Latest news with #Francisca
Qatar Tribune
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar Museums to launch new Ceramic Residency Project in August
Building on the legacy of the Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture, Qatar Museums will launch a new Ceramic Residency Project, in collaboration with Liwan Design Studios and Labs, which will run from August 4 to September 7. Promoting cultural exchange and creative dialogue between Qatar and Indonesia, the Ceramic Residency will embody the spirit of friendship and artistic dialogue that the Years of Culture programme champions. By bringing communities together through craft and collaboration, the project will reinforce the enduring legacy of the Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture and its commitment to building connections that extend far beyond a single year. The programme will welcome renowned Indonesian ceramic artist Francisca, widely known as "Kika", who is recognized for blending contemporary forms with a strong sense of community. It will see Kika working side by side with local artists and craftspeople to develop a series of collaborative ceramic works inspired by the craft legacies of both Qatar and Indonesia. A core part of this new project is public engagement, with weekly Pottery Fun Classes welcoming community members to learn directly from Kika every Friday — on August 8, 15, 22, 29 and September 5. Participants will explore hand-building and pottery wheel techniques while contributing to the creation of works that celebrate the cultural connections at the heart of this residency. The residency will conclude with a group exhibition, celebrating the artworks created and the stories shared throughout this cultural exchange. Kika previously led the popular Indonesian Workshop Month in Qatar during the 2023 Year of Culture, where she invited participants to sculpt their own creations and discover new ceramic-making techniques. Her interactive, inclusive approach demystifies traditional craft and welcomes the public to connect with clay as a medium for storytelling and cultural exchange.
The Guardian
28-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
A pig's head and decapitated rats: a new era of intimidation dawns for journalists in Indonesia
When a large box arrived at the office with her name on it, Indonesian investigative journalist Francisca Christy Rosana assumed a friend had sent her a package. Instead, it contained a stinking, mutilated pigs head. 'I was shocked, I cried, and was immediately evacuated by some of my friends,' said Francisca, 'I was worried this terror would hurt my family.' The grisly gift was the first in a series of threats aimed at Tempo media in the past week, in what is being seen as a new low amid increasing intimidation of journalists in the world's third-largest democracy. First it was the pig's head, with its ears cut off. Days later, six decapitated rats wrapped in rose-adorned paper were sent to Tempo's Jakarta office. Online, there was a steady stream of harassment. 'Are there enough pig heads? If not I can send more,' wrote one menacing user on Tempo's Instagram account. The threats have in turn led to criticism of the leadership of ex-special forces commander turned president, Prabowo Subianto. Asked to comment on the pig's head threat, presidential spokesperson Hasan Nasbi initially suggested the Tempo journalist 'just cook it'. Hasan later clarified his remarks, saying that Indonesia remained committed to upholding press freedom, as guaranteed by Indonesian law. The police were investigating, he added, and the human rights minister had visited Tempo's office. Francisca was also doxed, and her mother's phone hijacked, while a relative received strange, threatening phone calls. Tempo, one of Indonesia's most critical media organisations, is no stranger to threats. During the decades-long reign of former authoritarian ruler Suharto, its weekly magazine was twice banned. 'Bombs, doxing, hijacking of phone numbers. We have had so many threats in the past,' said Bagja Hidayat, Tempo's deputy editor in chief, contemplating the changing nature of the scare tactics used against its journalists. 'But now it's very physical. For the first time animals and organs have been used as messengers … It's very scary.' The threats, said Bagja, were also menacingly symbolic. In the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, pork is considered haram. The six rats, he said, appeared directed at the six hosts of Tempo's hit podcast, Bocor Alus Politik, which does not shy away from discussing sensitive political issues. Francisca is one of the hosts, and the only woman among them. Recently, she has written about electoral and judicial scandals, and the controversial revision of the military law. 'This terror is related to my writing,' she said, 'I often produce coverage that criticises the government.' The attacks come weeks after Prabowo publicly stated that some elements of the media had been infiltrated by 'foreign interests' intent on destroying the nation. Tempo's Bagja says there is no clarity on who is behind the recent threats, but police are investigating. Inaugurated in October, Prabowo – a former special forces commander dismissed from the military amid allegations of rights abuses for which he has always denied wrongdoing – is wary of the press. During his election campaign he avoided all but a handful of interviews, and days before the vote was the only presidential candidate to skip an event where candidates pledged their commitment to uphold press freedom. Ross Tapsell, an expert on Indonesian media at the Australian National University, said the case was a test for Prabowo government. 'A flippant or nonchalant response will signal that journalists are legitimate targets of attacks,' he said. 