Russia ready to defend itself with any weapon, including nuclear — Medvedev

Russian Presidential First Deputy in Military-Industrial Commission and Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev
©Yekaterina Shtukina/POOL/TASS

The world faces a global conflict if Washington’s goal is to defeat Moscow.

Russia will defend itself by any means, including with nuclear weapons, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said.

"It is obvious to all the powers that be that if the US wants to defeat Russia, we are heading for a conflict on a global scale. If the US wants to defeat Russia, we have the right to defend ourselves with any weapon, including of the nuclear kind," he wrote on his Telegram channel on Wednesday.

Imminent solution

Medvedev recalled that the day before, President Vladimir Putin gave his State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly which announced, among other things, the suspension of Russia's participation in the Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START, New START). "This decision was long overdue, I pointed to it last year," the politician said.

According to his assessment, the decision, which was due to the war declared on Russia by the US and other NATO countries, will have big reverberations for the world at large and for Washington in particular.

"After all, the American establishment's reasoning so far has been the following: we will interfere in your affairs, we will supply copious amounts of weapons to the Kiev regime, we will work to defeat Russia, we will limit and destroy you, but strategic security is a separate topic. It's not related to the overall context of the US-Russia relationship. It is almost like a sacred cow," Medvedev noted.

This conclusion, he continued, is "worse than a crime - it is the Americans’ grave mistake". According to the politician, this is a mistake "born of their mania grandiosa," that is, their sense of superiority and impunity.

He quoted Putin as saying that it was impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield and noted that "this is exactly why we have suspended New START (for now)". "Let the US elites who have lost touch with reality think about what they have achieved. Let's also watch the reaction of other NATO nuclear powers: France and the UK. Their strategic nuclear forces were not usually included in the list of nuclear warheads and carriers when preparing agreements between the United States and the USSR (Russia), but it is high time to do so," Medvedev summed up.

Western reaction to Russia’s New START decision doesn’t give hope for dialogue — Kremlin

The Western reaction to Russia’s suspension of its participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty doesn’t give a reason to hope for its readiness for talks, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

"We are seeing the initial reaction. It’s quite consolidated among the representatives of the collective West. This reaction, of course, doesn’t give us a reason to hope for any readiness for dialogue or talks," he said.

The spokesman said it’s important for Russia to do anything it takes to ensure its security, including in the realm of arms control.

"Time goes on, circumstances change, and it’s important for Russia to do everything in this respect to ensure its security, including in the issues of strategic stability and arms control," he said.

Peskov also said it’s important to be patient "in expectation of the time when Russia’s opponents will be ripe for a normal dialogue."

Russia to continue to insist on fair probe into explosions of Nord Stream — Kremlin

Russia will continue to work to prevent the collective West from hushing up the search for those responsible for the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with reporters on Wednesday.

He was commenting on the results of a meeting of the UN Security Council on the topic of gas pipeline explosions.

"On the one hand, we managed to draw attention to the need for a thorough and transparent investigation to confirm those suspicions, which are supported, by the way, by some quite detailed, surprisingly, investigations regarding who could be behind this sabotage, and this can and should be characterized as a terrorist act against critical energy infrastructure for the European continent," Peskov said.

He also added that "on the other hand, we come up against a brick wall of unwillingness to do this, on the part of the countries of the collective West, and, on the contrary, we see their desire not to focus too much on this issue and gradually ensure that this topic is swept under the rug."

"We will continue to work to prevent them from doing so," the spokesman concluded.

He stressed that the refusal to give Moscow access to the investigation of the Nord Stream explosions hampers the search for the truth.

"Here we are limited in our capabilities. Obviously, it concerns the territorial waters of other states, which are currently categorically denying Russia’s right to take part in the investigation or conduct its own [investigation] in their territorial waters. We regard this as a very negative manifestation that does not contribute to the search for truth and identifying those who are guilty of this terrorist act. But, of course, Russia will continue to do everything possible," Peskov summed up.

About sabotage on Nord Stream pipelines

On September 27, 2022, Nord Stream AG reported unprecedented damage that occurred the day before on three strings of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 offshore gas pipelines.

On September 26, 2022, Swedish seismologists registered two explosions on the pipeline routes. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office launched a criminal case based on charges of international terrorism.

