Aceh in BelgradeIndonesia Cultural Dance Performance

The Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation, Studentski trg 5, Belgrade - Serbia

Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in cooperation withBelgrade City Assembly

Embassy of the Republic of IndonesiaBelgrade - Serbia

Bulevar Kneza Aleksandra Karadjordjevića 1811040 Belgrade - Serbia

Ph. +381.11.3635666, Fax. 3674239, e-mail: kbri.beograd@eunet.rswww.kemlu.go.id/belgrade

Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It was my great honor to welcomed all friends of Indonesia at dance and musical performance by one of Indonesia’s remarkable cultural group from the Province of Aceh, “Sanggar Tari Cut Nyak Dhien”. I was pleased to see colleagues and partners of Indonesia tonight, and the people of Belgrade with whom we want to share this unique dance and music choreography. I would like to extend special thanks to the City Assembly of Belgrade and Kolarac Foundation for their support in assisting us in realization of the performance. I use this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude the Provincial Government of Aceh in enabling the visit of the group and our Embassy in Budapest in helping us arranging their tour in the Balkan region.

“Sanggar Tari Cut Nyak Dhien” has been an important part of our country’s effort in promoting Indonesia’s diverse dance and musical heritage to the international community. The group is the primary reference for Aceh cultural promotion and has many international appearances since 1975. Also, since 2007, Banda Aceh has reached a proud achievement that makes tourism and culture as superior sector. On October 19, 2010 the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism has launched Banda Aceh as a leading tourist destination through “Banda Aceh Visit Year 2011”.

Aceh is a province at the western most part of Indonesia which was hit by tsunami on 26th December 2004, devastated the whole island and other countries in Asia, including Africa. The islands were totally blocked by the disaster and life generation has been tremendously difficult.

This year, on March 11th, 2011, the same disaster hit Japan, went trippled with the struck of earthquake and crisis at the nuclear plants. On the other side, we witness the remarkable hu-manitarian effort and assistance from the global community to Japan where the same thing has happened in Aceh, including the recovery process until now.

I remember Sayaka Sugawara, a 15 year old girl who became orphan because of this disaster. Sayaka survived from the disaster while her family, her grandmother, great grandmother and her parents were swept away. I followed her story on CNN and was told that around 1400 children lost their parents out of this tragedy. These children will either end up living with distant relatives or a place in Japanese orphanage - but many orphanages accross the nation are at full occupancy.

One organization responded to this sad situation - ASHINAGA organization. It is a non-profit organization in Japan that is dedicated to help Japanese orphans through financial and psycho-logical support. I would like to quote their statement saying, “We’d like to never forget about their lives. But the problem is that the world is already forgetting. In the early days of the disaster, phones rang off the hook with offers of donations coming in from across Japan and the globe. But then they start forgetting what happened in Japan”. This organization has helped these or-phans to continue their lives and built a new future, and that is a true help.

Word from the AmbassadorH.E. Mr. Semuel SamsonAmbassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Serbia

On the other side of the globe, on November 2010, earthquake shook the central part of Serbia, in Kraljevo. For those affected, there is no such a thing as a small disaster. This was said by Red Cross Serbia representatives through media. This disaster has shook the country and we all still remember what has happened to many citizens of Kraljevo.

The help from the community and volunteers are the best proof of the need to help each other as a human being. I praise the commitments of the volunteers and people who were already there to help and provide their assistance physically and emotionally.

Tonight’s performance is dedicated to spread not a message of grieve, but a message of hope, courage and strength. This values has been an important part to these individuals involve in helping the victims in Aceh, Japan and also Kraljevo.

In this opportunity, I convey my praise for their effort and commitment which have been a constant inspiration to all of us. It is our wish to dedicate this performance to support ASHINAGA organization in Japan for their continuous effort in rebuilding the lifes of or-phans and also Serbian Red Cross who has deployed a great help in Kraljevo. We remem-ber what has happened and we hope we can always help in the future.

As Chair of ASEAN this year, Indonesia has initiate cooperation to address this matter. I would like to inform you that on April 2011, ASEAN and Japan agreed to increase coop-eration in addressing natural disasters. The Leaders of ASEAN and Japan met for a Spe-cial Ministerial Meeting to respond strong on earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan and other natural disasters in Southeast Asia. The historic meeting was opened by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who visited Japan on 16-18 June 2011 and to see personally the progress at the tsunami disaster area. The Ministers of ASEAN and Japan has discussed on ways and means to enhance cooperation in disaster management and disaster relief, as well as post-disaster recovery efforts that includes recovery, rehabilita-tion, and reconstruction. The meeting also aim to strengthen cooperation in pre-disaster aspects, mitigation and disaster risk reduction, also to explore the role of the ASEAN Co-ordination Center for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA). The visit of the President among others was intended also to bring letters of solidarity from the children in Aceh towards their peers in Japan.

