentations should include:
a title page with topic, pictures and names of group members
a combination of different slide backgrounds: colours, pictures
appropriate use of text: colour & size
interesting slide layout: headings, points, pictures
use of sound effects, CD music, voice recordings, narrations
use of animations, slide transitions, rolling credits
a bibliography slide.
4. Each group member will need to print out a copy of the finished group
PowerPoint and glue into book.
CLASS PRESENTATION (5-6 minutes per group)
1. Each group member will need to present their answer/s in front of the class
using the data projector and your group’s PowerPoint file
2. If an answer is long, highlight the most interesting and important information.
3. Another member of the group can advance a slide when you are presenting.
4. Timing is very important. Information needs to be given as a point appears on
the slide.
A few rehearsals with your group on the computer are highly recommended.
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REPORT SCAFFOLD
Introduction
For your introduction include a general opening statement that explains what the subject of this report
is.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Body Paragraphs
Each paragraph in the body of your report describes one aspect of your subject.
Paragraphs should begin with topic sentences. A topic sentence indicates the topic of the paragraph.
The sentences after your topic sentence should focus on providing details.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Concluding Paragraph
This concludes your report and may summarise the details you have already given.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
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Fact Sheets
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Poverty Geographically
Worldwide, poverty is mainly found in the countries of South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. South Asia
has the most people – 43.5 per cent of the world total – living below the international poverty line of
US$1 per day. There are fewer people living below the poverty line in sub-Saharan Africa, but the
percentage relative to the population is the greatest in the world (approximately 48%).
The poverty that exists today in these regions and in many countries around the globe, has often
developed as a result of differences and inequalities built up over time. Manly individuals, countries
and regions have grown wealthy at the expense of others.
During the 19th Century (1800s), European powers such as Britain, France, the Netherlands and
Belgium gained control of large parts of the world. These areas were known as colonies, and they
provided raw materials and valuable resources, for example, spices from Indonesia. These were
harvested using a supply of cheap local labour.
Although most of the colonies gained their political independence after 1950, many struggled to
overcome the inequalities that had been established by the colonists.
Poverty can also occur at a national level, because of a country's insufficient or under-developed
economic resources, its political views and economic policies, and the views and policies of other
countries connected to it, for example, through trade. At national level, poverty can cause political
instability and civil unrest, which can have regional and global implications.
Another factor that significantly impacts the worldʼs poor is that more and more, global wealth is being
concentrated in the hands of the worldʼs richest individuals and groups. For example, the worldʼs
three richest people (including Bill Gates) have greater wealth than the population of the 43 least
developed countries.
Inequalities can also be found within countries too. In Indonesia there are some very wealthy people,
but the wealth of the country is not distributed evenly.
Manado provides a snapshot of this unequal distribution of wealth. As a tourist you may visit Manado
for a diving holiday, as it is known as one of the best places in the world for underwater diving. If you
were to stay in one of the beautiful resorts and enjoy the shopping centres and other tourist
attractions you may fail to see the poverty that exists just beyond these areas. Manly people who visit
Manado probably fail to see the poverty that exists, but for those that are struggling to survive each
day it is a very real issue.
The poor of Manado, like the poor in many other developing countries, commonly live in low-quality
housing, often without services such as electricity and water. In manly cases there is no proper waste
disposal systems. Many families are unable to afford proper health care and often children will be
lucky to complete their primary schooling. The cost of school fees and a uniform often precludes
many children never from attending primary school.
The poor are often powerless to change their circumstances. Poverty means a lack of opportunity,
and so, if children do grow to be adults often they will be repeating what their parents do – work long
hours in low-paid jobs to earn enough to provide food and shelter for their families.
The following websites may be useful for providing relevant stories and information about the global
issue of poverty and how it affects millions of people around the world.
AusAID - http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au
Make Poverty History - http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/schools/index.shtml
World Vision – http://www.worldvision.com.au/learn/schoolresources/
20
Indonesiaʼs History
The strategic position of Indonesia and its waterways between the Indian and Pacific Oceans has led
to a fascinating and complex cultural, religious, political and economic history.
