From its inception in 2010, The Indo Project (TIP), has been working on educating, promoting, and celebrating Indo culture and history. TIP has been providing inspiration and elevating others to start their own initiatives for the Indo community. Our aim is to stimulate international unity and cooperation between Indo heritage stakeholders and organizations to develop resources that preserve, enhance, and make available information through print and new digital technologies.
Most, if not all, Indo history is found in the Dutch or Indonesian language. By using the English language as its primary means of communication in educating people, it is The Indo Project’s intention to reach an international audience of over one billion people who speak English.
We continuously measure our progress in fulfilling our mission, our success in mobilizing our resources and the effectiveness of the projects. Here are the results of our initiatives.
1. Education – Academic involvement
A. Worldwide Challenge Survey
TIP has been conducting international research developing statistical data on the worldwide Indo population since 2011. This data collection allowed TIP to be the first organization to map the distribution pattern of the Indo population within the United States. By cross-referencing this data, we developed a worldwide population distribution map. This research was presented at the Lorentz Foundation at Leiden in 2016.
B. Conducting Annual Lecture Series – TIP TALKS
“Sharing Indo Knowledge” in California and Florida.
Subjects have included Dutch Indo food, WWII Film screenings about POWs in Japan having similar experiences as the former Dutch East Indies POWs, by providing a forum to exchange information.
C. Dutch Indo Films
Premiering the most recent the films made by renown Dutch Indo filmmaker, Hetty Naaijkens Retel Helmrich. Films that focus on the experiences and contributions made by the Dutch Indo community. TIP has brought not only the films to the USA but invited the filmmaker to provide a Q&A after each of the premieres. One of these was partially funded by the Dutch Culture entity.
D. Euroclio
The European Association of History Educators Study Visit – In 2014, TIP was invited to join in the Dutch Culture sponsored Euroclio Program for improving theinternational cultural cooperation of cultural heritage experts. This organization works on education in heritage sites where people have been interned without a fair trial. TIP was one of only 5 participants invited for the study visit to the Netherlands on the subject of Memory of Internment/Concentration Camps.
E. The International Journal of Culture, Politics and Society
The Indo Project facilitated the participation of an article entitled From Brown Dutchmen to Indo-Americans: Changing Identity of the Dutch-Indonesian (Indo) Diaspora in America, and its subsequent appearance in The International Journal of Culture, Politics and Society, authored by Azlan Tajuddin and Jamie Stern. This paper analyzed the development of Indo-American identity, using both comparative historical and interpretive approaches as well as various critical theories on race, diaspora, and culture.
F. Nias-Lorentz Workshop Migrant R(e)-Collections
The Indo Project facilitated participation and presentation of Maintenance of Cultural Identity of The Indo People, Post Diaspora through Virtual Social Networking: A Mode for Other Populations, by The Indo Project Research Director,
G. The Indo Project Research Fellowship Program
In the past, TIP invited eligible candidates to apply for The Indo Project Research Fellowship, which promote and publish original research covering any aspect of the Indo community: its art, history, literature and/or culture. This program is currently on hold until more funding is made available, but would like to revive the program so students are enabled to take part in keeping alive Indo history and culture.
2. Build A Virtual Cultural Center
A. Theindoproject.org website
provides vast information on Indo culture and history. This information includes personal stories of the Indo Diaspora, interviews, book reviews and multiple resources. Encouraging and collecting personal family stories to make Indo History Come Alive. This particular segment urges Indo families to create their own extended family oral history on video, audio, or text which in the future will be part of a collection available online. The TIP website’s visitors span from all over the globe seeking more information. The number of TIP website visitors has grown from ten countries at its inception to now having website visiting from every continent, with over 180 countries.
B. Newsletter
A quarterly digital newsletter is mailed to over 1,000 subscribers which keeps them informed of TIP’s work, events, and campaigns. The newsletter also solicits stories of interest to TIP’s audience.
3. Community Outreach
A. Social outreach
Participating and supporting the annual Holland Festival, the largest gathering of Dutch Indos in the United States. In a social setting, TIP provides information and resources to the public who visit the TIP booth seeking more material about the former Dutch East Indies.
B. Unifying the Indo Community
TIP has been conducting twice yearly kumpulans (get togethers) in Florida that feature Indo food, entertainment, films, and lectures bringing people together from near and far. There are instances of reuniting Indos who have lost touch with each other because of the huge distances within that state. Making a community feel a part of something special is difficult and takes time. TIP promotes a sense of belonging and community by highlighting common goals where people can participate in and pursue, by advertising great achievements or milestones within the community to create a sense of pride and publish shared experiences, good and bad, to bring us closer together.
C. Herdenkingen / commemoration ceremonies
15 August Commemorations – Involvement and support of the Herdenkingen held in Southern and Northern California, and the Netherlands..
D. Petitioning the Japanese Government
“Unbroken” a film based on the true-life experiences of an American bombardier taken prisoner by the Japanese during WWII. This film portrayed the horrific treatment of WWII Japanese POWs similar to what our family members experienced. Japan would not show it in Japan. TIP joined a coalition and gathered signatures on a petition to put pressure on the Japanese government. We finally won when Japan relented and allowed the film to be shown in that country.
E. Stichting Het Indisch Platform 2.0.
TIP lent its enthusiastic support to the Indische Kwestie Campaign to fight for recognition of sacrifices made by Dutch Indo WWII soldiers and civil employees in the former Dutch, East Indies. Compensation was sought for the material damage, loss of possessions, and an apology for the improper treatment by the Dutch government after WWII. In order to educate the English-speaking world and galvanize support for the campaign, TIP published a series of articles on its website filled with information on the issue.
F. Comfort Women Justice Coalition
Comfort Women Justice Coalition
TIP lent its support to the successful grass roots campaign to keep the “Comfort Women” statue in San Franciscoagainst Japanese government’s protestation.
G. Social Media
The Indo Project was one of the first organizations that started two Social Media gathering places on Facebook that currently have 12,000+ followers and participants. They are The Indo Project, Inc. and Dutch Indo Community, where participants & followers exchange information. Multimedia platforms are utilized on many subjects such as food, flora & fauna, latest books & events, historical facts. The people who participate in the Facebook forums are from all over the world, especially from the USA, Netherlands, Indonesia and Australia, with some joining in from Canada, Sweden, and even China.
4. Digital Archives – Family Oral History Project
A. Share your story to be published on our website.
Share your story or that of a family member. We encourage you to share your piece of history to be published on our website. Click here.
B. Stories in our digital archive?
We have collected hundreds of stories from personal diaries and keep them in our digital archives. Share your untold story or invite others you know of to submit their story. Click here.
5. Documentaries (DVD’s / YouTube) & Translations
A. Showing / selling movies / documentaries
Premiering the most recent the films made by renown Dutch Indo filmmaker, Hetty Naaijkens Retel Helmrich. Films that focus on the experiences and contributions made by the Dutch Indo community. TIP has brought not only the films to the USA but invited the filmmaker to provide a Q&A after each of the premieres. One of these was partially funded by the Dutch Culture entity.
B. YouTube Channel
6. Fundraising
A. Fundraising initiatives
We are very appreciative for the new and repeated donations we have received. There are many ways to help us reach our goal. We are adding new means to help raise funds. Check our donate page here.
B. How your money is used
We raise funds to help us achieve our mission. Check this link to see how funds are used.