TIMESINDONESIA, JAKARTA – What could be in your mind when an important invitation came to you and you only have a week to prepare.
Eldar Akhadov, a Russian-Azerbaijan born and a productive author from Siberia sent me invitation to participate in that World Poetry Day under the management of World Organization of Writers on 24th March, the invitation was included a Poetry making concerning Peace in the world in native language and plus some people from each country who reside in Moscow, should recite the Poetry along with 290 people from 30 languages of the world, and expected 600 spectators in the hall
It was not hard to write a Poetry concerning Global Peace. I made it in few hours and then thinking who will recite my Poetry? Organising 8 to 10 Indonesian people out of the country needs your very good link and time. I contacted one student whose major is Russian at the University of Indonesia (UI), he is Rashdan, a kind and cheerful young man who attended my Literacy Program, at UI last January.
Rashdan is very helpful, contacting his friend in Moscow then his friend contacting another friend and from that student, I was asked to communicate with his friend. This second student did not tell me straightful that the third person works as a Staff at the Education and Culture Section of the Indonesian Embassy.
I realized my limited time and 5 days before the big day, Sutan who works at the Embassy, introduced me to his boss, Mr. Nanang, S.F. the Head of Education cum Culture at the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow.
I reffered to him as Attaché of Education and Culture. After he received the formal invitation, Mr. Nanang discussed about my Poetry and found his way with his staff to take 5 students to the Russian House.
The event was crowded, hundreds of visitors, opened at 1 pm Moscow time with various remarks by Margarita AI, the President of WOW. She delivered the history of the WOW event and the goals ahead. Some Russian Poets were reading Peace poems, while childdren performed folk dances, dressed up beautifully in their traditional outfit.
The Nepalese Ambassador and several diplomats were present. Then the representatives of each language were asked to go up on stage and so did Mr. Nanang while 7 other Indonesian friends remained in their respective seats.
Later on, MC started the event of reading peace poems in 30 mother tongues simultaneously ‘a unique symphony of voices” arose in various foreign languages, including my poem was recited in our mother language by our Attaché of Education /Culture who shouted out to read and telling me by chat message that his voice was drowned out by the roar of hundreds of people in the theater.
The poems were not recorded per language, but Mr. Nanang thought that the committee has a recording of multi-language poem reading. Those sitting in the audience also read poetry in their respective languages.
The poetry flash mob event:
“A Minute of Non-Silence: We Are People of One Planet” dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Russia’s Victory in WW-II ended with the presentation of the Guinness World Record certificate for a poetry flash mob in 30 languages and group photos.
The Indonesian Attaché who wore a charming Batik long sleeves shirt in golden brown color was looking very good. He said to me that the total duration of the program lasted only 90 minutes; no food and beverage but everyone looked happy that evening,
The next afternoon, Tuesday, 25th March, Eurasia Assembly invited me to join a Conference Meeting Zoom along with the coordinators of 30 language groups with the Literary Council of ANEA, the World Organization of Writers (WOW). I joined the Zoom and hopefully I did not miss seeing my friends dressing up in their beautiful traditional outfit from some neighboring countries and some Republic in Rusia, I also saw my dear friends, Eldar Akhadov who is in charge as a Chief of Coordinator at WOW and Ashraf Dali who supervises publication and journalistic reviews.
When love is surrounding your life, there will be Peace. And when there is Peace attached you, you will automatically live in your beautiful life. Happy World Poetry Day. (*)
*) Nia S. Amira is a Senior Author of Times Indonesia. She is also a Poet Laurette and as a Senior Journalist, she writes about culture, human interest and tourism in more than 30 media in the world.
She can be reached at: sutanbagindoosman@gmail.com
