Indonesia launches a platform for philanthropic partnerships to combat poverty and promote sustainable development | UNDP in Asia and the Pacific

Indonesia launches a platform for philanthropic partnerships to combat poverty and promote sustainable development | UNDP in Asia and the Pacific: "The top players of the philanthropic world in Indonesia gathered on Monday to discuss actions to combat poverty and promote sustainable development goals with the United Nations and the Government of Indonesia. Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Puan Maharani opened the “Post-2015 Partnership Platform for Philanthropy” gathering in Jakarta.  "



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Charity Commission defends spending almost �40,000 on hotels

Charity Commission defends spending almost �40,000 on hotels: Daily Mail article lists bills from five-star venues in Cairo, Doha and Jakarta; the watchdog says hotels are often chosen for security reasons.

The Charity Commission has defended spending almost �40,000 on five-star hotels around the world, saying that staff are often accommodated in particular hotels for security reasons.

Details of the charity regulator’s spending on corporate credit cards, released to the Daily Mail under Freedom of Information Act, show that the commission spent more than �38,000 in less than two years at hotels.

Chef Ramsay Settles N. Zealand Charity Lawsuit | The Jakarta Globe

Chef Ramsay Settles N. Zealand Charity Lawsuit | The Jakarta Globe: Wellington. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay paid NZ$ 100,000 ($ 81,000) to settle a lawsuit for failing to appear at fundraisers for a chronically ill New Zealand girl, the event's organizers said Tuesday.

Is Asian charity different than Western charity? | Mitchell Hinz | 101fundraising

Is Asian charity different than Western charity? | Mitchell Hinz | 101fundraising: he swing to the East is centered, of course, on Asia’s two biggest countries, China and India, but as countless Economist articles point out, many countries with LESS than a billion people (!) have a lot going on as well. For example, most people don’t know that Singapore, where I now live, boasts one of the world’s highest GDP-per-capitas: almost US$ 60,000 per person (one in six households has a net worth of MORE than US$ 1 million). However, Indonesia is still the region’s *largest* economy, despite having far higher poverty rates. The GDP-per-capita in Indonesia is only a bit over US$ 4,600 per person (almost 1,500% lower!). Conclusion: Singapore has LOTS of rich people. Indonesia has LOTS of poor people, but a fair number of RICH people, too.

So, if you were a fundraiser (which is a fair assumption, since you’re still reading) the question is — where should you be fundraising?

Miley Cyrus Says She Wants to Do Charity Work in Indonesia | The Jakarta Globe

Miley Cyrus Says She Wants to Do Charity Work in Indonesia | The Jakarta Globe: "If she manages to get a break from her busy singing and acting career, teen superstar Miley Cyrus may soon be seen in remote Indonesian villages, working to put an end to global poverty."

Women Build For Women - The Jakarta Globe

Women Build For Women - The Jakarta Globe: "WBFW, set up by an Indonesian, an American and a Mexican in 2009, works to alleviate some of the hardships faced by many Indonesian women.

However, rather than wielding power tools, the women behind the organization — Marlene Setiyadi, Urai Rogers and Melba Pria — are using their financial prowess and large social networks to raise funds and carry out advocacy work to influence public policies on poverty alleviation. Both Marlene and Rogers are top-level business executives, while Pria is the Mexican ambassador to Indonesia."

Implementing CSR in difficult times | The Jakarta Post

Implementing CSR in difficult times | The Jakarta Post: "An annual international conference on CSR recently held in Manila, namely the Asian Forum on CSR, carried the theme “Sustaining CSR in difficult times. Business leaders and CSR experts at the conference presented ways to sustain CSR during the difficult times of the global economic crisis by sharing best practices in their operating countries. Although the impact of the global economic crisis in Asia has not been as severe as in Europe and America, their CSR strategies changed because many have their headquarters either in Europe or America. A downturn in the upstream brings about changes in the downstream of a business."

