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Sec. of State Clinton Visits DAI Project in Indonesia
The following is a reprint from the DAI website. Read the original here
Date: February 19, 2009
The DAI team in Indonesia on February 19 had the honor of helping to host U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at one of its U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project sites.
The former first lady and U.S. senator, visiting Asia for the first time as a member of the Obama administration, traveled to Indonesia as part of a four-country trip that included meetings in Japan, South Korea, and China.
Secretary Clinton walked through the Petojo Utara neighborhood in Jakarta, where she toured projects implemented by DAI’s Environmental Services Program (ESP) and other USAID partners. Ms. Nur Endah Shofiani, ESP’s regional coordinator for Jakarta, explained the DAI projects to the Secretary, showing her around an urban composting site and a shop where women make handicrafts out of recycled materials.
During her walk around the neighborhood, Secretary Clinton learned how community members utilize used materials, such as plastic bags and bottles, to make handicrafts, such as handbags, wallets, and cell phone holders, reported Jason Rebholz, assistant cultural attach at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, on the State Department’s official blog.
It was really amazing; as one of my colleagues put it “these bags look like they were inspired by Andy Warhol, with real laundry detergent packages.”
Mrs. Clinton took note of microfinance and small business efforts under way in the community. She was also impressed by the residents’ commitment to a cleaner environment, as demonstrated by the trees and shrubs they have planted, and their proper treatment of wastewater.
“The streets were so crowded with people, it was amazing,” Rebholz wrote. “She couldn’t have received a warmer welcome. From Secretary Clinton’s expression, it was clear to me that visiting Petojo Utara and meeting residents there was the highlight of her visit to Indonesia.”
The previous night, Mrs. Clinton met for dinner with Indonesia’s civil society leaders, including many representing environmental groups. In an after-dinner speech, she spoke of U.S.-Indonesia strategic partnerships and of the United States’ interest in supporting Indonesia in forest and marine conservation, climate change, and alternative fuel development.
“Indonesia has experienced a great transformation in the last 10 years,” Mrs. Clinton said, as reported by the New York Times. “If you want to know if Islam, democracy, modernity and women’s rights can coexist, go to Indonesia.”
For more on the visit and an extensive library of photographs, click here.
ESP, which links environmental and public health, is one of five major programs implemented by DAI in Indonesia on behalf of USAID. The others are the Agribusiness Market and Support Activity (AMARTA), the Community-Based Avian Influenza Control (CBAIC) project, the Orangutan Conservation Services Program (OCSP), and SENADA (the Indonesia Competitiveness Program).
