Latest news with #Illa
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Indonesian roof tilers flex muscles to keep local industry alive
MAJALENGKA, Indonesia: A young Indonesian man turns his back to a crowd, flexing his oiled-up muscles before picking up a stack of roof tiles, holding as many as he can in a pose reminiscent of Mr Olympia. This is a bodybuilding battle of a different kind -- one where competitors are roof tile factory workers who pump clay instead of iron to bring attention to their dwindling trade. In Java's Jatiwangi city, an Indonesian hub for clay roof tile production nearly 200km from the capital, Jakarta, dozens of men have been lathering on oil to pose for crowds since 2015 to show they are not going anywhere. The clay industry in Jatiwangi is more than a century old, when terracotta tiles drawing on local heritage were first made by hand to replace thatched house roofs. They are now mostly used for housing, and in the 1930s inspired Indonesia's former Dutch colonial rulers to tile their own government buildings and employee homes. "But over time, it started to fade away," said Illa Syukrillah Syarief, a 48-year-old worker at the Jatiwangi Art Factory who helps to organise the competition. "So we feel that we're not just here to tell stories about roof tiles, but also to be saviours, to preserve the culture of Jatiwangi roof tiles." The workers use clay or local soil to make their tiles, but the younger generation is taking on fewer manual labour jobs and big industry is hitting the revenues of local trade. It has caused fear that their industry could become a forgotten art in the future. "We're pushing through in a situation that's not going so well," said Illa. "We've lost workers, and the demand isn't what it used to be." The shirtless men, young and old, posed for a crowd that included women clad in hijabs and judges who pick the winners of cash prizes up to 1.5 million rupiah (US$92) for the number one spot. Attendee Ika, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, called the show "something unique" that displayed "bodybuilding with a distinctive style" rooted in Indonesian culture. The winnings are donated by rival factories whose workers battle it out against one another in the competition, with no sponsors yet stumping up cash for the event. "It was incredible to see the competitors and their style, and all the many things they can do using their hands, using their mouth even, carrying tiles," said foreign judge Alessa Cargnell. The red, earthy tiles have a curved shape that lock in together, making it easier to clasp a stack and pose from the front or the side. One man displayed incredible power to hold a tile between each finger and one from his mouth while standing on one leg, as remixed traditional music typically heard in Indonesian TikTok videos blared in the background. But the strength of the roof tile workforce is not only reserved for the weight room. "We're still determined. The hope is that roof tiles, or processing the soil in Jatiwangi, won't just be a commodity," said Illa. "But truly become an identity: as roof tile makers, as people who work with the earth." - AFP
Int'l Business Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Indonesian Roof Tilers Flex Muscles To Keep Local Industry Alive
A young Indonesian man turns his back to a crowd, flexing his oiled-up muscles before picking up a stack of roof tiles, holding as many as he can in a pose reminiscent of Mr. Olympia. This is a bodybuilding battle of a different kind -- one where competitors are roof tile factory workers who pump clay instead of iron to bring attention to their dwindling trade. In Java's Jatiwangi city, an Indonesian hub for clay roof tile production nearly 200 kilometres from the capital, Jakarta, dozens of men have been lathering on oil to pose for crowds since 2015 to show they are not going anywhere. The clay industry in Jatiwangi is more than a century old, when terracotta tiles drawing on local heritage were first made by hand to replace thatched house roofs. They are now mostly used for housing, and in the 1930s inspired Indonesia's former Dutch colonial rulers to tile their own government buildings and employee homes. "But over time, it started to fade away," said Illa Syukrillah Syarief, a 48-year-old worker at the Jatiwangi Art Factory who helps to organise the competition. "So we feel that we're not just here to tell stories about roof tiles, but also to be saviours, to preserve the culture of Jatiwangi roof tiles." The workers use clay or local soil to make their tiles, but the younger generation is taking on fewer manual labour jobs and big industry is hitting the revenues of local trade. It has caused fear that their industry could become a forgotten art in the future. "We're pushing through in a situation that's not going so well," said Illa. "We've lost workers, and the demand isn't what it used to be." The shirtless men, young and old, posed for a crowd that included women clad in hijabs and judges who pick the winners of cash prizes up to 1.5 million rupiah ($92) for the number one spot. Attendee Ika, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, called the show "something unique" that displayed "bodybuilding with a distinctive style" rooted in Indonesian culture. The winnings are donated by rival factories whose workers battle it out against one another in the competition, with no sponsors yet stumping up cash for the event. "It was incredible to see the competitors and their style, and all the many things they can do using their hands, using their mouth even, carrying tiles," said foreign judge Alessa Cargnell. The red, earthy tiles have a curved shape that lock in together, making it easier to clasp a stack and pose from the front or the side. One man displayed incredible power to hold a tile between each finger and one from his mouth while standing on one leg, as remixed traditional music typically heard in Indonesian TikTok videos blared in the background. But the strength of the roof tile workforce is not only reserved for the weight room. "We're still determined. The hope is that roof tiles, or processing the soil in Jatiwangi, won't just be a commodity," said Illa. "But truly become an identity: as roof tile makers, as people who work with the earth."
