“Allhamdulillah (Praise be to God), I can actively participate in the World Silent Day on March 21” said Hendra in his blog. Hendra is the backbone of the World Silent Day (WSD) web. He maintains, uploads, and teaches all of us to manage the web. He works at a web hosting and management company, and volunteers  for the Bali Collaboration on Climate Change (BCCC).

Journalists, friends and supporters often ask the BCCC team, what do we do during the silent day, how do we celebrate the WSD, etc. It is difficult for many people to contemplate “doing nothing” or doing things differently, or to get away from the electronic gadgets and the cars. Simple things such as talking with friends and families have been taken for granted. Thus the BCCC team wants to share with you what some of us did during the Silent Day. Seriously, we think Hendra topped all of us.

Hendra woke up at 8.30 am, took his bath, drank coffee and began to tinker with Toshi, his computer.  Hendra said Toshi is always on for 24 hours and the WSD is a time for Toshi to take a rest, even if only four hours. BCCC team had asked him to up load the “We are Silent” notice for the WSD web. He also did this for four other sites namely: www.baliorange.net, www.baliorange.web.id, www.balioutbound.com,  www.hendra.ws.

At 10 am, he switched off his cell phone, the office telephone, Toshi, the refrigerator, TV, Aquarium and finally the Electricity Meter Device went Click … off. What about the customers for Bali Orange? Hendra had given them notice two days earlier that the web will be turned off for four hours from 10.am to 2 pm Bali time.

However, he had to attend a friend’s wedding at 11 a.m. that day. Even then, Hendra opted to go on a motorcycle taxi rather than take the car. He said, between attending a wedding reception and implementing WSD is not a choice; rather it is a case of  living a life based on humanity values.

Ayip and Hira had to continue campaigning in the morning of March 21. Ayip, the designer of most of WSD campaign tools, was in Jakarta. He was interviewed by PRO 2 FM, Radio Republik Indonesia, as part of the campaign to tell the public about WSD. This radio has an audience of about 2 million. But he was back in his family home in Jakarta by 10 am. They switched off the television and all lamps, even if only up to 1.30 pm.

Hira, a member of the KBCC steering commmittee was interviewed by Dewata TV at 9 a.m in her home in Batubulan, Gianyar Bali. The local television wanted to report on  the activity of the BCCC team during the silent day and broadcasted it  at 10 am.  She switched off her hand phone and home phone, did not put the computer on. Usually the computer is the first thing she touched after breakfast.  She  was just beginning to take the compost out of the compost box. Hira processes her kitchen waste into compost and “I have been planning to take out the ready compost and dry them in the sun for many days now, never seem to have the time. The Silent Day gives me that opportunity” she said. On that day she also finished correcting, by hand,  two manuscripts for publications that she had also been delaying for days. One of those was a booklet on Climate Change in Bahasa Indonesia. The most significant thing was that her vanda orchid bloomed for the first time,  on March 21. “What a blessing!!” she said.

Lisa decided to spend the Silent Day renewing her friendship with an old friend. For four hours on March 21 she and her friend talked and talked about studies, work, family and future plants. Eating boiled bananas, Balinese cakes and fruits, and drinking water, they chatted in the garden of her house, surrounded by trees. They had switched off their cell phone, and refused to open their computers. Lisa, the all round volunteer at BCC, said “it was such a rare opportunity for us  to chat and relax, as we are usually always too busy even to see each other regularly”.

Denik, Atiek, Dek Gus and Herni decided to spend World Silent Day away from the Denpasar city, in Pelaga. Denik and Atiek are field officers at Yayasan Wisnu and had to do some field monitoring work, while Dek Gus (Walhi)  and Herni (PPLH) are young volunteers who want to learn about rural development and environmental work. The four of them left on March 20 morning to visit Karangasem and then drove early morning on March 21. At 9.30 they stopped the car, switched off all cell phones and continued to journey to Pelaga village walking. Once they had met with  relevant people, they decided to spend the rest of the WSD hours sitting and chatting at a ‘bale bengong”,  the traditional resting and meeting place in Bali (see picture). They chatted about many things, from non-essential issues to important issues. They laughed a lot. “Laughing is good for the soul” Herni said. It is true they did not plant trees, or do any physical work, but they strengthened the bond of relationship between them. There was even a dog, called Roy, who spent WSD with them.

At about 1 pm, it began to rain. The “Bale Bengong” could not shield them from rain, but consistently they stayed until 2 pm. They said they enjoyed the silence of Pelaga, with oxygen in full supply and away from the noise pollution. It was a real silent day for the four friends.

Made Suarnatha, the Director of Yayasan Wisnu, and  member of the KBCCC steering committee, spent time in contemplating nature. He announced the Silent day at 9-10 am through the Wisnu Community Radio. Then at 10 am, the radio went off air, he switched off all electronic appliances at the office. Suar, as he is often called, was alone at the office. He spent the silent hours sitting under a seven year old mango tree, contemplating. The tree never shifted its place. “I feel cool and comfortable under its leaves” he thought. He then looked at flower and other ornamental plants in the surroundings and began to build communications between hes eyes, his brain and his heart. He contemplated how the mango tree has given so much but has asked for nothing.

Perhaps the tree only asked to be planted and watered, and tended in the beginning. After that it just gives and gives. It gives shade, flowers and fruits. The birds also happily get the benefit, being sheltered by the leaves.

The most enjoyable is during the dry hot season, when the tree bear fruits. Many friends have also enjoyed the fruits. Some neighbours who are tempted, sometimes also take the mangoes, withou asking permission. “We often call it stealing, but the tree actually does not differentiate between the owner of the tree, and perhaps do not even care who enjoys the fruits. The most important thing for the mango tree seems to be give, give with all its heart” Suar reflected.

The tree also never learns, is independent, not greedy, does not ask for large spaces or new places. It is focused, in one place, free and with all its heart function as a communication channel between the soil and the air. Ah the mystery of this tree, thought Suar.

After an hour, Suar shifted to lychee tree. People say, it will bear fruits after ten years. But it is so beautiful, in the middle of the rice fields, Suar felt. He then reflected, “What do we as humans give? We can only eat”. Then he looked at the pond, where fishes swim and lotus plants grow. The lotus is a symbol for the Wisnu Foundation, depicting a noble flower that grows out of the muddy, murky water, but is not touched by the dirty water. Then he looked at the digester and thought how is it that feces can turn into gas.

Next Suar sat on a small “bale bengong” in the rice field, which forms part of the Wisnu office. There are two varieties of rice. The black rice whose seeds were from Atambua, Flores island, and the usual white rice.  Both are victims of uncertainties in the climate. The Black rice has grown well, with many grain stalks. But the extreme conditions of heavy rains, interspersed by very hot days, have stimulated stem borer pests. So the rice stalks are empty of grains. The organic rice is also good food fro the stem borers. The white rice has suffered the same fate. Oh dear, farmers would have to bear the loses. “I am afraid to imagine if harvests fail several times due to extreme climatic conditions, what will our farmers do? Do we do nothing about this?” he mused. Suar decided, he must do something and that is the real meaning of the silent day for him.

Indeed,  WSD is about individual contributions to reduce the impacts of climate change, as contemplated by Suar. But it is also about the entire earth, about friends and families as contemplated by Lisa and the four friends. As Hendra aptly said,  Im happy with World Silent Day and be part of it. Can’t hardly wait for the next year event. Let’s spread WSD for our existence living on earth. GIVE THE EARTH  ONE DAY  TO BREATHE !.” Hendra is definitely our WSD hero this year!!

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