On February 8, US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published an article, which said, citing sources, that US Navy divers had planted explosive devices under the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines under the cover of the BALTOPS exercise in June 2022, and Norwegians activated the bombs three months later.

According to the journalist, the decision to conduct the operation was made by US President Joe Biden personally, following nine months of discussions with White House security specialists. White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a comment to TASS that Hersh’s account was "utterly false and complete fiction.".

Evidence of US guilt for Nord Stream ‘more than a smoking gun’ – Russia

The destruction of Nord Stream pipelines was an act of international terrorism and needs to be addressed to avoid “chaos” on the high seas, Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, told the UN Security Council on Tuesday. Russia has accused Germany, Sweden and Denmark of a cover-up to shield the US, and said it would only trust a UN investigation.

The two pipelines carrying Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea were damaged by a series of blasts in September 2022. While Moscow has stopped short of openly accusing the US of carrying out the bombing, journalist Seymour Hersh did just that in an article published earlier this month.

Nebenzia referred to Hersh’s article and statements by multiple US officials threatening the pipeline – from president Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, to “godmother of the anti-constitutional coup in Ukraine,” Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland. He also brought up the infamous tweet by former Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski and an alleged text by Liz Truss, the UK prime minister at the time – all suggesting the US and its allies had the motive, as well as means and opportunity, to destroy Nord Stream.

“We’re not going to do ‘highly likely’ here,” said Nebenzia, referring to the British accusations against Russia in the Security Council chamber in 2018. The publicly available evidence is “more than a smoking gun” that Hollywood is so fond of, but all Moscow wants is an independent international investigation into the claims in Hersh’s article, the Russian diplomat added.

The attack on Nord Stream involved explosives and qualifies as international terrorism under a convention signed in 1997, Nebenzia noted. Unless its perpetrators are found and brought to justice, the attack may well usher in an epoch when transnational undersea infrastructure becomes a legitimate target, which would cause “chaos and terrible damage to all of humanity,” he added.

According to Nebenzia, Russia does not trust the investigations currently conducted by Sweden, Denmark and Germany, as they all refused to share their findings or outright ignored Moscow’s inquiries. “It is quite clear,” he said, that they are “covering up for their American big brother.” If Western countries block Russia’s request for a UN investigation, that will “only shore up our suspicion,” he added.

Before Nebenzia addressed the Security Council, former US diplomat Rosemary DiCarlo – currently the under-secretary-general for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs – argued the world body was “not in position to verify or confirm” anything, urging everyone to “show restraint and avoid accusations that could escalate the already heightened tensions in the region.”

The Security Council also heard from professor Jeffrey Sachs and retired CIA analyst Ray McGovern, who both testified to Hersh’s bona fides. While the US government rejected Hersh’s narrative as false, it “did not offer any information contradicting Hersh’s account, and did not offer any alternative explanation,” said Sachs. He also called Nuland’s comments about Nord Stream “not at all appropriate in the face of international terrorism.”

Nord Stream blast inquiries ongoing, Denmark, Sweden, Germany tell UN

Investigations by Denmark, Germany and Sweden into explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines have not yet concluded, the three countries said on Tuesday as the U.N. Security Council met to discuss the September incident.

Russia, which called for the meeting, wants the 15-member council to ask for an independent inquiry into the blasts on the pipelines connecting Russia and Germany, which spewed gas into the Baltic Sea and worsened a European energy shortage.

Denmark, Germany and Sweden told the Security Council in a joint letter that the "Russian authorities have been informed regarding the ongoing investigations" by their national authorities, which had so far established that the damage to the pipelines was caused by "powerful explosions due to sabotage."

"These investigations have not yet been concluded. At this point, it is not possible to say when they will be concluded," the letter said. "The authorities of Denmark, Germany and Sweden have been in dialogue regarding the investigation of the gas leaks, and the dialogue will continue to the relevant extent."

They said the consequences from the leaks in terms of greenhouse gas emissions were "substantial and worrisome."

Russia has asked U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs, of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, to brief the Security Council at Tuesday's meeting.

Moscow has maintained, without providing evidence, that the West was behind the blasts affecting the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines - multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects that carried Russian gas to Germany.

