Category Archives: Special Initiatives

Lockdown Lessons from Phnom Penh for a More Livable City by Conrad Richardson

Central Market in Phnom Penh is normally engulfed in traffic and pollution, during lockdown however was different — what is normally a chaotic and over-stimulating experience, was calm and peaceful. The city with few or no cars as observed during the pandemic should really motivate us to accelerate a transition towards more livable cities that are less dependent on combustion engines and private mobility and less polluted.

Shadow Plays Go Virtual by Yayasan Sang Pamarta Indonesia

Yayasan Sang Parmata conducted a training on virtual performance last October to enable wayang kulit traditional shadow puppetry artists to continue their work and gain exposure to wider audiences amid the pandemic.

COVID-19 Tune Educates, Empowers Indonesia’s Remote Marapu Community by Fendi Widianto & Joseph Lamont

Singers and song-writers in the remote Marapu community in East Sumba, Indonesia, take up the challenge of conveying information on the COVID-19 pandemic in local idioms and language and in a way that touches their realities.

Art and Activism in the Age of Covid-19 in Iloilo City: A Tribute to Our Frontliners by Vic Salas

A couple of weeks ago, a new set of murals appeared in Tanza in Iloilo city. The drab walls had been cleaned and painted white, while a discernible set of faces emerged. These later turned out be close-up renditions of masked faces – those of city frontliners caught up in the epidemic.

Warding Off Illness with Traditional Talismans in Lao PDR and Other Neighboring Countries by Tara Gujadhur et al

In March 2020, when the danger of COVID-19 became recognised, a number of effigies, bamboo woven talismans or taleos, and gates cropped up in rural and urban areas. They were meant as a marker and warning to delineate the boundary between the safe space of the village from the outside world, where potentially dangerous spirits and entities – including now the coronavirus—roam.

Exploring Art and Nature while Stranded in Bogota by Ged Merino

Artist Ged Merino found himself stranded in Bogota on his way from Manila to New York when all three places went into lock-down at slightly different times. Even if familiar with Bogota the thought of being stranded in less common territory was in many ways unsettling. Nature and art helped him find new strength and creativity.

Transgender Women Bond in Solidarity in Jogjakarta, Indonesia by Nico Haryono

COVID-19 has made it difficult for transgender women to earn their little money with their informal jobs on the streets, threatening their survival. Some relief is coming from transgender organizations that have raised to the challenge of providing relief to ease the burden of disadvantaged members of their community and other vulnerable groups.

The Philippines’ Face Masks: Protecting Health, Celebrating Identity by Diana G. Mendoza

The frantic search for face masks began as soon as the Philippines went under lockdown in mid-March. Three months later, various versions of the protective piece of cloth proliferated, made by Filipinos who suddenly found themselves without work and income. Soon also masks made of indigenous, traditional fabrics emerged

Sacred and Secular Sanitizing: Handwashing Stations Spring up in Bali by Garrett Kam

On the island of Bali in Indonesia, most villagers pump household ground water from a well up into an elevated storage tank. When COVID-19 arrived, they took measures to ensure they could wash their hands when outside their homes. In a rush, water containers of all sizes and colours were installed all over the island.

Umi and Ayu: A Mother and Daughter Bonded by a Hair Thread Amidst COVID-19

The subject of this visual story telling essay is the newfound mother-daughter bond during the COVID-19 epidemic. A series of poses in which Ayu and her mother, tied by their hair, undertake domestic tasks together conveys the feeling of reassurance in being with family during the pandemic.