Major migration movements to the Indonesian archipelago began about 3000 years ago as the
Vietnamese and Chinese spread south, bringing with them new Stone, Bronze and Iron Age cultures
as well as language. Their techniques of irrigated rice cultivation are still practiced throughout
Indonesia today.
Indonesia came under the influence of a mighty Indian, civilization through the gradual Influx of Indian
traders in the first century AD, when great Hindu and Buddhist empires were beginning to emerge. By
the seventh century, the powerful Buddhist Kingdom of Sriwijaya was on the rise, and it is thought
that during this period the spectacular Borobudur Buddhist Temple was built in Central Java.
The thirteenth century saw the dominance of the Majapahit Hindu Empire in East Java, which united
the whole of modern-day Indonesia and parts of the Malay peninsula, ruling for two centuries.
Monuments across Java such as the great Prambanan temple complex near Yogyakarta, the
Penataran temple complex in East Java and the ethereal temples of the Dieng Plateau are all that
remain of this period in Indonesiaʼs history.
The first recorded attempt at armed invasion of Indonesia was by the Mongol Emperor Kubilai Khan,
who was driven back in 1293. Arab traders and merchants laid the foundations for the gradual spread
of Islam to the region, which did not replace Hinduism and Buddhism as the dominant religion until
the end of the 16th century. A series of small Moslem kingdoms sprouted up and spread their roots.
In 1292, Marco Polo became one of the first Europeans to set foot on the islands, but it wasnʼt until
much later that the Portuguese arrived in pursuit of spices. By 1509 the Portuguese had established
trading posts in the strategic commercial center of Malacca on the Malay peninsula. Their fortified
bases and the inability of their enemies to unify against them allowed the Portuguese to control
strategic trade routes from Malacca to Macau, Goa, Mozambique and Angola.
The Dutch took control of some of the easternmost islands from the Portuguese in the 16th century.
They had conflict with another major European power, Spain, which had focused its colonial interests
in Manila. The Dutch expanded their control of the entire area throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Dutch East Indies (the area known today as ʻIndonesiaʼ), as It was known at this time, fell under
British rule for a short period during the Napoleonic Wars of 1811-1816, when Holland was occupied
by France, and Dutch power overseas was limited. While under British control the Lt. Governor for
Java and its dependencies was Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, who was known for his liberal attitude
towards the people under colonial rule and his research on the history of Java.
In 1816 a series of long and bloody wars were launched by the local people against the Dutch
colonial government. The Indonesian nationalist and independence movements of the 20th century
have their beginnings in this period. Upper and middle class Indonesians began mass movements,
which eventually drew support from the peasants and urban working classes.
The Japanese replaced the Dutch as rulers of Indonesia for a brief period during World War II. The
surrender of the Japanese in 1945 signalled the end of the Second World War in Asia and the start of
true independence for Indonesia. The returning Dutch bitterly resisted Indonesian nationalist
movements and intermittent fighting followed. An agreement was finally reached on December 9,
1949, by the United Nations that officially recognized Indonesiaʼs sovereignty over the former Dutch
East Indies.
Source: The Indonesian Embassy
21
Facts About Indonesia
Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world with the total number of 17,508 islands according to
the Indonesian Naval Hydro-Oceanographic office.
The five main islands are:
 Sumatra, which is about 473,606 sq.km in size; the most fertile and densely populated islands
 Java/ Madura. 132.107 sq. km
 Kalimantan, which comprises two-thirds of the island of Borneo and measures 539.460 sq.km
 Sulawesi. 189.216 sq.km
 Papua, 421,981 sq.km which is part of the worldʼs second largest island: New Guinea.
Topography
The land area is generally covered by thick tropical rain forests, where fertile soils are continuously
replenished by volcanic eruptions like those on the island of Java. The country is predominantly
mountainous with some 400 volcanoes, of which 100 are active. The many rivers which flow
throughout the country serve as useful transportation routes on certain islands.