I am very pleased and grateful that the humanitarian concert performed by the Sanggar Cut Nyak Dhien on 24th of June 2011 in Kolarac Foundation, has gain a great attention from the citizens in Belgrade, Head of Diplomatic Missions as well as from friends of In-donesia, and thanks to that, we have successfuly raised 4.242 Euro for donation that has been delivered to ASHINAGA organization and Serbian Red Cross. My sincere gratitude also goes to the Ambassador of Japan, H.E. Mr. Toshio Tsunozaki, for attending this special event, to RTS, TV Avala and TV Pink for their coverage and support, to Orthodox Bishop of Bačka Mr. Irinej for the valuable support and to the Friendship Assosiation of Indonesian and Serbia “Nusantara” for the assistance. I also use this opportunity to extend my special thanks to hotel “Niški Cvet” in Niš that has participated in this humanitarian action and to all people who has donated. Last, but not least, I wish to extend special thanks and ap-preciation to Mrs. Darwati Abdul Ghani, spouse of Aceh Governor, for her effort and full support in making this special event happened in Belgrade.

At the end, let this event be remembered always as a massage of hope and care among people, here or anywhere else in this world...

Thank you.

Content

Word from the Ambassador

The Performance

The Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation

Belgrade City

Aceh Province

The Group

The Dances

The Program

The Team

Ashinaga Organization

Serbian Red Cross

The Performance

On 26th of December 2004, tsunami hit the westernmost part of Indonesia, in the province of Aceh. Tsunami had struck and devastated the province and killed hundreds and thousands of people in Aceh itself and a quarter of a mil-lion people in 13 countries.

Today, six years has passed, Aceh province has made a remarkable recovery. Rebuilding had been impressive in Aceh thanks to the help of the international communities.

In sharing this development, tonight’s performance is held to prove that cour-age and strength is the winning element in this life. We are proud to present you tonight’s performer, the “Sanggar Tari Cut Nyak Dhien” from the province of Aceh. This cultural group is holding their tour in Balkan region from June to July 2011 and have a chance to perform in Belgrade within the cooperation of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Belgrade, Belgrade City Assembly and Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation. Therefore, we would like to convey our ut-most appreciation and thanks to Mayor of Belgrade for his support in making tonight’s performance a true gathering and particularly to Kolarac who has helped us provide the venue for organizing the event.

Cultural Group “Cut Nyak Dhien” is a traditional Acehnese dance group that has existed for more than 30 years and has been invited and performed all over the world. As the heart of Serbia, Belgrade has its privilege for many visits of international musical and dance group. “Sanggar Tari Cut Nyak Dhien” also use their opportunity here to perform in one of the most vibrant city in Balkan. The performance is dedicated to spread a new message of Aceh, about hope, courage and strength which has save this province from the great effect of natural disaster. The performance will be dedicated as a humanitarian effort to raise donations for organizations dealing with humanitarian effort, especially in Japan and Serbia.

This performance is one way to promote charity and assistance to these peo-ple. We invite your participation and generosity to support the effort of this “heroes”. This is our proof of care and helping hands to them.

The Ilija M. Kolarac Foundationfounded in 1878

Ilija M. Milosavljevic, better know as Kolarac, from the village Kolari near Smederevo, in his last will and testament bequeathed all his property to the Serbian people with the aim to establish first the Literary Fund and subsequently a fund for erecting a Serbian University. During his lifetime, the Literary Fund was established (1861) with the initial capital of 10.000 Imperial ducats. In the late twenties of 19th century, all conditions having been fulfilled, the construction of Kolarac Foundation building began. The building was officially opened on October 19th, 1932, while the first concert was held a little earlier, on February 4th.

The activities of the Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation are carried out through specialized centers. Within the centers, 200 lectures in all fields of science, literature and art are held every year, over 250 concerts, formal celebrations and other events are organized, ten foreign languages are taught, several textbooks published and about twenty exhibitions held. The Great Hall is one of the most acoustic concert halls in Europe with capacity of 883 seats. For more information please visit www.kolarac.rs.

Belgrade City Belgrade, a city of very tumultuous history, is one of the oldest city in Europe. Its history lasts for 7,000 years. Belgrade is situated at the place where the Sava joins the Danube. Belgrade is one of the oldest cities in Eu-rope and, beside Athens, the greatest urban whole of the Balkan Peninsula. Belgrade is the capital of Serbia, having around 1,6 million residents. It spreads over 3.6% of the territory of Serbia, and 15.8% of Serbian population lives in this city. Also, 31.2% of all employed workers in Serbia work in Belgrade.

