Hirzawati Atikah, Assistant Director for Communications with the All-party parliamentary group in Malaysia (APPGM-SDG) is in Bandung for the GTA assembly.
She joined participants for a field visit on day one (April 11, 2026). She is there representing ASEC on the invitation of Dr Eri Trinurini, the chair of ASEC.
The Global Tapestry of Alternatives (GTA) is a “network of networks” aimed at connecting grassroots groups, social movements, and organizations that are creating transformative, “radical” alternatives to dominant economic, political, and social systems
This is organised by Movement for Alternatives and Solidarity in Southeast Asia (MASSA): This regional network, which includes several Indonesian organizations as partners, acts as a key weaver in Indonesia
The Bandung Spirit (Post-1955)
The city of Bandung itself holds symbolic importance for the GTA, as it often references the 1955 Bandung Conference, aiming to revive that spirit of solidarity and “decolonial” world-building, rather than merely commemorating history.
*Visit 1: Paseban Tri Panca Tunggal*
She participated in a field visit to Sunda Wiwitan community at Cigugur Kuningan, West Jawa. This place is known as a centre of Sundanese culture that still upholds ancestral customs (or ‘Madraism” or Agama Jawa Sunda) since 1848 amidst modernisation. The community is also a symbol of diversity, tolerance, and local wisdom at the foot of Mount Ciremai. Despite so, Sunda Wiwitan is not being recognised as one of the indigenous communities in Indonesia and still facing governmental and societal discrimination due to its different belief.
The community has been resisting forced labour, maintaining their agricultural culture and caring for the water, mountains, and environment. To this day, this community continues to fight alongside youth and community groups against geothermal projects that threaten their living space and ancestral land.
*Visit 2: Sagarahiang*
After having lunch at the Paseban, the group then visited Sagarahiang by van. Sagarahiang is an agro-tourism village in Darma District, Kuningan Regency, West Java, famous for its ancient historical sites, stunning natural scenery on the slopes of Mount Gegerhalang (at the foot of Mount Ciremai), and its nickname “Sea of the Gods.” Participants had to hike for about 10 minutes, barefoot, to respect the site.
This village is home to the oldest megalithic site, the Sang Hiang site, which contains ancient stones, including lingga yoni, menhirs, dolmens, and Nandi statues, dating from the 7th to 8th centuries AD.
*Visit 3: Cipari Archaeological Park Museum Site*
The Cipari Archaeological Park Museum Site, located 20 minutes away from Sagarahiang demonstrates a unique blend of the Neolithic and Megalithic periods. The discovery of bronze artifacts indicates significant technological developments, while the presence of large stones indicates the community’s spiritual belief in ancestors. It also indicates that the people of that era not only possessed advanced agricultural skills but also possessed a fairly complex social structure.
