According to Steering Committee Coordinator of ACCESS Widya P Setyanto the event will be participated in by 130 representatives from regions and cities in East Nusa Tenggara, including provincial administration, academicians, non-governmental organizations, and the media.
"The theme of this event is `Initiative, action and contribution of Women to Support Local Economy and Village Self-Reliance`," he said when contacted by phone from Denpasar Sunday.
Setyanto said that the event will focus on actualization and appreciate the collaborative and dynamic work`s system of individuals and communities in East Nusa Tenggara in building the local economy and village self-reliance.
"We hope the event will provide documentation of practical local economy development to support village self-reliance," he said.
Setyanto said on the occasion, all the local economic stars will make statements and recommendations for decision makers at all levels on the acceleration of local economic development, family economic improvement, and village self-reliance.
The participants are also expected to follow up on their innovation plans of local economic development in their villages and regions by collaborative, synergistic and integrative action.
"We also hope this event will contribute to the country, observer (activists and academics) in female gender issues, poverty, and local economic development based on local assets. Those are the main agendas of this program," said Setyanto.
He said the ACCESS program is in line with the program of East Nusa Tenggara Governor Frans Lebu Raya who has developed Independent Red Grape Village (DeMAM) program as the action of 2009-2013 Regional Mid-period Development Plan of East Nusa Tenggara Province.
The local government expected the program would be able to lower the province`s poverty rate which currently stands at 21.23 percent of its total population.
The DeMAM program has been starting since 2011 and fully supported by the regional budget with allocation of fresh money 250 millions rupiah for each village to develop the productive economy in order to improve their welfare.
According to data of the East Nusa Tenggara Government, 287 villages were recorded as the target of DeMAM program with 17.937 billions rupiah of the distributed funds. The DeMAM program will be forwarded until 2013. (*)
A060/H-NG/S012
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