Throughout history, Belgrade has been a crossroads between the West and the Orient. Belgrade is the capital of Serbian culture, education and science. It has the greatest concentration of institutions of national importance in the field of science and art. Belgrade has the status of a separate teritorial unit in Serbia, hav-ing its own autonomous city government. Its territory is divided into 17 municipalities, with their own local governmental bodies. Belgrade has had many different names throughout history, and in nearly all languages the name translates as “the white city”. The City of Belgrade has received various domestic and international honours, including the French Légion d’honneur (proclaimed December 21, 1920; Belgrade is one of four cities outside France, alongside Liège, Luxembourg and Volgograd, to receive this honour), the Czechoslovak War Cross (awarded October 8, 1925), the Yugoslavian Karađorđe’s Star with Swords (awarded May 18, 1939) and the SFR Yugoslavian Order of the National Hero (proclaimed on October 20, 1974, the 30th anniversary of the overthrow of Nazi German occupation during World War II). All of these decorations were received for the war efforts during the World War I and World War II. In 2006, Financial Times’ magazine Foreign Direct Investment awarded Belgrade with the title City of the Future of Southern Europe. In 2008, the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC), based at the Geography Department of Lough-borough University, published their roster of leading world cities. Belgrade is in the fourth category out of five on this list, being listed in the group of the cities with a “high sufficiency” world presence. For more information of Belgrade city please visit www.beograd.rs

The Province of Aceh

Aceh is a special region in Indonesia located on the northern part of the island of Sumatra. In the early 17th century, the Sultanate of Aceh was the most wealthy, powerful and cultivated state in the Malacca straits region. Aceh was once a meeting point for people from many nations, and on the present day among Acehnese can be found some individuals of Arab, Turkish, and Indian descent. Before the tsunami, the region of Meureuhom Daya (Lamno) used to have an unusually high number of people with fair complexions, blue eyes and blond hair, and local traditions attributed to Turkish or Portuguese ancestry.

Aceh was the closest point of land to the epicenter of the massive earthquake which triggered tsunami in 2004 that devastated much of the western coast of the region, including part of the capital of Banda Aceh. Approximately 170.000 Indonesians were killed or went missing in the disaster and approximately 500,000 were left homeless.

Within the country, Aceh is governed as a province with a special territory (or called daerah istimewa), an administrative designation with autonomy from the central government in Jakarta. Administratively, the province is subdivided into 18 regencies (kabupaten) and 5 cities (kota). The capital and the largest city is Banda Aceh, located on the coast near the northern tip of Sumatra. In 2006, Aceh’s economy grew by 7.7% after having minimal growth since the devastating tsunami. This growth was primarily driven by the reconstruction effort, with massive growth in the building/construction sector. The ending of the reconstruction program has resulted in the restructure of the economy which change significantly since 2003. Service sectors now play a more dominant role.

Aceh is a diverse region occupied by several ethnic and language groups. The Acehnese language is wide-ly spoken within the Acehnese population. This is a member of the Aceh-Chamic group of languages, whose other representatives are mostly found in Vietnam and Cambodia, and is also closely related to the Malay group of languages. Acehnese also has many words borrowed from Malay and Arabic and traditionally was written using Arabic script. On the 2010 census, the total population of the province is 4,486,570 people.

In 2011, in promoting the tourism of this province, the provincial tourism board has offered ‘Visit Banda Aceh 2011”. Major events such as Banda Aceh Birthday Celebration, Taman Sari Festival, Baiturrahman Festival and Aceh Cultural Week held to support this event. Tourism in Banda Aceh places emphasis on spiritual, cultural and natural tourism. Aceh, as a region has adopted the Islamic-sharia law with diverse cultures,has become a special attraction for domestic as well as international tourists such as those from Malaysia. The tsunami natural disaster that struck Banda Aceh created its own uniquely dramatic monu-ments: the boat on top of a house are a few of the places you can visit.

Aceh is also specifically recognized from its coffee. Aceh coffee is special and tasty. Most famous is Gayo Mountain coffee, and coffee Uleekareng. There are hundreds of quality of coffee shops across Banda Aceh. Drinking coffee in Acehnese community has been quite popular and is an important part of a so-cial activity. The province also has a remarkable share in culture and art. The province has 1133 cultural group, 13 etnic languages, 8 etnicity and 62 traditional institutions. For more stories and unique culture of Aceh, please visit www.acehprov.go.id.

