This marks the fifth year the Orang Utan Republik (Education Initiative and Foundation) has been promoting Orangutan Caring Week. A week of celebrating orangutans actually started in 1996 as Orangutan Awareness Week when as vice president of another organization, I began promoting a special week for the great red ape. Then in 2005, when the Orang Utan Republik Education Initiative was pushing for having the Awareness Week recognized officially in Indonesia, an Indonesian came up with the idea of calling the week "Pekan Pedulu Orangutan" rather than "Minggu Kesadaran Orangutan"- literally Orangutan Awareness Week. Pekan Peduli not only sounded better (much more aliterative), but it denoted a transformation from mere awareness to concern. The fact that this was an Indonesian invention made the change in the name much more powerful, particularly in Indonesia. It was also an opportunity for the western orangutan movement to adopt something from Indonesia (usually it is the other way around).So in November 2005, the former minister of forestry officially proclaimed the week in a press conference at the Parliament building. The halls of the Parliament had an array of stands and booths of orangutan, primate and other wildlife and conservation NGOs. It was a great kickoff to the 1st Caring Week.
Since that first event, we have been enrolling people and organizations to participate in annual Orangutan Caring Week celebrations. Visit www.orangutancaringweek.org to see what we have been listing since 2007.