'The incident is also important in the context of worsening attacks on female journalists in southeast Asia, where hyper-masculine, military-leaning leadership encourages more overt displays of misogyny.' Indonesia's Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) condemned the attack, which it described as a 'symbolic death threat', and one that undermined the public's right to quality news. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) described the threats as a 'dangerous and deliberate act of intimidation'. 'Tempo is well-known internationally for its fiercely independent reporting; using this playbook from autocrats elsewhere simply will not work,' said CPJ's Asia program coordinator Beh Lih Yi. 'President Prabowo Subianto must uphold press freedom and condemn this highly provocative act if he wants Indonesia to be taken seriously as the world's third-largest democracy.' But some damage has already been done. Some reporters are scared, admitted Tempo's deputy editor in chief, while other media outlets have started to self-censor, he said. Goenawan Mohamad, founder of Tempo magazine, described the recent threats as a 'sign of cowardice'. Referring to the movement that began after the fall of Suharto in 1998 he said: 'Today, thanks to Reformasi you can't ban a newspaper. But it will be interesting to see if there is any move from the regime to review the press law.' Last year the government, then led by former president Joko Widodo, mulled revising another relevant law, proposed revision of the broadcast law that would have banned 'exclusive investigative journalism'. Amid vociferous outcry, the government backtracked. Since the fall of Suharto, Indonesia has enjoyed a dynamic and free press, arguably the freest and most independent in South-east Asia. Reporters like Francisca want to keep it that way. 'I want to say to all female journalists: don't be afraid of intimidation, because those who intimidate are actually those who are afraid of the truth.'
South China Morning Post
21-03-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Indonesian reporter receives pig's head in incident condemned as ‘terror attack'
An incident involving a severed pig's head that was sent to an Indonesian political reporter has been condemned by her employer as a 'terror attack'. Advertisement The head was found in a cardboard box from an anonymous sender addressed to 'Cica', the nickname of Francisca Christy Rosana, who works for the Tempo magazine. The box was delivered to her office in Jakarta on Wednesday. It stayed unopened until Francisca returned to her office on Thursday after covering a story with her colleague Hussein Abri Yusuf Muda Dongoran, according to a report by Tempo. Hussein told Tempo that there was a foul smell when the box was opened, revealing a decomposing pig's head with its ears missing. It was unclear why the pig's head was sent to Francisca. Advertisement A Catholic living in Muslim-majority Indonesia , Francisca has previously criticised the current government of President Prabowo Subianto and the preceding administration under Joko Widodo. Francisca and Hussein, along with several other colleagues, co-host a weekly podcast where they discuss sensitive political topics.
Associated Press
19-03-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Empowering Communities, One Drop at a Time
Cummins Water is something many of us take for granted. We turn on the faucet, and it's there—clean, safe, and ready to use. But for 2.2 billion people worldwide, access to safe water is anything but certain. It's a daily struggle, shaping every aspect of life—from health and education to economic stability. Every year, on March 22, the world comes together to recognize World Water Day, a global movement driving action against the water crisis. For Cummins, this mission extends far beyond a single day—it's at the heart of our commitment to sustainability, community impact and a more prosperous future for all. 'We believe that access to clean water isn't just a necessity—it's a fundamental right,' said Jeff Wiltrout, Vice President – Corporate Strategy at Cummins and Executive Sponsor of Cummins Water Works. 'Through Cummins Water Works, we're not only tackling the global water crisis head-on, but also empowering communities to build a more secure future by partnering with leading water experts to invest and engage in sustainable, high-impact water projects around the world.' Addressing the global water crisis According to the United Nations and World Health Organization, 1 in 4 individuals around the world lack access to safe water with 115 million people depending on surface water, like a river, to meet their basic needs. Compounding the water crisis is that inequalities exist, as women and girls are too often burdened with the task of collecting water to support their families. For many families, access to safe water is not just a necessity—it's the key to economic stability and well-being. For Francisca, a mother in Cajueiro, Brazil, the struggle for water was her daily reality. Eighteen years ago, when she moved to Cajueiro while pregnant with her son Gabriel, she built a home of her own—but one essential element was missing: safe water. Each day, Francisca walked a mile to collect water from a reservoir used by livestock, carrying heavy containers back to her home. The water was untreated, forcing her to boil it before use, yet even then, it still tasted bitter. Washing clothes meant multiple trips to the reservoir, and preparing meals carried the constant fear of waterborne illness. Determined to find a better way, Francisca learned about partnership with Banco do Nordeste, a local lender in her community. Since 2021, Cummins has partnered with to expand access to safe water and sanitation improvements to communities living in poverty by helping individuals access small, affordable loans, which enable families to install household water connections and toilets. Through this collaboration, she was able to secure a small, affordable loan to bring lasting access to safe water for her family. 'Now, we no longer have to worry about where we will get water,' Francisca shared. 