Sanggar Tari Cut Nyak DhienThe cultural croup “Cut Nyak Dhien” is a traditional Acehnese dance group that has existed for more than 30 years and has been invited to performed all over the world. The name “Cut Nyak Dhien” is derived after a famous female Acehnese warrior and it is the oldest traditional dance group in Aceh which promotes the province’s culture in national and international level. Almost two-thirds of the group are youth.

Some of the rewards and international performances ever achieved are:• “Best in Asia”, Hong Kong Dance Festival, 1977;• “Best in Dance and Song Festival”, Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan, 1985;• Participant at the Tong Tong Festival, Netherlands,1993;• Dance Festival, France, 1993;• Penang Festival, 1994;• Appearances in several cities in Malaysia, 1996 and 1997;• Indonesian Dance Festival in Tehran, Iran, July 2006;• Dance exhibition in Argentina, Paraguay and Chile, 2007.

History of the Group

The cultural group “Cut Nyak Dhien” was founded by the spouse of the Governor of Aceh, Mrs. Muzakir Walad, on 20 February 1975. The idea was to form a unique cultural group to represent the character of dance and music of Aceh province. Many of cultural groups on that time was basically not for provincial level, so it has to meet the challenges and purposes for national objec-tives of the province’s cultural promotion effort. Until today, 37 generations have been members of the cultural group. Leader’s of the group from the first establishment until now are: 1. Mrs. Muzakir Walad (1975 - 1978)2. Mrs. Majid Ibrahim (1978 - 1980)3. Mrs. Edi Sabara (1980 - 1981)4. Mrs. S.M. Hadi Tayeb (1981 - 1986)5. Mrs. S.M. Ibrahim Hasan (1986 - 1993)6. Mrs. Syamsudin Mahmud (1993 - 2001)7. Mrs. Abdullah Puteh (2001 - 2005)8. Mrs. Meutia Azwar Abubakar (2005 - 2006)9. Mrs. Darliza Mustafa Abubakar ( 2006 - 2007)10. Mrs. Darwati Abdul Ghani (2007 - now)

The Dances As a verandah of Mecca, songs and dances which come from Aceh generally reflect the art of Islamic prayer. In old times, dances were either performed at the courts for sultans and their guest or in the villages as entertainment after hard work in the fields. Today, dances are mostly performed at special government functions, but in many areas local dancing tradi-tions and groups carry on the heritage. Each region of Aceh has its own indigenous version. The costumes used are basically long sleeved tops and sarongs wrapped around the waist using brilliant colors. The women usually wear head pieces, and the use of jewelry depends on the aspect of life depicted by the dance. The dances deal with daily social activities. All Acehnese dances are performed by a group and performed in dynamic rythm with stepping feet, beating of chests, hips and shoulder.

Fashion Show of Aceh Traditional Costumes&

Peumulia Jamee DancePeumulia Jamee means noble or respected guest. There are 5 or 7 female dancer in this dance. All the dancers hold kereukai (a kind of bowl) contains Acehnese traditional cookies. At the end of the dance, the dancers will come down and arrived to the guest chair and offer them the cake from their bowl. The music of this dance makes one imagine exotic Arabian night and a song is sung, starting with the Arabic greeting “Assalamualaikum.....”

Rapa’i Geleng DanceRapa’i is the name of a tambourine used to accompany songs and dance. This dance is espe-cially develop with this tambourine in mind. The movements are almost the same as in the “Saman” dance, but the male dancers handle one tambourine each, which gives the dance a very distinct and enjoyable flavor. A song with Islamic teachings accompanies the dance. This dance demonstrated by 10 to 15 dancers in a line sit position while shake one’s head.

Guel DanceThe dance is accompanied with musical instrument consist of Guel (rebana), cymbal, gong and memong. The dance was created inspired a young man named Senggeda pursuant to realized the idea from a dream where he meet his brother Beuner Meriah killed because of grudge and betrayal. In his dream, Beuner show the way what must be done by Senggeda to catch White Elephant as a dedication to Sultan of Aceh to fulfill request of the King’s daugh-ter. A white elephant represent incarnation of Beuner Meuriah will only awaken and make a move if invited with dances accompanied by certain rhythm.

Saman Gayo Dance“Saman” is the most popular dance in Aceh. The dance has become well-known abroad with the name “Thousand hands”. It has its origin from the Alas ethnic group and is normally performed to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad and other important occa-sions. Eight to twenty male performers kneel in a row on the floor and make different kinds of torso movements accompanied by songs, clapping hands, slapping chests, slapping hands on the floor, etc. The songs are praises to Allah or prayers. The dance starts with slow move-ments and increases its tempo gradually to great speed and finally come to a sudden stop. UNESCO is set to officially list the Saman Dance from Aceh as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in November 2011. The nomination has been started last year and received full participation of the Saman community.

