My Ideas and Stories About PAPUA

Making the rich and beautiful resources in Papua become the social economic strength for Papuan has become the long home works. Many people believe that the early start to find the answer is by understanding how Papua looks like, their communities and their special strength. And it can be realize by directly in touch with them. This blogs provides you chance to touch and gets insight ideas, trends and stories about Papua.
  • Stories About Beautiful Papua

    Every Single Place In Papua Have Its Stories To Be Shared To Build Other People Understanding About This Island

  • The Last Frotier Primary Forests

    With 42 Million ha of forests, Papua play crucial rules in Indonensia forests development targets.

  • Women and Natural Resources

    Forests or land right are not only about Man. So understanding the roles women and the impact of forests changes to women are also crucial

  • Our Traditional Value

    Papuan Community Have Been Living for Centuries with Their Knowledge and Wisdom in Managing Natural Resources and Practice Best Conservation

  • For Papuan Generation

    Every Works We Do Now Must Be Dedicated To The Future Papuan Generation

  • Dependency to Forests Resources

    Practicing Good Forests Governance in Papus About Understing the Right of Indigenous People and Their Dependency to Natural Resources

  • All Are Wonderful

    You Will Get Good Scene That You May Not Able Somewhere Else - Only In PAPUA

  • Bitter Nut Is Papuan Favorit Gums

    Bitter Nut or In Papua We Call 'Pinang' Is The Local Gum You Can See In Every Corner of the Cities. Papuan People Love To Chewing It. Sometime People Consider It As Contact Material When You Travel to The Village

  • Papuan Traditional Conservation Practices

    For Centuries, Papuan Has Practicing Local Wisdom to Sustainaible Use of Natural Resources. They Have Traditional Education System to Teaching Them How To Interact With Human, Spiritual Power and Understanding The Words Of Nature

Kamis, 26 Mei 2016

Alarm....... Manokwari Darurat Sampah..... (Edisi Asap)......

Dalam postingan sebelumnya saya menghighlight bagaimana sampah menjadi perusak tampilan kota Manokwari terutama di jalan-jalan, parit, pasar, sungai bahkan laut. Kali ini edisi postingan saya menyajikan cerita sore yang saya tangkap masih tentang sampah tetapi dari sisi implikasi dari buruk tata kelola, penampungan dan pengelolaan sampah di kota Manokwari. Ya.... yang saya maksudkan adalah pilihan warga kota manokwari untuk membakar sampah dilingkungan mereka ketimbang ditampung dan dibuang ke TPS (tempat penampungan sampah sementara) atau TPA (tempat pembuangan akhir) yang sudah disediakan. Maklum TPA dann TPS sendiri tidak juga ditata dengan baik dan management pengelolaannya sepertinya juga buruk.
Photo: pembakaran sampah rumput di pinggir jalan. by: Yunus Y
Sore ini saya berkeliling kota Manokwari dan mencoba menghitung berapa banyak jumlah titik pembakaran sampah. Cukup mencengangkan angkanya, titik api sore ini mencapai lebih dari 123 titik bakaran dengan variasi pembakaran sampah yang berbeda-beda. Angka ini tentu secara akumulasi bisa lebih besar karena saya baru hanya berkeliling wilayah kota dan belum menjangkau tempat pinggiran seperti pasir putih, amban pantai bahwa sowi dan arfai. Ada yang saya temukan membakar sampah plastik, ada yang membakar sisa dampur berupa bahan organik, ada yang membakar sampah berupa sisa rumput dan ada pula yang membakar sampah bekas ban/karet. Kira-kira apa dampak langsungnya ya? Sudah pasti kualitas udara yang sangat kotor sebagai akibat dari akumulasi gas dan asap kotor yang dilepas keudara selama proses pembakaran. Saya pun berpikir dan bertanya kira-kira Manokwari dengan kota yang dikerumuni pepopohon masih cukup sehatkah apabila yang dihirup disore hari adalah udara kotor dari asap buangan pembakaran sampah? Bagaimana kualitas kesehatan kita kira-kira?

