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"Achinese Icon 1"
A SHORT INTRODUCTION
Background:
ACEH, at the northwestern end of Sumatra, is the firsts of the archipelago to have contact and be influenced by the outside world and has a fascinating history which over the centuries has shaped and transformed the region into what it is today. Aceh has been very important historically because the Acehnese live along the coast in a region that has been characterized by long-distance trade, with its power was based on its control of maritime commerce. Aceh has a long tradition of resistance to outside powers. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the ports of Aceh became entangled, in the European colonial powers' competition for worldwide political and economic dominance, for which Aceh was an international trading center. Acehnese also maintained contact with the Ottoman and the Mughal Empire and controled the "gate to the holy land" throughout the Malayo-Indonesian Islamic world. Many Islamic religious scholars lived and worked in Acehnese ports, and in Mecca the Acehnese religious foundations for students from the archipelago were well known. But Acehnese Islam has an Indic, rather than fundamentally Arabic, origin and is in some ways distinctively Shiite and mystical. There are also Sunni elements in Acehnese lslam with heterodox pantheistic sufi mysticism. This unique legacy can be traced in all forms of Acehnese cultures (Literature/dance/song/music, etc.) In 1873 the Netherlands issued a formal declaration of war and invaded Aceh. Acehnese war of resistance lasted intermittently from 1873 to 1942, the longest conflict the Dutch ever fought. The Acehnese "nation" of northern Sumatra was eventually conquered after a long, drawn-out war.The military conquest of Aceh and its dependencies, therefore, required a protracted guerilla struggle.The Japanese occupation, 1942-1945 and the World War II paved the way for integration of Aceh into the Republic of Indonesia. In 1959, the Government of Indonesia (GoI) gave Aceh 'Special territory' status, which ostensibly conferred autonomy in religious, educational, and cultural matters. Resentment over the control of economic/natural resources and a repressive military presence contributed to the 1976 creation of the armed resistance group of GAM (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka / Free Aceh Movement) and created in 1979 a government in exile (in Scandinavia). After international capitalism's "Asian financial crisis" and President Suharto's downfall, Acehnese had high hopes for a new era of demilitarization and true democracy. But the conflict between GAM and GoI endured until the 26th December 2004, a quake measuring 9.2 struck the coast of Aceh and triggered a tsunami, with a global death toll passed 356,000. This tragedy insisted the both conflict parties to sign the Peace Accord of August 15th, 2005, negotiated in Helsinki. This accord provides for a significant degree of autonomy (self-government) for Aceh under the guidance of the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM), supported by the European Union and ASEAN-cuntries, as a preparation to a "lasting peace, prosperity, democracy, justice" and would gain substantial control not only over its religious, educational and cultural, but also political and economic affairs. One of the fundamental rights of the Helsinki Accord for the making of the ‘new’ Aceh is, an agreement to conduct an international cooperation.
To further global friendship, reconstruction perspective and widening the range of cooperation with the European Union, especially Germany, the MAFEX (Marburg Economic Promotion Center) of the Marburg University will organize the cooperation projects in the form of the biennial trilogy: 2006, 2008, 2010 -- in progress, known in short as ‘ACEH WEEK’, starting from the first week of June, 2006 -- with the special motto: "Cultural Celebration & Commercial Cooperation"!
Objectives:
"ACEH EVENT" is a week of intensive economic, educational and cultural activities, conducted on the campus area in the centre of Marburg. It is open to all participants interested in exchanging knowledge and experience, and accessing the scholarly resources. The broad goals of the program are to provide a forum for building networks among students, scholars or experts and businessmen through exchange of knowledge and experiences surrounding the study of Aceh Sumatra/Indonesia. The program also aims to provide an opportunity to use the rich and diverse resources on Asian archipelago or South East Asia/ASEAN. Activities include seminars, panel discussions, student presentations, individual consultations with European/German companies, guest lectures (keynote speeches of Aceh Sumatra/Indonesia/ASEAN), and will feature special events such a library/archive visit and cultural events (exhibitions, films and performances, etc).