Prang Sabilillah DanceThe dance was based from the history of Cut Nyak Dhien struggle, the Aceh heroine who fought during colonial times. This dance depicts the resistance of Cut Nyak Dhien together with the other Aceh woman fighters in defending Aceh land. The theme of the dance is struggle.

Rampoe Aceh DanceRampoe or rampai literally translated as various or miscellaneous. The dance almost covers all Acehnese dances such as Laweut, Seudati, Pho, Saman, Meuseukat, LikokPulo and Tarek-Pukat. The dance shows a message of unity, and mutual cooperation. Saman, Meuseukat, LikokPulo, Laweut and Sedati are dances that represent religious theme. Meanwhile Tarek-Pukat dance depicts the cooperation amongst fishermen in catching fish. The unity of all of the dances formed Rampoe Aceh. In February 1989, this dance was modified by Mr. Ichsan Ibrahim for its premier performance at the International Dance and Music Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan which received award as the best performers.

The ProgramOpening from MC, Ms. Milena Taskov (University of Belgrade)

Showing of video clip Speech from Ambassador of Indonesia, H.E. Mr. Semuel Samson

Fashion show of Aceh traditional costumes Peumulia Jamee dancePhok Teupeun danceRapai Geleng dance

Reading of dance synopsis Guel dance

Saman Gayo danceReading of dance synopsis

Prang Sabilillah danceEthnic music and dance performance accompanied with Aceh promotion material

Rampoe Aceh danceMC invites Indonesian Ambassdor to give souvenirs to Director of Kolarac

and flower bouquet to the Head of the Cultural GroupGiving out the donation

Photo session

The TeamThe Officials

Muhammad Riza (Coordinator)Mariani - Official

The Musician and DancersDani Orista Agud

Salman Windi Syah Putra

TaufiqZul Fachrul

Muhammad NovalHendrico Angriawan

Fachrul RezaTeuku Miftahul KiramMaulana Malik Irhan

Fitriani RizkiHazrina

Wirna SariLiza DesianaRisky Nasida

Dilla AgustimasnaQashdina Irwansyah Abdullah

Cut Nanda RamadhaniUlfhia Tunisa

Ashinaga OrganizationSayaka Sugawara feels nothing, she says, standing on the foundation of the only home she’s ever known. Japan’s devastating tsunami on March 11, 2011 swept away the entire structure, leaving behind only a horror the 15-year old still cannot comprehend.

“I was in the stairway,” she recalls. “My mother was upstairs. My grandmother and great grandmother were downstairs with my dog. I heard a huge sound from the ground. Instantly, my house broke apart. I thought, ‘Oh, I will die now.’ Sayaka pauses, staring out over the landscape of nothingness. Two hundred homes once stood here -- not a single sign remains of that community. Without her parents, Sayaka is now an orphan at age 15.

Three months after the disaster, Japan’s government is still counting the number of children like Sayaka who have lost either one or both parents. The government estimates 1,200 children lost one parent and 200 lost both. These children will either end up living with distant relatives or place in a Japanese orphanage -- but many orphanages across the nation are at full occupancy.

ASHINAGA, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Japanese orphans, helps these tsunami orphans through financial assistance and psychological support. Since it was founded in 1969, more than 60,000 orphans have graduated from schools with ASHINAGA scholarship support. The name “ASHINAGA” is a Japanese translation of the title of the American novel “Daddy Long Legs”. ASHI-NAGA Foundation has been a helping hand also for children of tsunami victims in Aceh 2004. Two Indonesian orphan receives sholarships and informed has also helped children who were affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku.

ASHINAGA was originally started by an anonymous donation system. They have two main jobs, one is to provide financial support to children who have lost either one or both of their parents, the other is to provide emotional support. We hold summer camps for ASHINAGA scholars every summer, where children can express their sorrow and share feelings together. We also provide constant emo-tional care programs at Kobe Rainbow House, which was built in 1999 as the first day care center for orphans in Japan.

The mission of ASHINAGA is to support children whose parents have died, become incapable of working, or incurred financial difficulties making it difficult or impossible to send their children to high school or college. We at ASHINAGA refer to the children in each of these categories as “orphans.” We provide guidance in their educational endeavors. With this assistance, we hope those orphans be-come talented adults with warm hearts, wide perspectives, vitality and a drive to succeed in the world. We also hope to instill a sense of internationalism so they may positively contribute to the world in the near future. ASHINAGA has been working with bereaved children, providing emotional support since 1969. We would like to share our experience and expertise with those who are working on this issue to create better society for orphaned children around the world.

