Mr. Puji Pujiono, the Secretary General of the Indonesian Society for Disaster Management (MPBI), confirms that MPBI continues to be committed to Sphere. 

1.MPBI championed the translation of Sphere Handbook, both editions, into Bahasa Indonesia and now the pocket - size ones. All proceed of handbook and all are managed by MPBI in separate account and is dedicated to advancing the principels and practices espoused by Sphere.

2. MPBI has been promoting and advocating Sphere in all possible opportunities, including with the government agencies and NGO communities

3. In collaboration with OXFAM GB, UNDP and OCHA Indonesia, MPBI conducted a series of Sphere Orientation workshops and selected graduates of these workshops were provided with Sphere - sanctioned TOT by Mark PP, Iskandar and others. At this juncture, these trainers themselves have conducted training with various sponsors. MPBI always perceives this TOT to be part of a larger advocacy for quality and accountability of humanitarian works in Indonesia, At some point, the new trainers were so extatic that they started looking at themselves to be a "born-agains" as if they fell from the sky and ventured to the training events without linking back the process and outputs to MPBI. Now MPBI is trying to recover these back to the mothersip of larger advocacy agenda. MPBI is in the process of hiring a project officer for Sphere-related matters. Ideally, MPBI would like to continue more coherent advocacy so that the "movement" is not dissipating. Submitting their particulars and profiles for a regional database should not be a problem.

4. MPBI took the initiative to advance the Sphere principles by organising an interagency convergence workshop in Jakarta to map out who is doing what using what standard. In this context MPBI interacted with the Tsunami Evaluation Alliance and offered a general overview with regard to quality and acoountability issues.

5. MPBI has been involved in the Sphere interagency evaluation in the Philippines adn Indonesia as part of the gloval evaluation in 2004.

6. MPBI managed to insert the imperative of "adhering to internationally-accepted standards" in the formulation of the Disaster Management Bill, currently being debated between the House and the Executive Branch.

In closing, MPBI is and will continue to be committed to Sphere as part of a larger advocacy of improving disaster management in the country. MPBI is embracing the Hyogo Framework for Action to be the larger arena.