Climate
Indonesia is a tropical country, and the climate is fairly even all year round. The climate and weather
of Indonesia is characterized by two tropical seasons, which vary with the equatorial air circulation
(the Walker circulation) and the meridian air circulation (the Hardley circulation).
There is no such thing as an Autumn or Winter, the year being roughly divided into two distinct
seasons, 'wet' and 'dry'. The rainy season is from June to September and the dry season from
December to March.
Due to the large number of islands and mountains in the country, average temperatures range from
about 23”C in the higher mountain areas to 28”C on the coastal plains. Being in a tropical zone,
Indonesia has an average relative humidity between 70% and 90%, with a minimum of 73% and a
maximum of 87%.
Population
Indonesia, with people, it the worldʼs fourth most populous nation after China, India and the USA.
Each Indonesiaʼs population grows by 3 million people.
The topography of Indonesia and the fact it is made up of so many islands, has separated groups of
people from each other, resulting in extraordinary differences in language and culture across the
archipelago. Indonesians are divided into approximately 300 ethnic groups that speak some 365
languages and dialects.
The peoples of the archipelago were not ʻIndonesianʼ until 1945, when a line was drawn on the map
enclosing the former Dutch East Indies, a group of islands.
Islam is the predominant religion and Indonesia is home to the worldʼs largest Muslim population.
Hinduism and Buddhism are practiced and Indonesiaʼs vast eastern island area is populated by a
significant number of Christians.
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Inequalities in Indonesia
Indonesia is Australiaʼs largest international neighbour. A number of islands that comprise Indonesia
are popular holiday destinations for Australians, for example Bali. While it is generally recognised
that Indonesia is a developing country, the issue of poverty and its effects in this country are perhaps
less well known.
More than half of Indonesia's 235 million people are poor. Most struggle to survive on less than US$2
a day, and are at risk of even more severe poverty. About 18 per cent live on US$1 or less. The
poorest areas of Indonesia are the remote eastern islands, where 95 per cent of people in rural
communities are poor.
• Approximately one-third of Indonesian children under the age of five are malnourished.
• Some 162,000 Indonesian children die every year before reaching age five.
• Routine immunization coverage has deteriorated in the last few years.
• Around 3 million Indonesian children are in the labour force, many in dangerous occupations.
• Nationally, primary school enrolment rates are over 90 per cent and junior secondary enrolment
rates are over 60 per cent, with no gender gap.
• However, Nearly 3 million Indonesian children do not attend school and an estimated 1 million
children drop out of school each year. Only 50 per cent of children complete schooling.
• Thousands of women and children fall victim to human trafficking annually and are forced or lured
into the commercial sex trade.
• Indonesiaʼs HIV/AIDS crisis threatens to become a full-blown epidemic.
• Malaria strikes up to 20 per cent of Indonesians.
• More than 100 million people lack adequate sanitation, and more than 40 million people do not
have access to safe drinking water sources.
• In the last 20 years the nation has struggled to overcome the Asian financial crisis and battles with
persistent poverty, unemployment, inadequate infrastructure and endemic corruption.
• Conflict and violence across the archipelago has displaced an estimated 1.4 million women and
children.
• Approximately 60 per cent of the population live in rural areas where agriculture is the main source
of livelihood.
• Indonesia is still recovering from the December 2004 tsunami, which claimed more than 200,000
Indonesian lives, and displaced more than half a million more.
• A series of subsequent disasters have affected Indonesia, including earthquakes, another smaller
tsunami, outbreaks of polio and avian (bird) influenza.
• An ethnically diverse country, Indonesia is also plagued by recurring political and inter-communal
conflict, particularly in the outlying regions of Kalimantan (Borneo), Central Sulawesi, Aceh and
Papua. Conflicts in these areas have left tens of thousands dead and have traumatized and
displaced populations on a massive scale. The vast majority of Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs) are women and children, thought to number around 1.4 million.
