Halo Cornoedus Mie! The photographer cum entrepreneur who is passionate about sustainable tourism and the empowerment of women in Jogjakarta.
Mie Cornoedus
You're quite influential women - tell us how you started your trip to Yogyakarta.
I came to Jogja in 1995 with a very specific objective of setting up ViaVia. I had been traveling for about a year by the Aceh Indonesia in Papua. I talked a bit Indonesian and liked the atmosphere of this city.
You open ViaVia in Yogyakarta. What ViaVia and how did it start?
ViaVia began as a dream of some people in Belgium. I was part of a group tour leaders for a Belgian travel agency known for its towers and adventurous expeditions, and its position on sustainable tourism. I also participated in providing training for new leaders tour and we had regularly to discuss training techniques and philosophy of travel. Some of them came with the idea of setting up coffee a traveler in Belgium, which could be promoting a different way of looking at the world and through all kinds of activities (in addition drink and eat world cuisine). It inspired me and others to think more globally and we have seen a similar concept to different places in the world. It could become a hub for travelers, a place to meet other travelers as well as local communities and learn about contemporary daily life. In other words, we aspired to be restricted to places of cultural encounter and implement the ideas of sustainable tourism.
At present, there are 15 ViaVias distributed worldwide.
The day after the first ViaVia opened in Leuven Belgium in May 1995, I went to Jogja. Steven and Patrick joined me later and rented and renovated a small place in Prawirotaman and opened our doors 17 e of December 1995, as the first ViaVia abroad. The best known are the restaurant and the alternative travel agency, we also run a fair trade shop and a guest house, set up as a social enterprise with 9 local women as holders of shares.
What was the last project you are working on supporting sustainable tourism? And for those of us who do not know, what does sustainable tourism mean?
According to World Tourism Organization Sustainable tourism is tourism which leads to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems.
Each year ViaVia leads, supports and / or participates in cultural, social and educational projects because one of our goals is to give back to the community. For example next December, we will set up a small library for children living in the village of Meru Betiri. We took tourists for 15 years. The children of this village are deprived of educational books and appropriate simple but textbooks are a rarity. So, we collect books now and work on creating a community library in the village.
As part of the NGO, ViaVia also organizes an annual course on intercultural communication and guiding skills for young people and / or students who want to become independent guides during the high season . We also provide training in villages and small communities on the advantages and disadvantages of tourism, on the customer service and about interculturalism.
ViaVia Jogja is also an alternative art space known in Jogja. Many young, not yet established artists Jogja look for a place to exhibit their work. ViaVia offers them space. It is often their first solo exhibition and due to its informal nature, and the low threshold of the place, it became a popular art space. For many artists, it was the jumping stone to the more established galleries and even fame. I wanted it to be a part of ViaVia because the tourism industry generally focuses mainly on exotic part of a destination. Travelers are sometimes disappointed hand phones, luxury cars, people in jeans and t-shirt and contemporary art. We would like to provide a broader picture of Indonesia, then only the palms, temples and traditional batik, by providing an overview of modern Indonesia through visits showing the daily life guided by young people who are eager to share , learn and make sincere friendships, through exhibitions, through cooking classes and so on.
Do you feel Jogjakarta has a different atmosphere in Jakarta?
Absolutely. Jogja is much smaller and although it has its share of shopping centers, it still feels very provincial. As the largest university city of Indonesia, it attracts a great mix of ethnic groups, making it a vibrant melting pot scholars, adventurers, artists, etc. It also feels secure and it is difficult at the same time.
Women's empowerment is super important to you. Tell us why you think it is vital in Indonesia gives its female population more power?
Indeed, the empowerment of women is an important aspect of ViaVia. When I went the first time in Indonesia it was 20 years ago, I realized that men dominated the public sphere accessible to tourists. opportunities for women in the public sphere were limited, and I, as a traveler, missed the women's perspective and explanation to what I saw around me. ViaVia is why in most of our guides are women, who can offer a feminine view of the culture and society that contrasts the typical dominant perspective offered by tourism largest Indonesian public.
He was, and still is not common for women to work as guides, and early in ViaVia women faced negative sanctions of the community. However, now these women have proven that they are very capable, overcoming the negative stereotypes that women in tourism must be sex workers. They showed that by getting the opportunity, they have become important and powerful members of their families and communities. I believe that women's empowerment is to provide such opportunities for women. With the ViaVia Guesthouse ViaVia we invited staff to become co-owners and shareholders. This not only provides income and the additional property, it also serves to teach investment and business management, which will increase their chances in the future. I want to be a springboard ViaVia where women and men can start their potential, which is why we support training and education for all employees, women and men.
What's your favorite photo that you shot while Indonesia and why?
This is very difficult. I chose this photo because of the connection with my work in ViaVia.
There is a tourist in a small village 40 km west of jogja. The grandmother of one of the cooks ViaVia looks with great interest and surprise the tourist. A fine example of contact, surprising, shocking maybe, but also humor and lightness.
Have you come to photographic exhibitions?
I just had an exhibition in Norway in September. I will have an exhibition at ViaVia as part of Photo Month, coordinated by Lembaga Indonesia Perancis, 27 e of November. The title is "sister" and he brings a portrait of Indian, Tanzanian and Belgian men on their perspectives of their sisters.
If you were to be stranded on a desert island, what three things would you bring with you and why?
my camera, my family which includes all ViaVia staff.