Off the white beaches
The Indonesia Kit
By Elaine Brière and Susan Gage
Available for $10 plus $2 postage and handling from Stephen Langford, 25 Comber St, Paddington NSW 2011
Reviewed by Michael Tardif
Topical and current, The Indonesia Kit is a Canadian publication that makes an ideal introduction to Indonesia for students, tourists or those simply wishing to know more about Indonesia than its white beaches and perfect surf.
The Kit focuses on a range of social justice and environment issues, from East Timor and West Papua to forestry and transmigration. Outlining the present state of affairs and providing brief histories, it introduces the reader to some of they key forces attempting change in Indonesia.
It provides a concise overview of the society, reflecting its diversity, and providing the inquisitive with the answers to their questions, and the more serious reader the basis to research the topics in more detail.
Importantly, the kit emphasises the importance of activism, pointing to direct ways we can aid the current struggles in Indonesia. It provides a list of some key Indonesian organisations and suggests immediate tasks for those wishing to offer solidarity.
The Indonesia Kit would make an invaluable resource for solidarity groups or anyone interested in educating themselves and others around the issue.