For more information how to support and make donation to ASHINAGA organization, please email or contact to Mr. Peter Bernick, ASHINAGA, 1-6-8 Hirakawacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8639 JAPAN, Phone: +81 (3) 3221-0888, Fax: +81 (3) 3221-7676, E-mail: bernick@ashinaga.org, www.ashinaga.org

Red Cross Serbia“For those affected, there is no such thing as a “small disaster”, said IFRC Disaster Manager, Alberto Monguzzi, who visited the affected area shortly after the earthquake (Sladjana Dimic, Serbia Red Cross and Joe Lowry, Europe zone office)”

The Red Cross Serbia continues to provide support to people affected at the earthquake which hit the city of Kraljevo, in November 2010, killing three people and causing widespread destruction.

The immidiate relief response was funded by a grant from the International Federation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF), and now an international appeal for the recovery phase has been launched.

The Red Cross of Serbia is a humanitarian, independent and voluntary organization and the only National Society in the Republic of Serbia. The mission of the National Society is to alleviate human suffering with the task of providing help to the vulnerable at times of armed conflict, natural disasters, ecological disasters and other emergencies, saving vulnerable lives and health of people, disseminating the knowledge of the international humanitarian law, working on the prevention and education of citizens in the health and social welfare sector, promoting humanitarian values of the society and, in the state of need, providing social protection and assistance.

The Red Cross of Serbia consists of two provincial Red Cross branches and 183 branches in towns and municipalities. The program activities involving 60,000 volunteer and 800 professional engage-ments in the network of the Red Cross of Serbia. Serbian Red Cross in cooperation with donors, has been implementing 64 different programs..

Volunteers and staff of the Red Cross Society of Serbia have been active from the first few hours of the disaster, and the local branch has been tasked with collecting and distributing aid. It has also more than doubled its existing soup kitchen service and has distributed hygiene kits to families that have been evacuated.

Helping people to deal with the shock of disaster had a profound effect on Red Cross volunteer Ranko Demirovic who says: “We were in Kraljevo on week to help to the local Red Cross branch and to train volunteers who would be working in the field on daily basis. Ten days after the earthquake, I felt everybody in Kraljevo is occupied with their problems. On one side you can see people who are living normaly because there is no damage in that area, and just around the corner, people are desper-ate and crying.

“I cannot forget one girl, four-year-old Tanja from Jarcujak, part of Kraljevo. The family house-home to a mother and three daughters - were destroyed. After the earthquake, Tanja, the youngest daughter couldn’t speak. We start playing with her and finally she start to smile. Because of that incredible mo-ment I want to return back there to help others who maybe need me”.

For more information how to support and make donation to Red Cross Serbia, please email or con-tact +381 11 30 32 125, Fax +381 11 263 43 48, Email: serbia@redcross.org.rs

Media Coverage

B92Petak 24.06.2011

Indonežanski ples na KolarcuIzvor: Tanjug Plesna grupa “Sanggar Tari Cut Nyak Dhien” iz indonežanske provincije Aceh (Sumatra), održaće humanitarni koncert večeras, 24. juna, u Kolarčevoj zadužbini, u okviru svoje balkanske turneje.

Sav prihod odprodatih karata namenjen je područjima pogođenim prirodnim katastrofama. “Sanggar Tari Cut Nyak Dhien” je najstarija plesna grupa u Acehu i više od 30 godina nastupaju širom sveta, predstavljajući tradicionalnu muziku i ples tog regiona. Ansambl čini 21 izvođač, mahom mladi, koji dolaze iz provincije Aceh i izvode prepoznatljiv indonežanski ples, uglavnom poreklom sa Sumatre. Nagrađeni su na festivalima u Hong Kongu i Tokiju, a njihovo umeće imala je priliku da vidi i publika u Holandiji, Francuskoj, Iranu, Argentini, Paragvaju, Čileu. Aceh je 2004. godine opustošio cunami, koji je odneo nekoliko stotina hiljada života, a zahvaljujući pomoći iz različitih delova sveta, uključujući i Srbiju, Aceh se potpuno oporavio. Nastup grupe “Sanggar Tari Cut Nyak Dhien” će biti poruka zahvalnosti, nade i ohrabrenja narodu Srbije i humanitarni doprinos područjima pogođenim zemljotesom u Japanu i Kraljevu.