"There is no doubt about the motive of the crime, nor its perpetrator, nor the way in which the crime was committed," Russia's UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya told the Security Council, according to RIA news agency.

"This is even more than the smoking gun that all American detectives dream of finding in Hollywood blockbusters."

Earlier this month, the White House dismissed a blog post by a U.S. investigative journalist alleging the United States was behind explosions as "utterly false and complete fiction."

Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyanskiy, has said the aim was to put the proposal for an independent inquiry to a vote at the Security Council by the end of the week. A council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, Britain, France, China or Russia to pass.

Russia's TASS news agency reported that China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, told the Security Council that Beijing supports Moscow's call for the inquiry.

A vote could coincide with meetings of the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council to mark the first anniversary of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The 193-member General Assembly is likely to vote on Thursday to again demand Moscow withdraw its troops and call for a halt to hostilities.

Perkuat Karakter Pelajar Pancasila, Kemendikbudristek Gelar Aksi Peduli Sampah Bersama Siswa Inklusi

Jelang Hari Peduli Sampah Nasional (HPSN) yang jatuh pada 21 Februari kemarin, Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi (Kemendikbudristek) melalui Pusat Penguatan Karakter (Puspeka) mengadakan kegiatan peduli sampah bersama para siswa inklusi di SDN Pegadungan 11 Pagi, Jakarta, Senin, 20/02/2022

Bekerja sama dengan Komunitas Pilah Sampah, kegiatan yang bertajuk Penguatan Karakter melalui Aksi Peduli Lingkungan pada Tri Pusat Pendidikan itu, para siswa inklusi atau anak-anak penyandang disabilitas diberikan pengetahuan dan pengalaman dalam mengelola sampah dengan baik.

Kepala Puspeka Kemendikbudristek, Rusprita Putri Utami mengatakan bahwa mengelola sampah yang baik merupakan salah satu upaya dalam menjaga lingkungan. Hal tersebut sekaligus merupakan cerminan nilai-nilai yang tertuang dalam dimensi Profil Pelajar Pancasila.

Sedikitnya, ada tiga nilai dalam dimensi Profil Pelajar Pancasila yang berkaitan dengan pengelolaan sampah. Pertama adalah Beriman, Bertakwa kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa dan Berakhlak Mulia terutama akhlak pribadi, akhlak kepada manusia, dan akhlak kepada alam. Kedua, Bergotong-royong yakni kolaborasi dan kepedulian. Ketiga, Kreatif dengan menghasilkan karya serta tindakan original.

“Anak-anak perlu mendapatkan pengetahuan dan pengalaman langsung bagaimana mengelola sampah dengan baik. Sehingga mereka bisa menerapkan nilai-nilai yang terkandung dalam Profil Pelajar Pancasila, yaitu dengan ikut menjaga lingkungan agar tetap bersih dan bebas dari sampah serta membuatnya menjadi sesuatu yang bermanfaat,” ungkap Rusprita.

Sebagaimana diketahui, sampah masih menjadi masalah serius yang perlu digarap oleh banyak pihak, termasuk dunia pendidikan.

“Dalam kegiatan ini, kami juga ingin menciptakan iklim inklusivitas dengan melibatkan anak-anak disabilitas. Para siswa inklusi juga berhak mendapatkan kesempatan belajar yang sama dan terlibat dalam pengelolaan sampah secara berkelanjutan yang dapat memberikan dampak positif terhadap kontribusi upaya penurunan emisi gas dan efek rumah kaca,” imbuhnya.

Peran Orang Tua Menjadi Contoh Praktik Baik.

Berdasarkan Grafik Komposisi Sampah Tahun 2022 yang telah dihimpun Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan, sampah rumah tangga menyumbang persentase paling banyak yaitu sebesar 37,6 persen atau hampir dari setengah jumlah sampah di Indonesia. Sampah rumah tangga meliputi sampah dari dapur, sisa-sisa makanan, pembungkus (selain kertas, karet, dan plastik), tepung, sayuran, kulit buah, daun, dan ranting.

Oleh karena itu, kegiatan ini tidak hanya melibatkan siswa inklusi tetapi juga seluruh warga sekolah termasuk orang tua. Harapannya, setelah mengikuti kegiatan ini dapat meningkatkan kesadaran semua pihak bahwa mengelola sampah yang baik adalah tanggung jawab bersama demi keberlangsungan lingkungan hidup yang bersih.

