June 16, 2006- Los Angeles, CA.  During a formal presentation and press conference held at the Consulate General Republik of Indonesia in Los Angeles, Mrs. Maya Rumantir-Hutasoit, Ph.D. (Hon) celebrity pop singer and peace activist from Indonesia was appointed Honorary Advisor to the Orangutan Republik Education Initiative (OUREI).  OUREI Founders Dr. Gary & Inggriani Shapiro announced the appointment in a ceremony following an illustrated presentation by Dr. Shapiro about orangutans, their threats and the work of OUREI. Mrs. Rumantir-Hutasoit plans to work with OUREI in Indonesia to further the mission of saving the orangutan through song and programs that touch and inspire Indonesian people to care about and to stop the exploitation and killing that contribute to the species rapid decline.

 

 

Mrs. Rumantir-Hutasoit has had a distinguished career as a top model and popular singer. She is also recognized for her achievements in education, humanity and peace. She is president director of the Maya Gita Human Resources Development Institute which is operated under the Maya Bhakti Pertiwi Foundation that she founded in 1989. Through her celebrity and her spiritual message of peace, she has brought people from various ethnic and religious groups in Indonesia together to celebrate the diversity of the world’s largest archipelagos. For her efforts and achievements in mediating peace between religious factions, she was received by Pope John Paul II on three occasions and once by Mother Teresa. In 2003, she organized and hosted an “International Day of Peace” in Indonesia’s Bung Karno Stadium attended by 50,000 people.

Mrs. Rumantir-Hutasoit joins OUREI Honorary Advisors Ed Begley Jr. (actor and environmentalist), and Mr. Handriyo Kusumo Priyo (former Consul General) and his wife, Nani.  Together with OUREI Ambassador,  Angelina Sondakh (Miss Indonesia 2001 and current member of Parliament), Maya Rumantir will make an effective team in Indonesia to enlighten and inspire the Indonesian people to appreciate and save wild orangutans from extinction.

During the evening, Dr. Robert Kounang, President of American Indonesian United (Amerindo United) presented Mrs. Rumantir-Hutasoit with a certificate of appreciation for her education and humanity work at the Maya Gita Human Resources Development Institute. Consul Bambang Susanto and Nieke Gaston of the Indonesian consulate received certificates of appreciation from OUREI and Mrs. Rumantir-Hutasoit.  The event was attended by nearly 70 people including supporters of OUREI and Amerindo United.

Mrs. Rumantir-Hutasoit accepted the honors and showed slides of her work throughout Indonesia. She enchanted the audience by singing three songs including “Healing for All Nations”, a song she wrote and sang for the 2003 “International Day of Peace”.  She announced she plans to organize a similar event in Southern California next year.