Media Coverage

Aceh Tribune News

Selasa, 28 Juni 2011Tari Saman Goyang Beograd

Pertunjukan Amal ‘We Care’ untuk Jepang dan Serbia

Penari dari Sanggar Cut Nyak Dhien menampilkan tari tarek pukat di Kota Beograd, Serbia, Sabtu (18/6). FOTO/M RIZASERBIA - Penampilan Tari Saman Gayo, Rapai Geleng, dan Tarek Pukat yang dibawakan Sanggar Tari Cut Nyak Dhien, Banda Aceh selama enam hari di Beograd-Serbia, mendapat sambutan luar biasa dari ribuan penonton di gedung pertunjukan bersejarah dan ternama di Beograd, Ilija M Kolarace Foundation. M Rizal, selaku pelatih di Sanggar Tari Cut Nyak Dhien melaporkan bahwa ini acara pertunjukan amal pengumpulan dana berslogan We Care untuk korban gempa di Jepang dan Serbia, 18-24 Juni 2011. “Dana yang terkumpul dari hasil penjualan tiket masuk sebesar 300 Din atau sama dengan 3 Euro/tiket, seluruhnya disumbangkan korban bencana di Jepang dan Serbia,” kata M Rizal. Kejadian Tsunami di Aceh 2004, lanjut M Rizal jadi inspirasi untuk musibah serupa di Jepang pada Maret 2011 dan gempa bumi di Kraljevo, Serbia November 2010. “Temanya Aceh in Belgrade, Indonesia Cultural Dance and Music Performance. Kegiatan ini atas kerja sama Kedutaan Besar Republik Indonesia dan Pemerintah Kota Beograd,” imbuh dia. Para tamu yang hadir, tidak lepas memberikan pujian akan penampilan tari yang bagus dan berkualitas kepada Dubes RI di Beograd Samuel Samson. “Pertunjukan enam hari anak-anak Sanggar CND di tiga kota besar di Hongaria yang mengambil tema Smiling Aceh atau Aceh Tersenyum,” kata M Rizal. Ditambahkannya, pertunjukan amal tersebut turut dihadiri istri Gubernur Aceh, Darwati A Gani itu membawa pesan bantuan kemanusian Indonesia kepada Jepang dan Serbia. Pertunjukan pertama dilakukan pada 18 Juni di Budapest, Hongaria, dan sehari sebelumnya tampil dalam satu acara televisi setempat.

Rakyat Merdeka online

Cari Donasi, Seniman Aceh Beraksi di Beograd (1)

Senin, 27 Juni 2011 , 22:43:00 WIBLaporan: A. Supardi Adiwidjaya

Bekerjasama dengan Walikota Beograd, pada tanggal 24 Juni 2011, KBRI Beograd, berkat koordinasi dengan KBRI Budapes, telah menyelenggarakan acara malam seni dan budaya dengan menampilkan sanggar tari Cut Nyak Dhien dari Provinsi Aceh. Grup tari yang berjumlah 21 orang itu mementaskan 8 buah tarian yang diiringi alat musik pukul yang merupakan khas kesenian Aceh seperti rebana, kendang, akordion, gong dan suling. Kedatangan sanggar tari Cut Nyak Dhien di Beograd dipimpin oleh Muhammad Riza dari Dinas Pariwisata Aceh dan Mariani dari Kantor Gubernur Aceh. Acara yang berlangsung kurang lebih 2 jam ini dihadiri 741 penonton dari kapasitas 883 kursi. Hadir diantaranya 20 Duta Besar negara sahabat, para pejabat dari Kementerian Luar Negeri, Kementerian Pertahanan, Kementerian Kebudayaan, Kementerian Pemuda dan Olahraga, tokoh agama Orthodox Serbia, pengusaha, penulis, pemimpin redaksi media cetak dan elektronik di Serbia. Tak hanya itu, pelajar, masyarakat umum, anggota Asosiasi Persahabatan Serbia-Indonesia ”Nusantara” dan warga negara Indonesia di Beograd juga turut hadir. Pementasan berlangsung di gedung kesenian bersejarah di Beograd, The Ilija M. Kolarac. Acara pentas seni diawali dengan jamuan cocktail. Atas koordinasi KBRI Budapes, Sanggar Tari Cut Nyak Dhien mampir di Serbia dari tanggal 23-26 Juni 2011 yang selanjutnya melanjutkan perjalanan ke Zagreb, Kroasia untuk pementasan berikutnya. Seluruh pemasukan dan donasi yang diperoleh dalam pementasan ini akan disalurkan kepada organisasi kemanusiaan di Jepang yaitu Ashinaga Organization yang bergerak membantu anak yatim piatu, dan kepada Palang Merah Serbia seiring dengan kejadian gempa bumi yang terjadi pada November 2010. Malam seni dan budaya dari provinsi Aceh di Beograd telah mengusung slogan ‘Aceh in Belgrade : Humanitarian performance for Japan and Serbia.’ Selama berlangsungnya pementasan tari, para penonton yang hadir tidak berhenti memberikan ekspresi kekaguman dan antusiasme yang positif dari berbagai tarian yang dipentaskan, khususnya pada tarian Rapai Geleng, Saman, Prang Sabillilah dan ditutup dengan Rampoe Aceh. Apresiasi penonton sangat positif pada saat selesainya pementasan dan menyampaikan bahwa kiranya dapat sering dilakukan pementasan tari-tari Indonesia di Serbia, dan Eropa umumnya, guna memberikan citra yang lebih beragam, informatif, dan unik mengenai kekayaan seni dan budaya Indonesia. Pementasan tari dan musik ini telah diliput secara luas oleh TV dan koran setempat, khususnya TV nasional pada 2 hari siaran pagi, 2 TV swasta (TV Pink dan TV Avala) serta media cetak lainnya yang mengulas mengenai keunikan tari dan musik dari grup tari ini. Bapak Muhammad Riza dan beberapa anggota tim juga berkesempatan melakukan wawancara dan cuplikan pementasan tari saman langsung dari studio TV nasional Serbia maupun pada sebelum pementasan dimulai dan menyampaikan mengenai tari dan musik yang dipentaskan, profil tim tari serta kebudayaan dan bahasa yang digunakan di Provinsi Aceh.

