Bali's Potential Volcanic Eruption & Refugee Crisis - The Unexpected Positive Aspects!

Bali's Mount Agung is revered by the Balinese for being sacred to their unique religion and the highest point on the island of the Gods. It is currently showing signs that it may erupt at any moment. This has sparked a mass exodus of 90,000 people from the slopes of the volcano.

The region has already been declared a national disaster due to the extreme displacement of people on Bali. With all the mayhem and hardships associated with massive refugee populations there have been some unexpected positives repercussions from the situation.

The refugee crisis has caused a mass outpouring of solidarity and compassion from people across the island and has shown the true value and strength of community here in Indonesia.

Gunung Agung

This amazing conical volcano which is known locally as Gunung Agung it is the largest of Bali's three volcanos. The Balinese believe that Mt Agung is a replica of Mt Meru which is the the central axis of our universe. One specific legend tells us that the mountain is a fragment of Meru which was brought to Bali by the first Hindus. The most important temple on Bali, Pura Besakih, is located near the top of this spectacular volcano.

The last eruption of Gunung Agung was during 1963/64 and killed 1,900 people. The volcano is constantly being monitored and Bali's governor's are anxious to reduce the loss of life during the predicted upcoming eruption. The situation has already been declared a regional disaster.

The frequency of earthquakes emanating from the volcano has risen sharply over the last week leading volcanologists to raise the threat level to the highest number and they are now predicting an imminent eruption. Bali is constantly shaking with tremors at the moment!

Balinese Refugees

Currently 90,000 Balinese are in temporary shelters and refugee camps across Bali. This number could potentially double. Initially there were expected to be 10 main camps but that has grown into 50 already. For mountain dwellers to be displaced and in such close proximity is distressing. As the camps fill up and resources tighten there is nothing to do but wait.

As usual with Bali nothing is quite what it seems and the situation has shown another side of the Balinese culture and how beautiful and resilient it is.

The Positive Side Of The Refugee Crisis

In a heart warming show of solidarity the entire Balinese culture has rallied to the call and the outpouring of support and assistance across the island has been truly amazing.

In every village collections have been organised to raise funds to help support those who have been displaced. The youths are out in the streets with their guitars singing and collecting from the traffic. Every village has begun it's own fundraising campaigns. Everybody from the young to the elderly is contributing to help the situation.

The wave of community support has been truly spectacular. Collections have been huge. Balinese from other parts of the island have opened their houses and public spaces to the refugees. There are a multitudes of people posting on Facebook saying:

"We have room please come and stay with us!"

"We have more space - we are accepting more people now!"

These truly magnanimous offers of support are amplified by the fact that nobody knows how long this situation will last... It could be months! The Balinese are amazing people and this situation has highlighted those qualities yet again. The strength of a community is so important and this crisis is a shining example to the rest of the world.

If you wish to assist in this show of support you can contact either:

• Kopernik
• Yayasan Bali Angel

I will keep Steemit updated from the ground as the situation unfolds. Let's hope things go well!

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Image sources 1, 2, 3, 4.