Sun Bear Paradise

The life rhythm of the Dayak Benuaq people were disrupted when a company barged onto their 12,000 hectares landholding back in 1971, claiming forest rights. They soon began to log in the forests of Putaq Malinau, which belongs to the Benuaq in Muara Tae, West Kutai, East Kalimantan.

Standing apart from other pesantrens (Islamic boarding schools), is the Abdurrahman bin Auf Pesantren, which not only teaches religion, it also tries to instill in their students self-reliance and confidence by training them in business and farming skills. "Our objective is to teach them to go beyond merely reading the Qur'an, but actually living life as according to the Holy Book," said Akbar Mahalli. He is the business manager of the Abdurrahman bin Auf Entrepreneurship and Agrobusiness Pesantren, popularly known with its acronym, Perwira AbA, located at Bulan village, in the subdistrict of Wonosari, Klaten regency, Central Java.

In the southern part of Jayapura, on Hamadi Beach, scores of teenagers divided into groups are engaged in three distinct activities. One of the groups was practising the catwalk, like runway models, while the other two practised pantomime and dancing. "Every Sunday from noon to sunset we explore and hone our talents in dancing, acting and modeling," Albertus Kelmas Kosu told Tempo two weeks ago.

Cornhusking

A large, neatly tied pile of burlap sacks sits at a cooperative office in Solok, West Sumatra. The aroma instantly gives away its contents coffee beans. In the backyard is an area reserved for drying.