Rakyat Merdeka OnlineCari Donasi, Seniman Aceh Beraksi di Beograd (2) Senin, 27 Juni 2011Laporan: A. Supardi Adiwidjaya

Berbicara dalam pagelaran malam seni dan budaya yang menampilkan sanggar tari Cut Nyak Dhien dari Provinsi Aceh di Beograd, Serbia, Duta Besar RI Semuel Samson menyampaikan bahwa kedatangan tim seni dan budaya dari provinsi Aceh tersebut merupakan upaya dari pemerintah Indonesia untuk menyampaikan kepada pihak luar akan perkembangan positif yang telah berlangsung diprovinsi Aceh selepas tsunami yang menerjang tahun 2004 lalu. Semuel menyampaikan bahwa Aceh membawa pesan mengenai harapan, perjuangan dan kemampuan untuk membangun selepas dari bencana alam tersebut, dimana hal yang sama saat ini terjadi di Jepang pada Maret 2011 dan Ashinaga telah menjadi organisasi yang hadir membantu korban tsunami di Aceh (2004) dan Sendai (2011). Ia juga menyampaikan bahwa dalam kapasitas sebagai Ketua ASEAN , Indonesia tela memprakarsai peningkatan kerjasama ASEAN “Jepang untuk mengantisipasi dan menanggulangi kejadian dan dampak bencana alam, termasuk membentuk ASEAN Coordination for humanitarian Assistance (AhA). Juga disampaikan tentang kunjungan presiden RI, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ke Jepang pada pertengahan Juni 2011 ini untuk melihat langsung lokasi bencana dan menyampaikan surat-surat dari anak-anak Aceh kepada rekan-rekan sebayanya di Jepang yang menderita akibat tsunami dan gempa bumi Maret 2011 lalu. Dana yang terkumpul dari pementasan ini telah disampaikan secara simbolis kepada Duta Besar Jepang di Beograd mewakili Ashinaga Organization dan juga Palang Merah Serbia pada akhir acara. Keseluruhan dana yang terkumpul berjumlah 3.293 Euro yang dibagi dua diantara kedua organisasi tersebut. Duta Besar Jepang pada kesempatan menerima donasi tersebut menyampaikan terima kasih yang sebesar-besarnya kepada KBRI dan Pemri atas upaya dan inisiatif yang telah dilaksanakan guna penggalangan dana tersebut. Wakil dari Palang Merah Serbia juga menyampaikan terima kasih atas upaya KBRI yang terus menunjukkan perhatiannya atas upaya-upaya di bidang kemanusiaan. Hal ini dilatarbelakangi pada peringatan Hari Ibu pada Desember 2010 dimana bersama dengan para staf KBRI, masyarakat Indonesia di Beograd dan anggota Asosiasi Persahabatan Serbia “Indonesia ”Nusantara” telah melakukan donor darah serempak. Kegiatan tersebut telah menjadi awal kerjasama KBRI dengan organisasi tersebut yang diharapkan dapat terus digiatkan di masa depan dalam berbagai event lainnya.

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