Islamic philanthropy, cultural heritage and moral choice | The Jakarta Post

Islamic philanthropy, cultural heritage and moral choice | The Jakarta Post: "Idul FitriFestival is only one day ahead, and Muslims who have been fasting for Ramadan are preparing to celebrate. Some may have plans to visit relatives in their hometowns; others may just want to intensify their religious and social activities. But beyond normal social, economic and religious activities during Ramadan there is another important agenda that often characterizes the Muslim religious practice of giving.

Prior to the Idul Fitri festival, especially in the last week of Ramadan, Muslims intensify their giving. According to Islamic teaching, all Muslims who have savings or property are obliged to pay zakat (alms) and strongly encouraged to perform other kinds of giving such as infak and sadaqa."

Jakarta Globe

Jakarta Globe: "Ministry Backing Military Nonprofits

The Indonesian Armed Forces should be allowed to keep its small nonprofit cooperatives and foundations despite being required by law to sell off all its business interests, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said on Tuesday.

The House of Representatives passed a law in 2004 requiring the government to take over all military-owned businesses by 2009, but the Defense Ministry wants to allow the military to keep cooperatives that provide cheap basic commodities and small saving schemes for low-ranking soldiers, and foundations which offer inexpensive education for their children.

“Low-ranking soldiers and their families really need them,” Juwono said."

The Jakarta Post - Muslims 'dig deeper for charity'

The Jakarta Post - Muslims 'dig deeper for charity': "Muslims 'dig deeper for charity'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesian Muslims have become more aware of their obligation to give alms (zakat) and have been donating more, according to a survey released Wednesday.

The survey, conducted by the Public Interest Research and Advocacy Center (PIRAC), showed that Muslims' awareness of their obligation to give to the poor had risen by 5.2 percent, up to 55 percent in 2007 from 49.8 percent in 2004."

The Jakarta Post - NGO, retailer form 'green team'

The Jakarta Post - NGO, retailer form 'green team': "NGO, retailer form 'green team'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A Singapore-based fashion retailer and an environmental non-governmental organization launched Tuesday a 'going green' collaboration to create a better and healthier environment.

'We have asked our staff and customers to start thinking about the importance of the environment, in order to help reduce the effects of global warming,' said Ravelra Supit, the marketing communication manager of the Club 21 clothes retailer."

The Jakarta Post - Corporate social responsibility now the law in Indonesia

The Jakarta Post - Corporate social responsibility now the law in Indonesia: "Corporate social responsibility now the law in Indonesia

Noke Kiroyan, Jakarta

It is now official. Indonesia has become the first nation on earth to legislate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) after the House of Representatives dismissed all objections from the business sector to pass the bill on Limited Liability Companies.

The special committee chairman responsible for debating the draft law initially maintained the decision was based on a comparative study in the Netherlands, Thailand and China."

The Jakarta Post - Law regulating CSR needed: Officials

The Jakarta Post - Law regulating CSR needed: Officials: "Law regulating CSR needed: Officials

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) needs to be regulated by a separate law to guarantee it is mutually beneficial for corporations and local communities alike, senior politicians say.

Social Services Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah said CSR should be perceived as a compulsory scheme because it is not only charitable and philanthropic, but also, and importantly, a long-term investment to ensure the survival and sustainability of corporations."

The Jakarta Post - Study finds alms badly managed

The Jakarta Post - Study finds alms badly managed: "Study finds alms badly managed

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Frequent disasters have left the cash-strapped government lamenting a lack of funds for reconstruction and rehabilitation.

But a study suggests Islamic philanthropy is a tremendous potential funding source for such projects that is not being managed effectively.

Research by the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University's Center for Study of Religion and Culture in Jakarta has found property donations or wakaf from Muslims across the country are worth Rp 590 trillion (about US$64.7 billion) a year."

The Jakarta Post - Govt needs to promote CSR, say panelists

The Jakarta Post - Govt needs to promote CSR, say panelists: "Govt needs to promote CSR, say panelists

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is much more than mere philanthropy or charity. Rather, it is a normal business practice that needs to receive special attention from the government, a panel discussion has concluded.

The speakers at the discussion on CSR in Indonesia, which was held in Jakarta on Thursday, generally agreed that the government needed to play an active role in promoting the concept, particularly given that many Indonesian companies were still unaware of the importance of CSR in their day-to-day operations."