SOURCE: UNICEF & COMPASSION Australia
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Manly-Manado
Manly-Manado is an initiative of the community of Manly that was started in September 2005, under
the name of Action Against Poverty, by a group of local residents to provide opportunity, dignity, hope
and freedom to those trapped in poverty in Manado, Indonesia.
The name was changed to Manly-Manado in September 2007 to reflect the fulfilling relational nature
of the movement between the people in both communities. The new name also clearly demonstrates
partnership,
with
both
communities
benefiting
from
the
relationship.
Manly-Manado aims to address poverty in all of its forms: physical, economic, social, emotional and
spiritual by acting as a catalyst of change towards social transformation.
Manly-Manado is helping to relieve poverty in Manado through its development partners, Bridge of
Hope and Compassion, who are both based in Manado. Bridge of Hope is a micro enterprise
development organisation, while Compassion is an international child development organisation.
Through Bridge of Hope, local Manadonese families are empowered to help themselves out of
poverty through the provision of micro loans, enabling them to establish a family business. To date,
over 950 families in Manado have been given this opportunity to have or to reclaim their dignity, hope
and freedom.
In addition, through Compassion,
over 170 children in Manado are
being sponsored long term through a
child development programme. The
community partnership has also
raised funds to build and support the
ongoing costs of an orphanage in
Manado, which houses 100 children.
Manly-Manado is helping to empower
the people of Manly to unite around a
common purpose and take action to
raise awareness of poverty and funds
for Manado.
The movement has
built an enhanced sense of
community in Manly, with residents
initiating over 70 fundraising and
awareness building events adding to
the social fabric of the community. It
is creating a chain of social
transformation as Manly residentsʼ
perceptions of social justice change, providing a fresh perspective of how others live.
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Micro Enterprise Development
The Manado based Bridge of Hope initiative utilises Micro Enterprise Development (MED) to
empower the poorest members of the community to work their way out of poverty whilst building
community. MED is the provision of loans, financial services, training, and mentoring to develop very
small businesses.
Breaking the cycle of crippling debt The poor, often trapped economically, have few options for credit. Without collateral or a credit
history, they have no access to commercial banks and are forced to borrow from moneylenders at
exorbitant rates, keeping them trapped in poverty. MED addresses this problem in a way that treats
the poor with dignity, meeting their needs, without creating dependency.
The power of the group
Bridge of Hope provides a loan, often less than A$100, to a poor, budding entrepreneur at a market
interest rate along with basic business training and on going support. These loans are given through
group lending, usually 10 to 20 people, where the loans are co-guaranteed by the other members of
the group. A loan, rather than a handout, ensures that dignity is preserved and ownership is
guaranteed. These loans are typically used to begin small individual businesses.
The group meets together weekly to repay their loans, receive training, and to encourage each other
in their businesses and lives. These groups have a fantastic ability to build a greater sense of
community, build leadership skills and bring benefits to the wider community far beyond the individual
businesses.
Building a brighter future
Once the loan is repaid (usually within 5 months) the entrepreneur is eligible for another, often larger
loan to further increase their business.
Once businesses, even tiny ones, are succeeding the family can purchase more nutritious food,
provide better housing, afford medical treatment and education for their children. At the same time the
businesses provide a needed service in the community, opportunities for local employment and also
stimulate the local grass roots economy.
The use of 'loans' rather than 'gifts' means that the dignity of the individual is preserved and built, selfadvancement is encouraged and the programme can become financially self-sustaining. This form of
development also means that donations are used over and over as loans are repaid and relent.
This is sustainable development. The program is not just for refugees or displaced communities, but
a whole range of disenfranchised and trapped people of all faiths.
Examples of businesses
Roadside kiosks selling basic produce, small take away food stalls, fish vendors, vegetable vendors,
motor mechanics, tailoring, printing & clay brick manufacturing.
The United Nations has recognized micro credit as one of the keys to eradicating world poverty.
See http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/1533
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