'Everything has improved.' With safe water at home, Francisca reclaimed the time and energy once spent sourcing water. Gabriel, now 18, attends school regularly without the risk of waterborne illness disrupting his education. Francisca's story is a testament to how access to safe water and financing unlocks opportunities—for individuals and entire communities. Learn more about Francisca's story here. Strengthening communities through sustainable solutions Initially focused on communities across Brazil, India, and Mexico, our partnership with quickly expanded to communities in Peru and the Philippines, reaching over 1.62 million people. And we're not stopping there. Through Cummins Water Works, we're working toward a bold goal: becoming net water positive in every region we operate by 2030. Already, we've achieved this in three of our seven global regions, delivering an estimated 2.4 billion gallons of water benefits. Cummins recently strengthened its commitment to communities in need by renewing its partnership with and pledging additional grants over the next three years. 'At we believe in the power of safe water to transform lives, create opportunity, and drive lasting change,' said Gary White, CEO and co-founder of 'Our partnership with Cummins is a powerful example of how philanthropic and corporate collaboration can accelerate solutions to global challenges. Together, we are transforming lives by removing barriers to access to safe water and sanitation.' Improving people's lives by powering a more prosperous world starts with a healthier planet, thriving communities and engaged citizens. Cummins is committed to advancing our global environmental sustainability strategy and supporting communities to ensure they are better because we are there.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Immigrant families scramble as state health insurance for some noncitizens faces the axe in Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker's budget plan
Despite being born with malformed limbs and later giving birth to four children, Francisca avoided going to the doctor as much as possible for about two decades. The 58-year-old Southwest Side resident lacked health insurance, so when she got sick or was in pain she often relied on home remedies. When she had a toothache, she wouldn't go to the dentist. Nearly two years ago, though, Francisca's situation changed dramatically. She obtained health coverage through a state program that provides taxpayer-funded insurance to immigrants like her who are in the country without legal permission as well as green card holders who haven't been in the U.S. long enough to qualify for Medicaid, the traditional health care program for the poor. When she had her first dental cleaning after getting the state-funded coverage, 'it felt like a blessing,' said Francisca, who asked to be identified by only her first name because of her immigration status. But in just a few months, Francisca and more than 30,000 other immigrants in Illinois may be uninsured once again as Gov. JB Pritzker has proposed eliminating funding for the program that began in 2022 for noncitizen immigrants ages 42 to 64. While coverage would continue for noncitizen immigrants 65 and older, cutting the program for the 42-to-64 age group is a significant piece of Pritzker's plan to balance a $55.2 billion state budget proposal. The governor estimates it will save $330 million as costs are rising and growth in income and sales taxes is slowing, developments that continue to strain the state's finances and force difficult decisions to ensure the state lives within its means, Pritzker has said. The effort to provide state-funded insurance, which began with coverage for those 65 and older during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2020, has become a lightning rod in Springfield as costs far outstripped projections. Although many immigrants living in Illinois without authorization pay state and federal taxes that support the program and other services for which they are ineligible because of their citizenship status, a recent state audit found that over three years the insurance program for older immigrants cost nearly double what was expected and the program for the younger group cost nearly four times more than anticipated. Pritzker's proposal, which blindsided many of the programs' supporters in the state legislature, has created some political dissonance for Democrats, particularly for the governor himself as he angles for national attention as a leading opponent of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and Republican proposals to cut federal Medicaid funding. A potential 2028 contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, Pritzker wrote in a recent Tribune op-ed opposing Medicaid cuts: 'For Illinois families of all backgrounds and across the state, health care isn't an afterthought — it's a lifeline.' He also promised: 'Illinois is doing all we can to preserve health care coverage.' As some Democratic lawmakers scramble to find ways to preserve the program, patients and the providers who care for them are bracing for an abrupt end to their health insurance coverage. 'I actually have a bad toothache right now, and I will make sure I go to the dentist soon, before my (coverage) is taken away,' Francisca said. 'Otherwise it will cost me like $300, and I don't have that much money.' The worry goes beyond her health. Francisca has a rare congenital disorder that has left her limbs either missing or disfigured. She uses a wheelchair and has never been able to work because of her disability. After she separated from her husband five years ago, she became fully reliant on her children. 'She is everything to us,' said her daughter Sara, 20, hugging her mother. Getting insurance coverage from the state 'felt like a relief,' Francisca said. 