| Abstract |
The broad meaning of Community Development (CD) in Amoseas Indonesia is to advance the well being of the surrounding communities in which we live and work in order that more people can prosper from the our presence in the area and the projects we develop. Community Development takes many forms, including Direct, Indirect, Support, and Donation. In this regard, Amoseas Indonesia Inc. (Amoseas) has arranged and implemented a set of CD programs during 1994-2004 that have covered topics from employment, local business development, education, health, infrastructure, and general support. Through Government Regulation No. 22/ 1999 on Decentralization, Indonesia is implementing a new paradigm on government responsibilities such that local areas possess the mandate to function as partners in empowering community development. The success on the implementation of the Amoseas Darajat CD program is therefore enabled with the input of related government elements such as Pemerintah Daerah Kabupaten Garut (Garut Province), BAPPEDA Garut (Local Development Institution), Kecamatan Pasirwangi (Pasirwangi Region), and Badan Pengendalian Lingkungan Hidup (BPLHD) Garut Close coordination with these important stakeholders, who have knowledge of the local situation and who provide advice on the most suitable programs to put into practice for the area, has been critical to the design of Amoseas Indonesia's Community Development strategy. These parties are important for comparison and experience sharing in program implementation, coordination (with government and private institutions), and finally in evaluation of program effectiveness after implementation. Also, further cooperation with Education Institutions, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) and other non-government groups in the area are also critical for proper program design and implementation. These interaction activities are aimed at increasing the communities' active participation in decision-making, achieving needs fulfillment, and securing a compatible implementation. It has long been the responsibility of many development sectors (energy and mineral in particular) to implement, maintain, and contribute to local CD programs, as well as utilize efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable development methods. In order to recognize and reinforce these ideals, the government of Indonesia recently decided to provide appreciation awards for improvement within local communities. The Community Development Award recipients can be individuals, groups, local governments, and national and multinational companies. Amoseas Indonesia received this recognition from the Minister of Mines and Energy and President of Indonesia for its efforts in 2003. |