Faramau re Fatenow Farumi

The Phrase of Unity

The capital city of Maba distric is Buli Village. Maba distric has 408,50 km square large  (six percent for all East Halmahera), and it is located approximately 46.66 km away from the capital of East Halmahera Regency. Maba district consisted of 10 villages namely Buli, Buli Asal, Buli Karya, Wayafli, Geltoli, Sailal, Pekaulang, Teluk Buli, Gamesan and Baburino. The last three names are new villages which were formed at the end of 2012 (https://haltimkab.go.id/kecamatan-maba/).

Base on the administrative area the capital city of Maba district is in the village of Buli, but based on culture and structure, it's all centered on Buli Asal Villages. It can be seen when Buli people make gathering like wedding party, they still use traditional ceremony to welcome guest and they still speak Buli language. Based on traditional characters and ways to preserve their ancestral cultur, there are also interesting stories about local wisdom that are still maintained. One of them is local wisdom in uniting all ethnic groups, religions and tribes that are living in Maba district.

In addition to local Buli ethnic group who are Christians and Muslims, there are also a number of migrant ethnic groups, including Maba, Bugis, Sangir, Tobelo, Toraja, Java and some migrants from other Halmahera regions. Besides that, the biggest religion is Christian and Islam which still dominate this area. Buli is a rich with nickel, gold and copper mines. Since 1997 the Geomin Drilling Company has entered this area and has an office in Buli Village (now the village of Geltoly; which means intersection). In addition to the mining companies there are also Post Offices and several other Expeditions such as JNE and Lion Parcel to support the online buying and selling infrastructure in Buli. The office of the East Halmahera Regional Police Chief is still in Buli Village, not in the Regency Capital. In addition, there are currently 1 gas station, several shops and markets that sell clothing and also markets for fresh fish and vegetables to meet the people needs.

Those are the description of Buli now. The current situation of Buli cannot be separated from the efforts of the predecessor, especially the traditional elders of Buli who continue struggling to promote the philosophy of life in harmony and mutual respect. In 1998-2000 there was  vast riots in Poso, Maluku and Halmahera. The riots took many lives, destroyed family, property and tore the chain of brotherhood among brothers and sisters.

The first widespread cause of the riot was boundaries or land border problems between two villages, Kao and Malifut. However, the boundary problem turned into a riot that claimed the lives of many innocent people. The riot occurred almost throughout Halmahera island from North to South but not in Buli. Based on some literature, the riot broke out in January 1999 until the signing of Malino II Charter, on February 13, 2002 (https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerusuhan_Kepulauan_Maluku), then the situation began to be conducive.

The Buli area can survive and not to be affected by any riots at all because the local wisdom of "Faramaw re Fatenow Farumi" which means "being brothers and sisters", “We Are Family" was echoed by the elders of Buli area. The motto has unified people and kept to be life by all communities in Buli local area. Because it was the local wisdom that made Buli or Maba District were safe from the 1999/2000 riots. The motto is always spoken as the opening greeting in speeches at major events in the villages. The unifying language proved to be able to unite all ethnic groups, religions and race who lived and settled in Bulli area. In the village of Buli Asal, official ceremonies like weddings or releasing and welcoming pastors, the phrase above is still used as opening speeches.

Further, the phrase is always used when people will do cooperated-work in the construction of the church, manse or other public facilities. It is a such key to open everyone's heart to  help or to give support. We must keep the local wisdom and doing in our life, because now and in the future, we will continue our life  to be able to live side by side and to unite even though we are different in religion, ethnicity and race (SAP)