FROM SANUR-BALI WITH HEART TO OUR MOTHER EARTH

Oleh : Dwi Pradnya Ayu (FK Udayana, Bayer Young Environmental Envoy Indonesia 2011)

Toward the end of year, people use it as great momentum to hold such great events. I could not find any good reason since I think every date in whole year have similar taste. But here I can bring you some nice stories from one of annual events in Bali where you can find people, culture, and nature mix in a bowl.

The wonderful event named Sanur Village Festival (SVF) that happen in 2011 during 19-23 November in Matahari Terbit Beach, Sanur. This year it would be the 6^th SVF since it was held first at 2006. But it is kind special because for this year, the SVF would be merged with Indonesia Horticulture Festival and International Kite Festival.

Not less than 20 kind of activities and mini-events held in SVF 2011, some of them are bonsai and adenium exhibition, Sanur Village Cycling, Denpasar city tour, Bali Culinary Challenge, Kampung Seni, Sanur Open Golf Tournament, Under Water Festival, Kompetisi Jukung, and of course the Kite Festival. Beside those, you may join Yoga Village, Fishing Tournament, Photography Contest, Marine Water Sport and many others sport activities, games, Bleganjur (traditional Balinese orchestra) Parade, and Global Warming Act.

Nah, for the last activity I mentioned above, the Global Warming Act, I had special review since this is very interesting to see how local people together with visitors (most of them are tourists) take a part in greening our environment back.

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Maintaining the balance of nature and consistently carrying out positive efforts for the earth are integrated efforts that have continuously been sounded by Sanur Village Festival as response to the various issues that need serious attention over environmental degradation. Some case reports from around Sanur’s vicinity itself are decreasing of functional mangrove caused by illegal dumping, abrasion due to changing tide as well as damaged coral reefs as natural tide breaker, and how those affect the fishermen. Rice fields are gradually disappearing, turned into hotels, housing, and shopping complexes and various types of big trees becoming the victims of those changes as well.

5R: The Theme

In SVF 2011, they picked 5R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycling, Replant, and Recovery) as the theme of Global Warming Act. The 5R targeted to all society in Bali and in bigger scope, all of the inhabitant in this globe, to take the real action in protecting our earth. Reduce, reuse, recycling, replant, and recovery are five simple actions yet if done continually by many would result in great miracle on earth. Sanur-Bali through SVF expected to be a starting point for the great to take form.

The global warming act is presented in intaran three planting, where intaran is also the identity of one ‘banjar’ (smallest community in Bali) in Bali, named Banjar Intaran. Other activities are coral transplantation in which this action are go in synergy with underwater festival, alongside turtle release, beach cleans-up, and environmental exhibition. 

Sanur is famous with its wonderful sunrise, if you have not heard about it yet. Sanur also being the meeting point of fresh and salted water, and believed as the place where Father Sky meet Mother Earth up. Before it flow farther and become folks story, let me end it. Finally, I just visited the SVF 2011 and totally sure that SVF is a must attend event. If you are around Sanur-Bali during 19-23 Nov, please spare your time to visit SVF. If not, you still welcome to check the site for next year event.

See? The almost-end-of-year festival is not always about party and glamour night. Some of them may contain values and small action that may help Father Sky to see Mother Earth in any longer time.