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In advanced countries around the world, reading is encouraged in children from an early age. Parents and governments understand that healthy reading habits are essential for younger generations to compete in the global marketplaces of the future. But according to one Indonesian literacy activist, reading is not just the cultural heritage of people from industrialized countries.

“Who says that Indonesians don’t like to read? We actually do,” said Mudin Em, a librarian for Forum Indonesia Membaca, a nonprofit organization established in 2001 that seeks to promote reading among young people in Indonesia.

Mudin, 27, said the problem was that most Indonesians did not have easy access to books. “How can you make people read when they don’t have the books?” he said.

But Mudin knows that plenty of Indonesians do read, and he and his cohorts are asking the public to provide them with photographic evidence. “We want to tell people that books are very important,” Mudin said.

Forum Indonesia Membaca holds an annual event called World Book Day Indonesia, begun in 2006 in conjunction with Unesco’s World Book Day on April 23, the day when literary heavyweights Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega died, all in the year 1616.

But Indonesia’s book day goes beyond a mere 24 hours to offer a host of activities through the April and May, such as book discussions, writing workshops, movie screenings and music performances.

And unlike previous events, this year’s celebration has a tongue-in-cheek concept: “Kepergok Membaca” (“Caught while Reading”). Bayu Bergas, the event’s publicist, told the Jakarta Globe that they wanted to draw attention to reading in a lighthearted way. “Reading can and should be fun too,” Bayu said.

And taking that lightheartedness to heart, the organizers are hoping to stir up interest in reading by encouraging people to pick up cameras and take pictures of strangers without their knowledge.

“We will choose the best 100 photos to be displayed at the World Book Day Indonesia,” Bayu said.

Not only will the photos be displayed, but a book comprised of the best shots will also be available during the opening-day event at Pasar Festival Kuningan in South Jakarta. As many as 1000 copies will be published and sold, with all proceeds being donated to literacy-support programs.

Mudin said that so far they had received 432 photos from more than 300 participants. Thus far, the event’s blog has been visited by more than 18,000 people since its launch.

“We’re so glad that we’re getting positive response from the public,” Mudin said.

Salim Bhayangkara, 23, studies communications at Jenderal Soedirman University in Purwokerto, West Java. So far, he has submitted four photos to World Book Day Indonesia. Calling himself an amateur photographer, he said he was excited to discover he could be involved in such

a large event.

Salim’s photos came from a trip he took with his family to Batu Karas Beach in Ciamis, West Java, in February. Camera in hand, his targets of choice were foreign tourists taking in the sun.

In one photo, a man is lying on his stomach on a beach mat, his head buried in a thick book. “Of all the other exciting things that this guy could do, he chose to read a book. Isn’t that amazing?” Salim said. “I thought that was a very good moment to capture.”

Salim said that his photos proved to him that foreigners have better reading habits than Indonesians. He added that it was a common sight for foreigners to bring books everywhere they go, even on vacation.

But World Book Day Indonesia is a positive step in pushing more young Indonesians to read, Salim said. ‘“With the fact that more young people like to spend hours on online social networking sites, somebody has to remind them that they can’t get everything from the Internet.”

Maxdalena Wahyuningtyas, 32, said the importance of reading hit home through her work as a graphic designer at a publishing company. An avid reader since childhood, Maxdalena said she liked to read a variety of books during her spare time, ranging from novels to comic books.

When not busy with work, she lugs her SLR camera around, hoping to capture moments of literary indulgence. She challenged herself to take top-notch photos for World Book Day Indonesia.

“I told myself my photos have to be the ones selected,” she said.

Unlike Salim’s, Maxdalena’s photos capture the reading activities of people on the street. One of her photos, titled “Reading in the Middle of the Crowd,” shows a young man in T-shirt and jeans squatting while reading a newspaper. The man looks serious and absorbed, oblivious to the presence of the street vendors around him.

Maxdalena said that it wasn’t easy for her to find people reading on the streets, adding that she realized that reading may not be culturally embedded among Indonesians. “I guess people are so busy shopping or watching TV,” Maxdalena said, laughing.

Bayu said he believed that Indonesians actually had a high degree of interest in books and reading. “The problem is because we’re not supported by a good system,” he said. “In most people’s minds, a library is always portrayed as a dusty and scary place.”

He said that libraries could be reworked and renovated into social places that draw people in, especially the young. “We shouldn’t always hang out at malls.”