'We could go to the doctor knowing that if they found something wrong, we would be able to follow up. We no longer had to choose between going to the doctor, paying for the visit, the medication, or paying for rent and food,' Francisca said. If the program goes away, the responsibility of paying her medical bills will fall back to her children, on top of paying for her other expenses. She has no savings and doesn't qualify for Social Security disability benefits or Medicaid due to her immigration status. 'Sometimes I feel like a burden for them because they have to pay for everything,' she said. Cases like Francisca's illustrate what experts say are the broader consequences of leaving immigrants who are in the country without authorization uninsured. Immigrants who don't have coverage are less likely to have a steady source of health care outside the emergency room or to have a provider they trust in the U.S., said Drishti Pillai, director of immigrant health policy at KFF, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health policy organization. In a survey KFF conducted in 2023, 1 in 5 uninsured immigrant adults said their health got worse as a result of skipping or postponing care, she said. 'When an individual doesn't have health insurance coverage, since they're more likely to forgo primary and preventive health care, it's possible that health conditions that are fairly easy to treat can go undetected for a long time and ultimately become more complex and expensive to treat, which can raise the costs of uncompensated care,' Pillai said. 'It can also lead to worse economic outcomes due to productivity losses, with immigrants playing a key role, especially in certain professions such as health care, agriculture, transportation.' That's similar to the argument Pritzker made nearly two years ago when he signed a state budget deal that preserved the program. 'We save money when we invest in health care for undocumented immigrants,' Pritzker said in June 2023, just a few weeks before his administration closed enrollment for immigrants under 65 to help control the programs' costs. 'Because you know what happens if they don't get health care, basic health care: They end up in an emergency room. We all end up paying for that at a much higher cost than if we have preventative care.' In response to the recent audit, Pritzker's Department of Healthcare and Family Services, which administers the programs, also pointed to the prevalence of untreated chronic conditions and high rates of hospitalization among participants as key factors in driving the cost overruns. If the program for those under 65 ends, many patients who seek treatment likely will do so through community health centers, which are obligated to continue providing care regardless of insurance coverage or immigration status, Pillai said. And whether or not the state is paying the bill, the community centers will treat those patients and have to absorb the cost, said Ollie Idowu, president and CEO of the Illinois Primary Health Care Association, which represents more than 50 health centers across the state. While Idowu said he understands the state budget pressures, 'for my health centers, it's going to have a severe impact.' About one-third of participants in the program for those under 65 are patients of community health centers, according to the association, and the loss of funding for their care could force centers to lay off employees, reduce or eliminate some services, or close sites. The governor's proposal also comes as health centers are facing pressure from what they see as inadequate Medicaid reimbursements from the state, possible cuts to federal Medicaid funding, and moves by the pharmaceutical industry to place restrictions on their ability to get drugs through a federal program at steeply discounted rates, which provides another major source of funding. 'At the federal level, there is a nightmare of a storm that is brewing that has potential to wreak havoc on our health care safety net, and so it's critically important that our lawmakers and policymakers make the strongest possible investments that they can into people and providers to keep our communities healthy and to drive down costs to the health care system,' said Cyrus Winnett, the association's chief public affairs officer. Cook County Health is another provider for many immigrant patients who receive coverage through the program and also could face a major hit if the state stops compensating the county-run system. In 2024, the county health system received $111 million in reimbursements for care provided to about 8,000 patients through the program Pritzker has proposed eliminating, officials said, adding that regardless of the outcome in Springfield, 'Cook County Health will be here to serve all patients in need.' Rush University System for Health also could face a hit if the program ends. Over four years starting in 2019, the hospital saw its financial assistance and charity care spending cut nearly in half, with 'a substantial portion' attributable to payments from the state immigrant health care programs, said Padraic Stanley, Rush's program manager of community integration, health promotion and disease prevention. Illinois has long been at the forefront of providing health insurance coverage without regard for immigration status. In 2006, Illinois became the first state to cover children regardless of citizenship, and in 2020 became the first to do so for those 65 and older. Others followed suit, with 13 other states and Washington, D.C., providing coverage for children and six other states and the nation's capital providing state-funded coverage for some income-eligible adults as of January, according to KFF. When expanding Illinois' program for the second time in 2022 to extend coverage to those as young as 42, Pritzker declared in a news release that 'everyone, regardless of documentation status, deserves access to holistic health care coverage.' Despite backtracking on that issue, Pritzker is unlikely to face significant political consequences either in a bid for a third term next year or in a potential 2028 White House run, said E.J. Fagan, a political science professor at the University of Illinois Chicago. 