Inspirers:
a). Prof. Wilhelm Roepke (1899 -1966), prominent economist/philosopher. He is one of the most original, yet least recognized, economic thinkers of the 20th century. He borrows from both capitalism and socialism, yet he goes beyond defining economics in abstract terms and brings it down to the human level. He is the chief architect of the humane, or social, market economy. He defends the economic practices in the moral framework established by family, community, and religion. Free market ideals are free from the predations of the state and big business. Roepke was really a man for the 21st century, since it is in this century that the ideals of political autonomy, economic decentralization, and social solidarity may finally have a chance at taking root again in a landscape wracked by the conflicts and injustices inflicted by modern ideologies. He was regarded as an Enlightenment liberal who believed in social progress. He defended the free market from socialist cultural critics by pointing out that social crises and cultural decline are not the product of the free society; one needs to look to state control, political centralization, welfare, and inflation as a primary source of social decay. He influenced the direction of post-war German economic reform, and he used the term "market economy" instead of "capitalism." He believed that European economic recovery would not be brought about by foreign aid but through a restoration of the market economy that had been hampered during the war. Roepke's intellectual heirs must now discover these political means to protect nations, communities, and families from the savage onslaught of materialism. In his book, "Economics of a Free Society" (Die Lehre von der Wirtschaft), he emerges here as thoroughgoing Misesian, a stalwart advocate of capitalism and free trade, and a fierce critic of protectionism and every manner of government interference with the economy.
b). Karl May (1842-1912), prominent writer/pacifist/poet. A German author of travel and adventure stories, dealing with desert Arabs or islamic countries. Mr. May only visited in his late years the Orient and Asia he so colorfully had depicted in his books. However, he used the first-person narrative, which gives the reader a believable impression of actual experience. May's works have been translated into over 30 languages. But his work on Aceh Sumatra panorama long before the tsunami desaster was impresive, in which he was regarded as a pacifist! May dreamed on 'Pacem in terris' -- (Und Friede auf Erden!); Samples of his original quotation, e.g.:
" ... in den Gewaessern von Sumatra ... Spaeter sah man backbordseits den Goldberg in blauer Ferne liegen.
Uleh-leh (Hafen von Uleleh, nach Tsunami 2004, versunken) ist nicht gross, fast durchweg nur aus Holz gebaut. ... Bei der Ankunft von Passagierdampfern entwickelt sich auf ihm ein ausserordentlich buntes, hochinteressantes Treiben, bei welchem man die verschiedensten Typen Sumatras in Bewegung sehen kann. Wir kamen unerwartet; darum war er ziemlich menschenleer. Es war beschlossen worden, uns im Hafen gar nicht aufzuhalten, sondern mit der Bahn hinauf nach Kota Radscha (Heute Hauptstadt: Banda Aceh) zu fahren, ... als wir in Kota Radscha angekommen waren, von ihm und gingen nach dem sogenannten Hotel Rosenberg. Es liegt an einem freien Platze und ist mit einem Kaufladen verbunden, welcher bedeutend grosser als der unten in Uleh-leh ist, wo wir die Limonaden getrunken hatten. ... Wir fuhren nicht mit der Bahn, sondern per Wagen nach Kota Radscha hinauf.
Welcher gute Mensch koennte jetzt wohl anders als nur friedlich fuehlen! Auch ich habe eine ganz eigene Empfindung. Wenn ich jetzt nach meinem Kopfe griffe, wurde es mich gar nicht wundern, die Hand Eures Freundes zu fassen, ... wir Menschen sind vielleicht doch etwas andere Wesen, als wir denken!
Die Insel ist natuerlich die Erde; die Meeresflut ist das Leben; die Ruestungen sind die beseelten Menschenkoerper, und die Taucher sind die unsichtbaren, geheimnisvollen Intelligenzen, welche wir als "Geister" bezeichnen...
(Read more in German or Maidar's translation in English or Malay!)
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