by Mathias Hariyadi

Dozens of activists from three dioceses of the island came together to address the issue of drug addiction. The event was attended by priests, nuns, lay people and experts. The apostolate in families to strengthen the role of the core component of society. New volunteers and supporters of the mission.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Defending the sanctity of human life, fighting with every available  means the threat of drugs that ends up breaking entire families. With this in mind, following the directions of the Church that looks to the family as the core foundation of society, more than 50 activists of the three dioceses of Borneo came together to talk about addiction and initiatives best to combat it. The event, which is part of the family apostolate, was held in recent days in the Diocese of Banjarmasin, in the southern province of Borneo, and was attended by priests, nuns, lay people, activists and experts.

Interviewed by AsiaNews, Dionisius Agus Puguh Santosa, from the diocese of Banjarmasin, said that the meeting was intended to strengthen morale in families, to motivate the members to be good Catholics and combat the use of drugs. The initiative involved religious and laity of the diocese of Banjarmasin, Samarinda, Tanjung Selor and Palangkaraya.

Fr. Syamsudin, chairman of the diocesan apostolate for the family, recalled that the purpose of the body is to disseminate experiences of love and sharing within families. He pointed to the family as society’s greatest weapon in protecting its members against the increasing use of drugs. Fr. Timotius I Ketut Adi Hardana, coordinator of the family apostolate on the island of Borneo, has called for cooperation between believers in the region and to welcome the arrival of "new faces" among the "volunteers and supporters of the mission."

In Indonesia, 50 people die every day from drug abuse. The government estimates that in 2015 the number of drug addicts will exceed 5 million. Of these, less than 50 thousand are treated in rehabilitation centers. According to the superintendent Sumirat Dwiyanto, head of the National Commission on drugs in the province of North Sulawesi, the bands most at risk are those of the younger generation, including high school and university students.

The Indonesian bishops are also concerned about the emergency, contrasting the hard line sought by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo - proponent of the death penalty for drug use - but at the same time, calling for interventions in prevention and combatting drug abuse.

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation. Christians represent 5.7 per cent of the population with Catholics just over 3.6 per cent.

The latter are an active part of society. Over the years, they have contributed to the nation's development and played a major role in emergency operations, as was the case during the devastating floods of January 2013.

• INDONESIA
• DRUG
• ABUSE
• CATHOLIC
• CHURCH
• FAMILY