Speakers from various stakeholders shared their insights to increase people awareness and build collaborative actions to steward the biodiversity in Indonesia. Director General for Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Mr. Wiratno, M.Si shared 10 ways to manage forest conservation that among others include seeing community as subject, respect for human rights and local wisdom, cross-sectors collaboration, science based-decision making and multi-layers leadership. From business perspective, Dharsono Harsono, CEO PT RMU, emphasised that to protect forest, businesses need to learn from local community and work seriously for their welfare. “To make the community prosperous is the key for stewarding the forest”, said Dharsono.
The important role of community in conserving the biodiversity was also jointly agreed by the speakers from both indigenous and religious Communities. Director for Indonesia Conservation Community Warsi, Rudi Syaf raised the importance of going back to local wisdom in restoring the biodiversity. “In the past forest was well managed, because the indigenous community saw it as the source of life”, said Rudi. From Islam perspective, Dr. Hayu Prabowo, Head of Environment and Natural Resources Conservation, Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI) shared that MUI has mobilised the communities and organizations to protect the environment through religious approaches, such to integrate textual doctrine and contextual studies on environment, to inspire and empower local leaders and organizations as well as to mobilise investment and assets supporting the environmental protection. Pastor Jimmy Sormin, Executive Secretary for Testimony and Creature Safety, Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) also shared that particularly for the last decade, the churches have been very active to promote awareness, behaviour change and concrete actions for the environment sustainability.
