By: Masayu Yulien Vinanda

Jakarta (17/10)-The future of the community living in Kalimantan Border Area has become a hot issue. The social and economy imbalance between Indonesia side and Serawak side, Malaysia is a major threat for our children future. The phenomenon encouraged ""Masyarakat Peduli Anak Indonesia""  foundation (SAMPAI) and the Heart of Borneo Initiative conduct a workshop titled “Building Indonesia in Kalimanatan Border Area: Improving the Future of Indonesian Children in the Border Area of Indonesia-Malaysia to Strenghten National Tenacity” in Borobudur Hotel, Jakarta, Saturday (17/10).
The workshop presented 4 key speakers; Chief of The National Working Group of HoB Andi Novianto, an official with the Ministry of Forestry's Directorate of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation Haryadi Himawan, Spatial Plan Expert Aca Sugandhy and Chief of The Agency for Border Area Management and Cooperation of West Kalimantan Province Ngatman.
Besides representatives from NGOs and high officials, some Kalimantan Province officials also participated in the workshop. After those 4 key speakers gave their presentation, workshop participants then had discussion by focusing on 3 major issues; infrastructure, ecotourism, and bioprospecting.
“Border area has high socio-cultural potential. Local art, culture, agricultural products, and 4 National Parks with its prime biodiversities. This is what we call “potential.” It has to be constructed in an integrated system. As a result we can accelerate development in border area, Haryadi Himawan said.

The workshop will produce recommendation aiming at sustainable development in Kalimantan border area. The recommendation will be used as guidelines for 100-day program of Indonesia newly elected President for the period of 2009-2014.

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