“Kalau di sekolah, tanggung jawabnya bukan hanya oleh petugas kebersihan tapi seluruh warga sekolah ikut bertanggungjawab memastikan lingkungan yang bersih dan bebas dari sampah. Di rumah juga begitu, orang tua diharapkan bisa menjadi role model atau panutan bagi anak,” tutur Rusprita.

Peran orang tua, tegasnya, tentu tidak hanya terbatas pada peran ibu. Ayah juga punya andil besar membangun kesadaran anak akan peran dan tanggung jawab bersama mengelola sampah di rumah.

Nahdya Maulina dari Komunitas Pilah Sampah menjelaskan cara mengelola sampah yang baik yaitu dimulai dengan dipilah, lalu disetorkan ke pihak yang dapat mendaur ulang. Selain itu, setiap orang harus belajar untuk mengurangi produksi sampahnya sendiri.

“Kebiasaan memilah sampah itu harus dimulai dari diri sendiri dan dari rumah. Mudahnya, kita bisa pilah sampah antara organik dan anorganik. Sampah-sampah anorganik seperti botol plastik itu bisa kita berikan ke pemulung atau kita kumpulkan sendiri lalu kita jual. Selain kita bisa mendapatkan keuntungan secara ekonomi, kita juga dapat mengurangi potensi tercemarnya lingkungan ataupun potensi sosial yang dapat merugikan orang lain,” tutur Nadya.

Selaras dengan itu, Kepala SDN Pegadungan 11 Pagi, Yeny Suryani mengungkapkan bahwa sekolahnya telah memiliki program Kamis Cinta Kebersihan (KACIHAN). Program itu mengajak anak-anak untuk terbiasa memilah sampah, bahkan bukan hanya di sekolah melainkan juga di rumah.

“Setiap hari Kamis, anak-anak membawa sampah dari rumah dan dikumpulkan di sekolah. Sampah-sampah itu kemudian kita pilah dan nanti akan ada yang datang dari Dinas Lingkungan Hidup untuk mengambil sampah yang sudah dipilah. Kami juga ada proyek dari kelas 1 sampai 4 untuk pelajaran tema yaitu “Bestie, Sampah Bisa Jadi Uang Loh”. Kita ingin ajarkan anak-anak bahwa mengelola sampah itu baik,” ungkap Kepsek Yeni.

Hal tersebut diamini oleh Sadina Anatasya Permana, siswi kelas 5. Ia mengaku sangat antusias saat mengumpulkan sampah dan memilahnya sesuai kategori organik dan anorganik. “Seru sih, kita jadi terbiasa memilah sampah dan sampahnya ngga kotor lagi,” pungkas Tasya.

Motif Ekonomi Pura - Pura Panik Instruktur Senam Bunuh Suami

Polisi dibantu warga gali sejumlah barang almarhum suami instruktur senam yang dikubur di belakang rumah

Motif ekonomi yang melatarbelakangi Hanis (35), instruktur senam di Ngawi, Jawa Timur, nekad menghabisi nyawa suaminya sendiri, Romdan (45). Warga Desa Sirigan, Paron, Ngawi.

Pemilik nama lengkap Anis Puji Lestari tersebut nekat mengakhiri hidup sang suami lantaran masalah ekonomi.

"Motifnya lantaran masalah ekonomi. Asmara tidak ada," tegas Kapolres Ngawi AKBP Dwiasi Wiyatputera kepada wartawan di kediaman korban, pada hari Rabu, 22/2/2023.

Hanis, instruktur senam di Ngawi yang membunuh suaminya. (Foto: dok. Istimewa)

Dwiasi mengatakan, bahwa sempat terjadi cekcok sebelum pelaku membunuh korban. Awalnya pelaku meminta uang untuk keperluan membayar utang.

"Sebelumnya sempat cekcok pelaku minta uang untuk membayar utang," ungkap Dwiasi.

Sementara itu, Kasat Reskrim Polres Ngawi AKP Agung Joko Haryono menjelaskan, pelaku dijerat dengan Pasal 44 ayat (1) dan (3) UU RI Nomor 23 Tahun 2004 tentang Penghapusan Kekerasan dalam Rumah Tangga.

