Welcome
To many of us the concept of the Bali Multipurpose Center , hereafter referred to as the BMC, seems utopian at best and a white elephant at worst. Many have questioned and continue to question the wisdom of spending hundreds of millions of francs CFA on a mere building in a place like Bali when there are more pressing issues and urgent human needs that could benefit greatly, they argue, from these financial resources. Some have delighted in and to a certain degree peddled the idea that the BMC project is mere wishful thinking, so futuristic and daunting that it will never get off the ground. To the extent that these doubts exist and persist, I concede this point: If the conception or very existence of the BMC has seemed vacuous, it is due mainly to BCA-USA leadership’s failure to properly articulate the vision and mission of the BMC to our constituents. [Leadership is defined in this context to include not only the elected officials but also all those who militate at the highest levels of this association – we all know ourselves; Constituents is also defined to be more inclusive than the 200 or so people who regularly pay their national dues, because as it will be shown below, all Bali people have an obligatory role to ensure the successful realization of this project.]
The Raison D’être
First, the time for the BMC project has not only arrived, but it is actually late. Four years ago, we estimated the project cost at FCFA50 million (equivalent to $83,000 in 2004 dollars, and $118,000 in today’s dollars). By necessity of vision and mission, the estimated cost of the project stands at FCFA190 million today. This is equivalent to $316,000 in 2004 dollars or $447,000 in today’s dollars. Whatever the exchange rate is, and it is cruel, this is a gigantic project even by our own celebrated standards. But can we rise up to the challenge? YES WE CAN!!! Even though the BMC, when complete, will be elephantine, and its façade predominantly white in color, it will definitely not be a “white elephant” for the following reasons:
(1) The project has conceptually evolved over the years from a library to a library/computer learning center to a multipurpose center – the BMC
(2) It will contain a multipurpose hall that can accommodate more than 500 guests that can be used for weddings and other receptions by Bali people and others from Bamenda, etc. We have to maximize the derivative benefits of the geographic and cultural centrality of Bali . The BMC will thus be a revenue generator that can in turn spur developments in other needed areas.
(3) It will contain a modern library – the books are already gathering dust somewhere in Bali , and we have, and have shown the capacity and ability to obtain more books from across the world.
(4) The BMC will also contain a computer learning center and internet café to accelerate Bali ’s movement into the digital age. Today, we marvel when our mothers are able to receive phone calls on their cell phones even when they are on their farms; tomorrow, and soon these same mothers will be able to read their emails, and why not. The BMC will also have room for adult education. But the broader impact will be on our youths in Bali . Making computers and internet facilities available and accessible will provide them with the necessary skill set to function competitively in a globalized world. Who knows, one of you enterprising types might even open up a call center for a multinational company in Bali . It is called off-shoring, and it has been done in Africa too ( Ghana and Senegal ). Imagine a cadre of young well paid professionals living and working in Bali and how that will expand the tax base and drill into other sectors of the Bali economy such as housing, entertainment, etc.
(5) Also envisioned for the BMC is a counseling center to support existing endeavors such as BCA-USA’s health initiatives, as well as other programmatic elements that may be brought online in areas as diverse as HIV/AIDS counseling, financial counseling, youth empowerment, etc. These are all areas that have been shown to attract funding from donor agencies for other organizations and communities in the world and it will be negligent of us not to put ourselves in a position for similar benefits.
(6) Finally, the mere existence of BMC is priceless, its huge price tag notwithstanding. The mere implantation of the BMC, as it will be, in the center of Bali will not only serve as a beacon of light and hope, but it will send a powerful message that this generation of Bali people have been worthy of the sacrifices of our forbears and ensure the next generation can only move to the top of the mountain. This is an enterprise which all of us can take pride in.
Other Ways to Give
Outright Gifts:- Outright gifts are one-time gifts to the project. You may pay an outright gift by either check or credit card. Checks can be made payable to BCA-USA. The Bali Cultural Association- USA also accepts the following credit cards for payment of gifts and pledges: VISA, MasterCard, and American Express. Payments can also be made via Paypal on our website: www.bca-usa. org.
Recent News
4/15/2009 - Land Purchased
On 4/15/2009, BCA-USA took an important first step by purchasing approximately 10,000 Square meters of land by the old Bali Airport in Njenka. See aerial photographs and maps in the gallery section of this website