Ulma Haryanto – The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation will hold a fundraiser Thursday night in an effort to shore up budget shortfalls.
The nonprofit legal aid foundation needs to raise Rp 210 million ($24,360) to fund operations for the next three months. Jakarta Legal Aid (LBH) suffered financial difficulties after key donors withdrew their support, stating that the government, instead, should fund the organization. Without public donations, it's doubtful the foundation will be able to stay afloat, director Nurkholis Hidayat said last month.
"The strengthening of public support for such institutions is needed," said Ratna Ariyanti, of the Association of Independent Journalist (AJI). "Not only [are] we are looking at short-term financial goals, but also [the] expansion of public donations."
The foundation has offered legal counsel and representation to impoverished and marginalized Jakarta residents since 1970. LBH Jakarta have represented victims of unlawful relocation, labor abuse and medical malpractice including: three widows versus state pawnshop company Perum Pegadaian, Petukangan residents versus Jakarta and the people of Cina Benteng versus Tangerang.
The organization's work is necessary, Ratna said. "When the state does not allocate fund for legal aid to its underprivileged citizens, what will happen to them?" Ratna said. "We need LBH Jakarta."
The foundation also proposed the bill on domestic workers rights that is currently being discussed by legislators and filed a judicial review for the pornography law and the blasphemy law with the Constitutional Court. In a given year, the foundation handles about 1,000 cases, free of charge, LBH Jakarta officials said. Last year, the organization received 1,150 requests from 146,478 individuals in need of legal help.
Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo previously said that government aid had stopped in 2008. The foundation, however, is still housed in a city-owned building in Central Jakarta. It costs the foundation a minimum of Rp 70 million a month to keep its operations going. More than half, some Rp 40 million, goes to the salaries of the LBH Jakarta's 17 staff members.
The fundraising event will be hosted by Najwa Shihab, with performances by Efek Rumah Kaca, guitarist Jubing Kristianto, Barongsay by the Cina Benteng community and University of Indonesia's student string ensemble. Theologian Franz Magnis Suseno, former LBH Jakarta advocates such as judicial mafia eradication task force member Mas Achmad Santosa, human rights activist Bambang Widjojanto, and legal heavyweight Adnan Buyung Nasution are also scheduled to appear.
The event will take place from 7 to 9 Thursday night in Perpustakaan Nasional (National Library) in Jalan Salemba Raya no. 28 A, Central Jakarta.