Pelaku sempat membuat pengakuan bohong kepada polisi yang menyebut suaminya meninggal akibat terjatuh di kamar mandi.

Awalnya, pada hari Sabtu 18/02/2023/ Polisi melakukan menyelidiki kematian Romdan (45), suami instruktur senam yang ditemukan tewas bersimbah darah di dalam kamarnya. Ditemukan sejumlah barang bukti penuh darah yang diduga dikubur di belakang rumah korban di Desa Sirigan, Kecamatan Paron, Ngawi.

"Memang kami menemukan kejanggalan saat proses penyelidikan. Anggota menemukan barang bukti berlumur darah terkubur di belakang rumah korban," ujar Kapolres Ngawi AKBP Dwiasi Wiyatputra, pada hari Sabtu, 18/02/2023.

Dwiasi merinci sejumlah barang bukti yang terkubur di belakang rumah korban dengan kondisi berlumur darah itu adalah pakaian, bantal, sprei, dan sarung yang diduga milik korban. Polisi membawa semua barang bukti itu ke Polres Ngawi untuk proses penyelidikan.

"Beberapa barang bukti dengan bercak dan berlumur darah kami amankan. Kami temukan terkubur di belakang rumah korban. Semua barang bukti kami amankan untuk proses penyelidikan," terang Dwiasi.

Kasat Reskrim Polres Ngawi AKP Agung Joko Haryono mengungkapkan bahwa penemuan barang bukti berlumur darah itu atas petunjuk saksi tetangga korban. Beberapa saksi saat ini masih dimintai keterangan di Polsek Paron.

"Penemuan barang bukti atas petunjuk informasi dari tetangga dan saat ini beberapa saksi masih kami mintai keterangan di Polsek Paron," kata Agung.

Romdan adalah petani warga Desa Sirigan, Paron, Ngawi yang merupakan suami dari Hanis (35), seorang instruktur senam yang cukup dikenal di beberapa desa sekitar. Ia ditemukan tewas bersimbah di dalam kamarnya dengan luka di bagian kepala.

Istrinya Hanis yang pertama kali menemukan jenazah suaminya pada Sabtu Subuh. Karena cukup banyak darah di sekitar jenazah suaminya itu Hanis meminta bantuan keluarganya.

Pihak keluarga sempat disarankan oleh Kades Sirigan, Suyanto agar melapor ke polisi. Namun, salah satu anggota keluarga yang diketahui merupakan kakak Romdan bernama Suroto menolaknya. Pria itu bahkan melarang Suyanto maupun warga lain melapor ke polisi.

Tidak mau kematian Romdan diketahui polisi dengan alasan agar masalah itu tidak diperpanjang, keluarga almarhum memilih langsung memakamkan jenazah di TPU setempat pada pukul 10.00 WIB. Suyanto menegaskan proses pemakaman itu dibantu oleh warga setempat.

Dan akhirnya, teka-teki siapa pembunuh suami instruktur senam di Ngawi, Romdan (45) akhirnya terungkap, Jawa Timur. Warga Desa Sirigan, Paron, Ngawi ini meninggal akibat diduga dibunuh oleh Hanis (35), yang merupakan istrinya sendiri.

Polisi telah menetapkan instruktur senam tersebut sebagai tersangka atas tewasnya suami. Sebelumnya, Romdan ditemukan bersimbah darah pada pada Sabtu subuh, 18/02/2021

"Kami menetapkan tersangka pembunuhan dengan korban R warga Desa Sirigan, Kecamatan Paron, Ngawi. Pelaku tak lain merupakan istrinya sendiri," ujar Kapolres Ngawi AKBP Dwiasi Wiyatputera kepada wartawan dalam press release di rumah korban, pada hari Rabu, 22/02/2023.

Penetapan tersangka terhadap Hanis, kata Dwiasi, berdasarkan pemeriksaan para saksi yang telah dilakukan Sat Reskrim Polres Ngawi sejak hari Sabtu, 18/02/2023. Pelaku yang merupakan istri korban juga telah mengakui perbuatannya.

