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LOGICA: LAND, IDENTITY AND CHOICE

If LOGICA had to be described in a single sentence it might be: AIPRD is returning the Acehnese their land, their identity and their choice.

LAND

The land boundary mapping and spatial planning program has received a lot of attention already. AIPRD is enabling people to re-establish their land boundaries so that houses can be re-built as quickly as possible. The program also develops a spatial plan for the destroyed villages to coordinate housing construction and to assist in re-establishing essential services such as water, sewerage, electricity and community facilities.

Less known are the spin-offs from the land mapping program. Recently, an Acehnese villager thanked AIPRD for the land maps because they helped to finally resolve an old family land dispute. The family land was to be divided between several heirs but there was continuing disagreement about who would receive what land. With AIPRD maps the location and size of the land became clear and the disputing heirs could finally agree on the division of their inheritance.

The spatial plans are the basis for reconstruction activity in Tsunami affected villages, but these plans also provide security to the villagers. The plans ensure that every village will have large escape roads and places of safe refuge, usually buildings that are strong enough to withstand an earthquake or a Tsunami. Just knowing that these buildings and escape routes exist give people a stronger sense of security knowing that they have a safe place to go should a major disaster occur again.

IDENTITY

Rarely do we realize how important it is to have the means to prove our identity. In Indonesia citizens use their identity card to open a bank account, obtain a driver’s license, get a job, access government social services, register for housing assistance, get married, receive an inheritance, to get a land title or simply to pass through airports or police checks.

For survivors of the Tsunami the identity card became one of the most important documents. But government services were also badly affected by the disaster, and it became very difficult for them to issue new identity documentation to Tsunami survivors. In some cases, getting a new identity card took up a whole day and several visits to the government sub-district office.

AIPRD introduced a computerized system to issue identity cards and speed-up production. With the new system people can now receive a new identity card within an hour and do not need to return to the office on multiple occasions. This saves Tsunami victims not only precious time but also money because transport is expensive.

In Aceh Barat, aid did not always go to the Tsunami victims because beneficiaries were difficult to identify or were not listed in a single consolidated record. The AIPRD registration of citizens in a database has led to more effective delivery of aid to Tsunami victims. The system is widely recognized for its simplicity and ease of use, and recently the head of the Aceh Barat provincial government asked AIPRD to install its identity database system in his district office. He is willing to pay for training and set-up costs.

CHOICE

Anyone working in Aceh is confronted daily with the trauma caused by the Tsunami. The human spirit can only deal with so much loss before people feel like they just want to give up. But hope can be restored and people can be supported to rebuild their lives and aspirations. An important starting point is encouraging people to tell their stories of loss, survival and hopes for the future. With the right level of support and encouragement, people can then become strong enough to take the first small step in moving forward with their lives. More often than not, it is the small achievements and accomplishments that mean so much to survivors and help them to regain confidence, strength and hope.

AIPRD has developed a project that lifts the spirits of the people who have given up hope and who feel excluded from the reconstruction process. The project provides a simple tool that helps victims to tell their stories, identify their problems and share their dreams for the future. It then encourages them to think of small actions they can take to gain more control over their lives and links them with resources to start moving forward. With continuing encouragement people do find solutions to their problems. AIPRD workers stay with them until they begin to achieve their goals.

In one badly affected Tsunami village, electricity had been promised for months but the state-owned electricity company had not yet delivered. The villagers identified lack of electricity as their biggest problem, and despite assistance from AIPRD in lobbying the electricity company, the delay continued. One villager then decided to write to the media and was again assisted by AIPRD to express the concerns of his community. Shortly after a newspaper article was published on the plight of the villagers, within a week the electricity grid was extended to the village. The community celebrated their achievement and a new recognition they could take action themselves to improve their future.

In all the Tsunami-affected areas AIPRD is building village halls so that people can meet together, rebuild their social networks and identify their needs to those who can help. Construction in Aceh is a very difficult task, particularly when building material and skills are in short supply, and contractors are overwhelmed with the workload. This can sometimes lead to sub-standard quality construction. AIPRD is supporting villagers to become involved in supervising village construction and to find the right avenues to lodge complaints and concerns. Villagers feel a greater sense of control in being able to demand quality and value for money, and are able to resolve problems as they arise through appropriate channels.

WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER

The impact of each of these interventions is most noticeable when they occur simultaneously in a single area. In the sub-district of Lhoong, for example, three villages were almost entirely washed away by the Tsunami. The villagers were supported by AIPRD to discuss their problems and identify the highest priority needs. The villagers lobbied local government to meet regularly with the Reconstruction Agency and NGOs to coordinate urgent assistance. AIPRD mapped their land, assisted in arrangements for the relocation of the washed away villages, trained the local government officials to be more responsive and efficient, and encouraged village coordination meetings. A spatial plan

will give the villagers choice in how their new living environment will look, and the construction of a village hall will give them a place to meet, plan and rebuild their social networks.

THE TEAM

The greatest strength of AIPRD’s approach through LOGICA lies within its team of 350 people, most of who are Acehnese and are themselves survivors of the Tsunami. Even though many of the team have their own stories of enormous loss, they remain motivated by the results of their efforts and by the hope they witness every day as people regain their land, re-establish their identity and begin to make new choices for the future.

Guy Janssen, AIPRD Governance Adviser and

Azwar Hasan, Deputy Team Leader, LOGICA  - azwar@fba.ord.id

Local Governance and Infrastructure for Communities in Aceh (LOGICA) Project is managed by HAI on behalf of the Australia Indonesia Partnership for Reconstruction and Development (AIPRD).