Euronews
27-02-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Catalonia's President Illa seeks EU recognition for Catalan language
Pushing for Catalan to become an official EU language has been one of the key goals of Catalonia President Salvador Illa during his last visit to Brussels. The language, spoken by around 10 million people in the Spanish regions of Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Andorra and parts of France and Italy, is part of a joint bid with Basque and Galician to become officially recognised by the EU. Illa believes this is a key demand for its citizens. "Giving the official status to these languages, you are saying to the citizens of Catalonia, of Galicia, of the Basque country 'you are part of Europe'', he said. The EU currently has 24 official languages. All of its legal acts and treaties are translated to all. The plenary sessions of the European Parliament and the meetings of the European Council and the Council of the EU are interpreted in each. For Illa, "this is not a matter of translating more or less documents, it is a matter of respecting the identity of European citizens," he told Euronews. The decision must be approved unanimously by all 27 EU countries and is now being discussed by European affairs ministers. Minor progress has been made on the issue since Spain presented the proposal during its rotating presidency in the summer of 2023. Including three new official languages might cost around 132 million euros per year,** according to a preliminary report made by the European Commission. Brussels estimates that each language would cost around €44 million per year, including adapting documents and hiring interpreters and translators. If the proposal is approved, Spain has offered to pay for it. Now Catalan can be spoken in the Council of the EU if the ministers ask for it several weeks in advance. This happened in September 2024, when Spain's Industry Minister Jordi Hereu spoke Catalan in a meeting for the first time in 20 years. At the same time, the European Parliament is looking into the possibility of all three languages being used by MEPs during plenary sessions. Political mistrust Getting the 27 member states to support Spain's demands to make the three languages official in the EU might prove to be difficult, however. Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez's government made the proposal as a way to get the support of pro-independence parties, especially former Catalan President and MEP Carles Puigdemont's Junts per Catalunya. Puidgemont, who led the Spanish region's separatist movement, remains abroad after being wanted by the authorities in Madrid ever since the failed attempt at independence in 2017. Therefore, the decision to push for the recognition of the Catalan language is raising eyebrows in several EU countries, which see it as a political manoeuvre by Sánchez. "This was a demand of this political party, but is a shared demand of lots of people not only from Catalonia (but also) in the Basque country, in Galicia," said Illa. "This is not, let's say, a political issue, or a political demand. I would put it from another angle. This is a fair measure from a linguistic point of view. There are 20 million citizens that speak these official languages." This is Illa's second visit to Brussels since he was sworn in as president of Catalonia six months ago. The socialist politician has made Brussels one of his priorities, choosing Jaume Duch, the former spokesperson of the European Parliament, as his minister of EU and Foreign Affairs. One of his goals is to restart completely the relations between Catalonia and the EU. "That's our aspiration I think we are going to achieve it. We want to be fully involved in the European construction, in the European project, in a moment, in a fast-changing world that gives no other way of strengthening European project", said Illa. His trip last week included a meeting with European Council President António Costa and the vice-president of the European Commission, Teresa Ribera. But he is not the first one who tried to break through the wall that Catalonia faced during the decade that included a pro-independence referendum, or the so-called "Procés". Former Catalan president and pro-independence leader Pere Aragonès already met with some members of the European Commission in 2022, a first for a Catalan leader in several years. Now, for the first time in more than 10 years, Catalonia has a president who opposes the region's independence. "I respect all the political projects, but my view is that in this fast changing world, we need to strengthen the things that unite us and not highlight the things that separate us", said Illa.
Euronews
27-02-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Catalan's President Salvador Illa pushes for language to have official status
Pushing for Catalan to become an official EU language has been one of the key goals of the President of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, during his last visit to Brussels. The language, spoken by around 10 million people in the Spanish regions of Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands, Andorra and parts of France and Italy, is in a bid together with Basque and Galician to become an EU language. He believes this is a key demand for its citizens. "Giving the official status to these languages you are saying to the citizens of Catalonia, of Galicia, of the Basque country 'you are part of Europe', said Illa. The EU has now 24 official languages. All of its legal acts and treaties are translated to all of them and the plenary sessions of the European Parliament and the meetings of the European Council and the Council of the European Union are interpreted in each of the languages. For Illa "this is not a matter of translating more or less documents, it is a matter of respecting the identity of European citizens". The decision must be approved unanimously by all 27 EU countries and is now being discussed by the European Affairs ministers. But has made small progress since Spain presented the proposal during its rotating presidency in the summer of 2023. Including three new official languages might cost around 132 million euros per year, according to a preliminary report made by the European Commission. Brussels estimates that each language would cost around 44 million euros per year, including the adaptation of documents and the hiring of interpreters and translators. If the proposal is approved, Spain has offered to pay for it. Now Catalan can be spoken in the Council of the European Union if the ministers ask for it several weeks in advance. This happened in September 2024, when Spain's Industry minister Jordi Hereu spoke Catalan in a meeting for the first time in 20 years. At the same time, the European Parliament is looking into the possibility of all three languages being used by MEPs during plenary sessions. Political mistrust Getting the 27 member