"Penetapan tersangka terhadap istri korban berdasarkan keterangan saksi yang kami mintai keterangan sejak Sabtu kemarin. Hal ini juga sudah diakui oleh pelaku," kata Dwiasi.

Belum Ada Bantuan Korban Longsor di Bogor, Warga Mengungsi ke Kebun Orang

Longsor di Bogor, tepatnya Kampung Cihateri, RT 05/05, Desa Ciburuy, Kecamatan Cigombong, Kabupaten Bogor. IST

Selama diguyur hujan, tiga rumah warga rusak diterjang longsor di Bogor, tepatnya Kampung Cihateri, RT 05/05, Desa Ciburuy, Kecamatan Cigombong, Kabupaten Bogor.

Ajat, salah satu korban longsor mengatakan, kondisi rumahnya rusak parah akibat longsor yang terjadi pada hari Minggu, 19/02/2023, saat hujan deras mengguyur kawasan Cigombong.

Hingga saat ini, dirinya tinggal di saung perkebunan milik orang lain. Karena ia belum memiliki tempat untuk mengungsi.

“Istri sama anak sementara tinggal di rumah mertua, sedangkan saya masih di tenda,” papar dia.

“Kita berharap seperti itu,” ujar dia.

Sementara itu, Sekcam Cigombong Yedi memaparkan, Muspika Kecamatan Cigombong sudah meninjau lokasi longsor.

Ada tiga rumah yang terdampak longsor. Yakni rumah warga atas milik Abdul Rohim, Ajat dan Ajum.

Dia berharap ada bantuan dari pemerintah, untuk mendapatkan tempat tinggal sementara yang layak bagi korban longsor di Bogor ini.

“Saat ini, mereka sudah mengungsi sementara ke rumah kerabatnya,” kata Sekcam Yedi, pada hari Rabu, 22/02/2023.

Sementara itu, untuk mengantisipasi longsor susulan, di tiga rumah tersebut sudah dipasang pasak bambu juga terpal.

“Saat ini cuaca masih sering diguyur hujan,” jelas dia.

Perihal tempat tinggal sementara, kata dia, saat ini sudah dilaporkan ke dinas perumahan.

“Untuk kontrakan sementara, pemerintah desa akan memberikannya,” tutur Yedi.

Yedi juga mengimbau agar masyarakat Cigombong untuk selalu waspada dan siaga.

terlebih saat ini hujan dengan intensitas lebat masih sering terjadi.

“Kami himbau untuk siaga dan waspada. Jika ada peristiwa bencana alam, bisa langsung lapor ke kami agar segera mendapatkan penanganan,” ucap dia di lokasi longsor di Bogor.

Ekotifa, inovasi dalam pemberdayaan masyarakat di Kota Bogor

Diskusi terkait kewirausahaan sosial dengan contoh Ekotifa yang dipantau di Jakarta, beberapa waktu lalu. (ANTARA/Indriani)

Apa yang dipikirkan ketika berjalan-jalan ke Kota Bogor? Mungkin jawabannya adalah Kebun Raya Bogor. Akan tetapi sekarang, Kota Bogor memiliki sejumlah alternatif objek wisata lainnya.

Adalah Ekowisata Kreatif Indonesia (Ekotifa) yang merupakan salah satu usaha sosial yang bergerak di bidang wisata menginisiasi lahirnya Baik Heritage.

Baik Heritage merupakan program wisata berkelanjutan yang dapat dilakukan dengan bersepeda maupun berjalan kaki di Kota Bogor.

“Program wisata berkelanjutan ini menjelajahi daya tarik sejarah dan kearifan lokal wisata yang ada di Kota Bogor,” ujar salah satu pendiri Ekotifa, Afrodita Indayana.

Program wisata Baik Heritage mendukung peningkatan kesadaran akan situs warisan dengan pariwisata berkelanjutan, membangun kesadaran tentang ramah lingkungan, ekonomi mikro, kegiatan sehat, dan inovasi daya tarik perkotaan.

Bogor atau dalam bahasa Belanda Buitenzorg (yang berarti tanpa kegelisahan) memiliki sejarah yang menarik untuk digali lebih dalam. Pada masa penjajahan Belanda, selain dijadikan kediaman musim panas Gubernur Jenderal Hindia Belanda. Bogor juga pusat ekonomi, ilmu pengetahuan dan budaya.

