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Expo explores beyond fun fair
A group of students sat around a square table with their hands busily folding paper
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A group of students sat around a square table with their hands busily folding paper.
A row of paper miniatures of sandals, bajaj, the ancient payphone box, a kitchen, even a camera on display at the center of the table was one of the 24 booths in the International Relations Expo (Intrex) 2010 being held at the Parahyangan Catholic University (Unpar) campus in Bandung, West Java, from May 10 to 11.
The booth of Paper Replika Indonesia (PeRI) was always crowded with visitors who wanted to learn to create paper miniatures of things or characters only by paying Rp 2,000 (20 US cents) for one model print.
PeRI member Tian Bahtiar, a student of Communication Studies at the Bandung Islamic University, said that his club joined in Intrex to encourage young people to pick positive pastime activities.
"There are always positive means for young people to channel their interests, hobbies and creativities in which they can stay away from drugs and other delinquencies," he said.
His opinion is exactly the reason Unpar's International Relations Students Organization invited PeRI as well as many environmental watchdogs and other NGOs concerned about social affairs and education to take part in the two-day event. The NGOs were allowed to talk to the visitors into becoming volunteers.
Wiwin Winarni from the Indonesian Child Welfare Foundation (YKAI) said that it was the first time the organization took part in such an event.
Wiwin said that from the booth the activist introduced the life of underprivileged children through pictures to Intrex visitors, mostly high school students and university students who come from well-off families.
"There are still many children who have to work as breadwinners for their families. They are illiterate and marginalized," she said.
The pictures of children in batik manufacturers, those who work as dock workers and others selling traditional stone grinders on the street had made visitors donate to YKAI programs.
The Foundation also sold many drawings and toys made by YKAI children and netted university students willing to be new donors for its Sobat Anak (Children's Buddies) program.
"It would be helpful if we can find volunteers for our programs," Wiwin said.
The event was also used by some organizing committee to find participants for their upcoming events, including the Indonesia Model United Nations of the University of Indonesia's Social and Political Sciences as well as the Indonesian Youth Conference.
Indira Prisanty of University Indonesia said that the upcoming simulation of the UN assembly would be the first ever held at the national level. A group of UI students were currently on a road show to find 165 students nationwide to represent world countries.
"We are visiting six big cities to find the participants," she said.
The simulation, planned for October this year, would become an exercise to hone political debate and diplomacy skill for international relations' students. The discussion topics will include security, regional blocks, peace, conflict, humanity, terrorism as well as environmental issues.
Erick Sunardi, an industrial engineering student at Unpar, said that the expo fulfilled his interest of being engaged in youth activities. He said he would be involved in the Indonesian Youth Conference, planned to be held in Jakarta from July 7 to 10.
"This first ever youth conference will be able to vent our opinions to the decision makers of this country and NGOs so they can chip in to changes in Indonesia," he said.
Expo organizer Effardy Effendi said that this year's expo tried to meet the students and visitors' needs and interests.
"In previous events we invited embassies, but now we want more NGOs and hobby communities, agents for student exchange programs and scholarships providers to provide balance in the students' education and lifestyle," he said.
The expo also presented a short movie festival, a photography workshop with Komunitas Lubang Jarum and various talk shows on students' success stories. The most awaited talk show was of Miftahul Mardiyah, a blogger who has received many scholarships to study abroad.
"We want our friends here to steal their ideas on how to start positive activity and network to enhance the youth's role globally in line with the expo's theme: Excite Your Life Through Global Thinking," Effardy said.
