Lisa Siregar

Musicians Glenn Fredly, Pandji, and Twestival co-founder Ramya Prajna at an Indonesia Unite event. (Photo courtesy of Ramya Prajna)

Jakarta Tweeps to Unite For Fund-Raising Event

Twitter users in Jakarta on Saturday will take part in their own Twestival, or Twitter festival; a series of events organized by volunteers around the world to work on a selected cause.

The Jakarta Twestival, which will be held at FX mall in South Jakarta, hopes to raise money for the Green Music Foundation, a group of local musicians who collect funds and resources to help people who are seriously affected by global warming. The festival will also host performances by musicians such as Glenn Fredly, founder of GMF, Barry Likumahua, Endah and Rhesa and Pandji, most of whom use Twitter to promote their music.

“This is the first time for Twitter users in Jakarta to participate in a Twestival,” said Ramya Prajna, co-founder of the Twestival and managing director of a web agency in Jakarta. Hundreds of Twitter festivals are expected take place between Sept. 10-13 all over the world.

Ramya submitted an application to Twestival Global in June and was nominated to coordinate the festival’s committee.

The first international Twestival was held this year on Feb. 12, with participants from 202 cities all over the world. The cause was clean water and the events succeeded in raising $250,000, which helped to build 55 wells for about 17,000 people in Uganda, Ethiopia and India.

“The first Twestival was a global one, in which they only fought for one cause,” Ramya said. “This time, Twestival’s gone local, which means Twitter users in every city can choose a cause relevant to their country.”

Ramya also runs indonesiaunite.com, a Web site that organizes volunteer activities. His involvement in Indonesia Unite led him to partner with Glenn and the two hatched the idea of hosting a Jakarta Twestival, for which GMF will provide the entertainment.

The foundation, which in the past has hosted benefit concerts for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, hopes to donate proceeds from the Twestival to the village of Waikokak, one of the poorest areas in East Nusa Tenggara.

Tickets to Jakarta Twestival will cost Rp 50,000 ($5), Rp 35,000 of which will go to charity and Rp 15,000 for food and beverages on location. During performances, the audience will be encouraged to donate money.

“They can just throw money on the stage where the musicians will perform — it will just be like ngamen [street musicians],” Ramya said.

According to Ramya, the Twestival will channel the passion of Indonesia Unite — working toward a better Indonesia.

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