Selain itu, Bogor merupakan kota yang pernah menjadi ibu kota Kerajaan Sunda kuno dan disebut dalam Pakuan Pajajaran. Hal itu dibuktikan dengan adanya catatan mengenai kota Pakuan yang hilang, dan baru ditemukan kembali oleh ekspedisi Belanda yang dipimpin oleh Scipio dan Riebeeck pada 1687.

Mereka melakukan penelitian terhadap Prasasti Batutulis dan beberapa situs lainnya, dan menyimpulkan bahwa pusat pemerintahan Kerajaan Pajajaran terletak di Bogor.

Terdapat sejumlah seri yang dihadirkan dalam wisata itu yakni The Lost Kingdom (wisata sejarah ke sisa peninggalan Pakuan Padjajaran di Bogor), The Legacy of Buitenzorg History (wisata sejarah ke warisan arsitektur kolonial Belanda di Bogor), The Residence of Museum and Science (wisata sejarah ke warisan pusat penelitian dan museum di Bogor).

Selanjutnya, Bogor Legendary Culinary (wisata ke tempat kuliner legendaris di Bogor), Bogor Urban Legend (wisata kota di malam hari mengunjungi tempat yang diyakini memiliki legenda urban legend di Bogor), dan Bogor Local Genius (tur kota ke tempat komunitas lokal yang memiliki produk unik , kreatif dan inovatif).

Semua program wisata melibatkan dan menggerakkan ekonomi masyarakat tempatan. Misalnya saat mereka berwisata dengan sepeda, kami ajak untuk menikmati kuliner lokal dan juga dibawa ke tempat UMKM di Bogor. "Meski demikian, kami mengajak masyarakat bahwa ini bisnis dan bukan aksi kolektif,” kata Afro.

Ke depan, usaha sosial yang dirintis lulusan IPB University tersebut diharapkan dapat terus berlanjut dan membawa dampak pada perekonomian masyarakat setempat. Dengan demikian diharapkan masyarakat akan semakin berdaya.

Tak hanya berkolaborasi dengan masyarakat, dalam menjalankan usaha sosial itu pihaknya berkolaborasi dengan berbagai pemangku kepentingan diantaranya Pemkot Bogor, perguruan tinggi, perusahaan swasta, hingga media.

Pakar usaha sosial dari Yale School of Management, Dr Teresa Chahine, mengatakan bahwa dalam menjalankan usaha sosial yang berkelanjutan perlu adanya kolaborasi semua pihak.

Chahine mengapresiasi usaha sosial yang tumbuh dan berkembang di Tanah Air. Selain Ekotifa, juga ada Kampung Wisata Labirin yang juga terletak di Kota Bogor.

Chahine menjelaskan dengan kewirausahaan sosial yang berkelanjutan menjadi paradigma baru dalam berbisnis. Bisnis tidak hanya menciptakan solusi pasar yang layak, tetapi juga bertindak sebagai agen perubahan dalam pembangunan yang berkelanjutan.

Kewirausahaan sosial sendiri dapat dimulai dari mengenali permasalahan sosial yang ada, mengambil tindakan untuk mencoba memecahkan masalah dan memulai potensi usaha sosial. Meski demikian, bukan berarti harus membuka usaha baru.

Kolaborasi tentu saja menjadi kata kunci yang tak terelakkan dalam kewirausahaan sosial ini.

Kurikulum

Manajer Inovasi inkubasi dan Pengembangan Usaha PPM School of Management, Nina Ivana Satmaka, mengatakan penting memberikan perhatian pada pihak swasta untuk memberikan perhatian pada usaha sosial.

Dengan adanya kewirausahaan sosial, maka sudah tidak zaman lagi program tanggung jawab sosial hanya memberikan dana dan tidak berkelanjutan.

Menurut dia, selain itu bagaimana membuat inovasi yang dilakukan perusahaan dan sehingga pihak perusahaan bisa melakukan perubahan sosial.

Dalam kesempatan itu, Nina menjelaskan kedatangan Dr Teresa Chahine, bertujuan membantu kurikulum kampusnya, yang mana pihaknya punya program sarjana manajemen bisnis dengan salah satu mata kuliahnya kewirausahaan sosial.