states to support Spain's demands to make the three languages official in the EU might be difficult. The proposal was made by Pedro Sánchez's government as a deal to get the support of pro-independence parties, especially former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont's Junts per Catalunya. But this is rising eyebrows in several EU countries, who see it as a political manoeuvre by Sánchez. "This was a demand of this political party, but is a shared demand of lots of people not only from Catalonia..., in the Basque country, in Galicia...", said Illa. "This is not, let's say, a political issue, or a political demand. I would put it from another angle. This is a fair measure from a linguistic point of view. There are 20 million citizens that have these official languages". Closing the independence path For Illa, this is his second visit to Brussels since he was sworn in as president of Catalonia six months ago. The socialist politician has made of Brussels one of his priorities, choosing Jaume Duch, the former spokesperson of the European Parliament, as his minister of European Union and Foreign Affairs. One of his goals is to restart completely the relations between Catalonia and the European Union. "That's our aspiration I think we are going to achieve it. We want to be fully involved in the European construction, in the European project, in a moment, in a fast-changing world that gives no other way of strengthening European project", said Illa. His trip last week included a meeting with the president of the European Council, António Costa, and the vicepresident of the European Commission, Teresa Ribera. But he is not the first one who tries to break the blockage that Catalonia faced during the decade that included a pro-independence referendum, the so-called Procés. Former Catalan president and pro-independence leader, Pere Aragonès, already met with some members of the European Commission in 2022, a first for a Catalan leader in several years. Now, for the first time in more than 10 years, Catalonia has a president against the independence. "I respect all the political projects, but my view is that in this fast changing world, we need to strengthen the things that unite us and not highlight the things that separate us", said Illa. You can listen to the whole interview in our podcast "Radio Schuman".
Euronews
27-02-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Catalan becoming an official EU language a 'fair linguistic measure' says Catalan president
Pushing for Catalan to become an official EU language has been one of the key goals of the President of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, during his last visit to Brussels. The language, spoken by around 10 million people in the Spanish regions of Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands, Andorra and parts of France and Italy, is in a bid together with Basque and Galician to become an EU language. He believes this is a key demand for its citizens. "Giving the official status to these languages you are saying to the citizens of Catalonia, of Galicia, of the Basque country 'you are part of Europe', said Illa. The EU has now 24 official languages. All of its legal acts and treaties are translated to all of them and the plenary sessions of the European Parliament and the meetings of the European Council and the Council of the European Union are interpreted in each of the languages. For Illa "this is not a matter of translating more or less documents, it is a matter of respecting the identity of European citizens". The decision must be approved unanimously by all 27 EU countries and is now being discussed by the European Affairs ministers. But has made small progress since Spain presented the proposal during its rotating presidency in the summer of 2023. Including three new official languages might cost around 132 million euros per year, according to a preliminary report made by the European Commission. Brussels estimates that each language would cost around 44 million euros per year, including the adaptation of documents and the hiring of interpreters and translators. If the proposal is approved, Spain has offered to pay for it. Now Catalan can be spoken in the Council of the European Union if the ministers ask for it several weeks in advance. This happened in September 2024, when Spain's Industry minister Jordi Hereu spoke Catalan in a meeting for the first time in 20 years. At the same time, the European Parliament is looking into the possibility of all three languages being used by MEPs during plenary sessions. Political mistrust Getting the 27 member states to support Spain's demands to make the three languages official in the EU might be difficult. The proposal was made by Pedro Sánchez's government as a deal to get the support of pro-independence parties, especially former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont's Junts per Catalunya. But this is rising eyebrows in several EU countries, who see it as a political manoeuvre by Sánchez. "This was a demand of this political party, but is a shared demand of lots of people not only from Catalonia..., in the Basque country, in Galicia...", said Illa. "This is not, let's say, a political issue, or a political demand. I would put it from another angle. This is a fair measure from a linguistic point of view. There are 20 million citizens that have these official languages". Closing the independence path For Illa, this is his second visit to Brussels since he was sworn in as president of Catalonia six months ago. The socialist politician has made of Brussels one of his priorities, choosing Jaume Duch, the former spokesperson of the European Parliament, as his minister of European Union and Foreign Affairs. One of his goals is to restart completely the relations between Catalonia and the European Union. "That's our aspiration I think we are going to achieve it. We want to be fully involved in the European construction, in the European project, in a moment, in a fast-changing world that gives no other way of strengthening European project", said Illa. His trip last week included a meeting with the president of the European Council, António Costa, and the vicepresident of the European Commission, Teresa Ribera. But he is not the first one who tries to break the blockage that Catalonia faced during the decade that included a pro-independence referendum, the so-called Procés. Former Catalan president and pro-independence leader, Pere Aragonès, already met with some members of the European Commission in 2022, a first for a Catalan leader in several years. Now, for the first time in more than 10 years, Catalonia has a president against the independence. "I respect all the political projects, but my view is that in this fast changing world, we need to strengthen the things that unite us and not highlight the things that separate us", said Illa. You can listen to the whole interview in our podcast "Radio Schuman".