'Any governor who's served for a long period of time in their home state is going to run into issues that don't look great nationally,' Fagan said. In the more immediate term, it remains unclear whether there will be enough pushback from the Democratic-controlled legislature to change Pritzker's mind on funding the program. Republicans, whose votes aren't needed to pass a budget that takes effect July 1, uniformly oppose providing the state-funded coverage, arguing the resources would be better spent on legal residents of Illinois. 'This administration is committed to doing everything within our means to protect health care for the most vulnerable,' Pritzker spokesman Alex Gough wrote in response to questions about the governor's proposal. 'This difficult decision was one, among many, that reflect the reality of our situation and unfortunately needed to be made in order to maintain a balanced budget. In this case, we opted to preserve health care coverage for the most vulnerable through' the program for those 65 and older. 'We are happy to engage the General Assembly should they have creative solutions to maintain funding for the program but we have a responsibility to Illinois taxpayers to maintain a balanced budget,' Gough said. While she appreciates the administration's willingness to listen to other ideas, state Rep. Norma Hernandez, a Melrose Park Democrat who chairs the House Latino Caucus, said those discussions should have begun before Pritzker introduced his proposal last month. 'I'm curious to understand why this specific population is being targeted. Is it because they're being seen as less human?' Hernandez said. 'Before making this announcement, there should have been those bigger conversations. … How can we create a pathway to help fund this program, to not only just keep it but to expand it?' Pritzker's budget plan was based on revenue forecasts that painted a more optimistic picture than the $3.2 billion deficit his administration was projecting as recently as November. But the legislature's bipartisan forecasting arm more recently produced its own estimate for the coming year, anticipating about $737 million less revenue than the governor's plan, before accounting for tax changes that would require legislative approval. Further clouding the outlook are stock market turmoil and growing recession fears stemming from Trump's use of tariffs against some of the U.S.'s largest trading partners and expansive cuts to the federal workforce. Nevertheless, Hernandez said she and other supporters of the program are looking for 'progressive revenue' options to keep the program going, without offering examples. While funding the program has led to infighting among legislative Democrats in recent years, she said Latino members have worked hard on 'educating folks on the reality of … why this program is so important, why this program saves the state money.' Among those working alongside members of the Latino caucus and other supporters to preserve the program is Andrea Kovach, a senior attorney at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law and a member of the Healthy Illinois Campaign. The campaign was a driving force behind creating the programs but also is among those Pritzker administration officials have blamed for providing inaccurate cost estimates that ended up ballooning in recent years. 'Cancer doesn't care what someone's immigration status is. Diabetes doesn't go away because someone has a particular immigration status. So the cost will still be there,' Kovach said. 'People still age, have accidents and need to treat and manage chronic conditions. The difference is they'll not be diagnosed soon, but at a much later stage and it will be much more costly to the state.' Illinois has 'a legacy we should be really proud of, and now is not the time to go backwards,' she said. It's an open question whether supporters would be able to round up enough votes to pass any kind of tax proposal to fund the program, or whether Democratic leaders would allow such a plan to advance. House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch, for example, said in a Sun-Times podcast interview earlier this year that 'talking about tax increases … would be tone-deaf to what we heard in November' from voters. While budget negotiations continue in Springfield ahead of the legislature's May 31 budget deadline, the future of health care coverage for Francisca and tens of thousands of other immigrants living in Illinois hangs in the balance. Also among that group are Maria Esther Morales, 57, and her husband, Adan Rodriguez, 60, of the Pilsen neighborhood. They have been unable to legalize their status in the country after living in the U.S. for more than 32 years, even with four of their five children being citizens, because federal law would require them to leave the country for 10 years to be eligible. For decades, they didn't see a dentist. Though they both have diabetes, they avoided the doctor except for the handful of times they ended up in the emergency room. Three years ago, when Morales and her husband found out they could finally get Medicaid-style coverage from the state, their lives completely changed, Morales said. 'We couldn't believe it; it was the greatest blessing for the two of us and for many other people,' Morales said. 'We immediately made appointments to get a dental clinic and follow-ups to treat my anemia.' Since getting coverage, neither of them have had to go to the emergency room, she said. They only go to their checkups and follow-up appointments at Alivio Medical Center, a community health center. Morales, who volunteers with a group of cancer patients and survivors, said many people covered by the program are anxious and nervous. She said she prays lawmakers find a way to keep it. _____