“Kami mencoba membangun kurikulum yang baik lagi, supaya mahasiswa lebih tajam lagi dalam melihat perubahan sosial dan apa yang mau mereka buat,” kata Nina.

Dengan demikian, diharapkan mahasiswa dapat melakukan inovasi sosial meskipun tidak menjadi pengusaha. Paling tidak dapat memberikan dampak sosial pada masyarakat.

Oleh karenanya, dalam pengembangan kurikulum pihaknya akan lebih banyak mengembangkan muatan inovasi sosial. Dengan inovasi sosial tersebut dapat mengatasi permasalahan sosial yang ada di masyarakat. Kewirausahaan sosial bukan hanya berbicara mengenai memulai bisnis baru.

“Akan tetapi bagaimana dapat berkontribusi, bisa melalui aktivitas, kewirausahaan, profit, atau kita bisa melakukan ketiga-tiganya sekaligus. Baik sebagai sebagai mahasiswa maupun sudah berkarir maupun membuka usaha,” imbuh Nina.

UN can play active role in Nord Stream sabotage investigation — China’s UN envoy

Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN Zhang Jun
©EPA-EFE/JUSTIN LANE

The United Nations, being the most influental and most representative international organization, can play an active role in an investigation of last year’s blasts that targeted the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN Zhang Jun has said.

"As the most authoritative and representative international organization, the UN can play an active role in conducting an international investigation and ensuring the security of transboundary infrastructure," the Chinese envoy told the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

"China welcomes the draft resolution tabled by Russia in the Council, and believes that it is of great significance to authorize an international investigation into the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines," he went on, adding that an inquiry into the matter should be "objective, impartial, and professional."

US declarations about its non-involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines is not enough, Zhang Jun said.

"Recently, we have come across a lot of details and relevant information concerning the Nord Stream incident, which is alarming," he said. "Today, the briefers shared with us important information and their reasonable analysis. Faced with such detailed materials and comprehensive evidence, a simple statement of 'utterly false and complete fiction' is obviously not enough to answer the many questions and concerns raised around the world."

"We expect convincing explanations from relevant parties. Such a request is entirely legitimate and reasonable," the Chinese diplomat added.

On September 27, 2022, Nord Stream AG reported unprecedented damage that occurred the day before on three strings of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 offshore gas pipelines. On September 26, Swedish seismologists registered two explosions on the pipeline routes. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office launched a criminal case based on charges of international terrorism.

On February 8, US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published an article, which said, citing sources, that US Navy divers had planted explosive devices under the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines under the cover of the BALTOPS exercise in June 2022, and Norwegians activated the bombs three months later. According to the journalist, the decision to conduct the operation was made by US President Joe Biden personally, following nine months of discussions with White House security specialists.

White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a comment to TASS that Hersh’s account was "utterly false and complete fiction.".

US envoy to UN rejects reports of Washington's involvement in Nord Stream blasts

Washington believes that accusations of US involvement in the sabotage of Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines are false, US Political Minister Counselor John Kelley told the UN Security Council.

"Accusations that the United States was involved in this act of sabotage are completely false. The United States was not involved in any way," he said.

On September 27, 2022, Nord Stream AG reported unprecedented damage that occurred the day before on three strings of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 offshore gas pipelines.

On September 26, Swedish seismologists registered two explosions on the pipeline routes. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office launched a criminal case based on charges of international terrorism.

On February 8, US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published an article, which said, citing sources, that US Navy divers had planted explosive devices under the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines under the cover of the BALTOPS exercise in June 2022, and Norwegians activated the bombs three months later.

According to the journalist, the decision to conduct the operation was made by US President Joe Biden personally, following nine months of discussions with White House security specialists. White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a comment to TASS that Hersh’s account was "utterly false and complete fiction.".

Nord Stream sabotage harmed global energy security — China’s UN envoy

The blasts that damaged the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines have dealt a serious damage to energy security, Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN Zhang Jun said.

"The Nord Stream gas pipelines are major transboundary infrastructure and energy transportation arteries," the Chinese diplomat said.

"The sabotage of the pipeline in September last year had a major negative impact on the global energy market and the ecological environment," he continued. "It also caused energy shortages for businesses and households in many European countries this winter."