Dr. S. Hartati Murdaya

Indonesia

Dr. S. Hartati Murdaya

Indonesia

Peace and prosperity resound in the heart of Dr. S. Hartati Murdaya. From interfaith peace initiatives, to national economic development matters, as well as, disaster management, she has walked the halls of Indonesian government, palaces and military headquarters.

Dr. S. Hartati Murdaya trained in the Faculty of Economics at the University of Trisakti in Jakarta, and at both Stanford and National University of Singapore's Executive Programs for Graduate Students.

From 1998 until today Dr. S. Hartati Murdaya has stood as a bridge of peace and understanding for the Buddhist community to the halls of power as Chairperson of DPP WALUBI. And, in 1999 she founded Tzu Chi Buddhist Compassion Relief Foundation's Chapter in Indonesia, where she currently serves the Foundation on its Honorary Board. In 1994 she established the organization, Indonesian Buddhist Intellectual Family, and she also established the Paramita Social Awareness Foundation.

Dr. S. Hartati Murdaya was a member of the People's Consultative Assembly for 5 years, a Member of the Presidential Advisory Council for 2 years, and a member of the National Economic Committee of Indonesia for 2 years. For 24 years, beginning in 1999, she has coordinated as the Chairperson, Wesak Day activities at Borobudur Temple which have included: meditation, chanting, historical and art celebrations, even the trail of King Ashoka's civilization.

She is perhaps most beloved by the Indonesian Buddhist community for her logistical talents in mobilizing the navy, air force and army along with volunteers of WALUBI in emergency response, disaster management and relief efforts in establishing food kitchens, medical field units, and humanitarian post-disaster economic follow up after: the 2002 deportation of Indonesian workers from Malaysia, the 2002 Jakarta floods, the 2004 tsunami which struck Aceh, the 2006 Pangandaran tsunami, the 2009 Padang earthquake, the 2010 Mount Merapi eruption, the 2018 earthquake in Lombok. She has coordinated medical services for thousands of Indonesians bringing loving-kindness into action, regardless of religious, ethnic or cultural background. Dr. S. Hartati Murdaya also served at the national level in creating a strategic plan to build a hospital in Myanmar, an international humanitarian effort.

By creating national unity through compassionate service, and being a pioneer of Indonesia's humanitarian movement, it is fair to say that Dr. S. Hartati Murdaya is one of the greatest humanitarians in modern Indonesian history.