Di tengah ketidaksadaran semua pihak terhadap sampah dan dampaknya serta makin menumpuknya jumlah sampah dan tingginya pembakaran yang dilakukan pemerintah sendiri cenderung belum beraksi banyak. Indeks kualitas udara saja tidak kelihatan dan tidak terpasang sehingga kita masyarakat sendiri tidak sadar apakah udara yang mereka hirup di kota setiap sore adalah udara bersih atau udara yang sebenarnya sudah tidak sehat? Implikasi dari asap terhadap masalah pernapasan mungkin belum diketahui angkanya tetapi dugaan saya angkanya cukup besar dengan cara masyarakat membakar sampah yang mereka punya - mungkin menarik untuk mengetahui catatan dari puskesmas atau rumah sakit yang ada di manokwari tentang jumlah pasien penderita penyakit pernafasan.

.........Manokwari darurat sampah, Manokwari darurat asap pembakaran sampah........ adalah pesan kritis yang saya temukan sore ini. Melakukan evaluasi dan perubahan total terhadap tata kelola pengelolaan sampah di kota Injil menjadi kebutuhan tindakan emergency yang harus dilakukan oleh pemerintah daerah merespon situasi yang sudah darurat ini. Selain pemerintah, masyarakat juga perlu secara sadar melihat pentingnya pemeliharaan lingkungan hidup, mengumpulkan sampah dan mengurangi pembakaran.



Senin, 23 Mei 2016

Menguji Berjalannya satu Inisiative Hutan Desa di Indonesia: Sebuah Bahan untuk Fasilitator!


Kebijakan perhutanan sosial di era president Jokowi memberikan target yang besar yaitu tercapainya 12,7 juta ha areal kerja untuk implementasi skema hutan desa (HD), Hutan Kemasyarakatan (HKM) dan Hutan Tanaman Rakyat (HTR) oleh beberapa pihak dinilai positive tetapi ambisius dan tidak realistis ditengah persoalan tata kelola hutan yang masih belum selesai. Selain itu pendampingan dan fasiltasi semua pihak terhadap beberapa pilot dan designated areas untuk perhutanan sosial yang ada sekarang juga belum optimal membuat kita untuk tentu perlu melihat kembali keseriusan fasilitasi di tingkat lapangan untuk memastikan target yang ada tidak hanya target ditutup dengan pidato politis tetapi laporan realisasi proses dan keberhasilan di lapangan. Karena seyogyanya kebijakan ini sangat strategis untuk membantu masyarakat didalam dan sekitar hutan mengakses sumber daya alam, dikelola untuk menjawab kebutuhan peningkatan kesejahteraannya.

Hutan Desa misalnya dipandang sebagai sebuah angin segar bagi komunitas atau desa/kampung yang berada pada kawasan hutan dengan fungsi produksi dan lindung. Untuk wilayah-wilayah seperti Kalimantan, Sumatera, Sulawesi dan Papua dengan tutupan hutan primer dengan fungsi lindung dan produksi yang luas tentu melihat ini sebagai sebuah peluang untuk mengimplementasikan perjuangan lama konsep PHBM di dalam kawasan hutan negara. Beberapa model hutan desa kemudian di inisiasi. Dominan difasilitasi oleh CSO/NGO lingkungan. Papua sendiri saat ini tercatat ada 3 hutan desa yang sudah ditetapkan sejak Tahun 2014 yaitu Hutan Desa Esania di Kaimana dengan luas 11,005 ha, Hutan Desa Sira dan Hutan Desa Manggroholo di Sorong Selatan dengan total luasan 3,800 ha. Proses legal penetapan areal kerja sampai pra kondisi penyiapan masyarakat sudah juga dijalankan dengan harapan besar Hutan desa memberikan manfaat balik kepada masyarakat di kampung yang mengusulkan.

Aspek legal, teknis dan bussiness yang padat dari Hutan Desa juga sangat dipengaruhi oleh bagaimana kesiapan sosial kelembagaan yang ada di tingkat kampung/desa. Serta bagaimana peran dominan seorang fasilitator memfasiltasi keseluruhan proses dilapangan. Sorong Selatan dan Kaimana di Papua bagi saya sebuah contoh dan pelajaran penting untuk merumuskan pola dan mekanisme intervensi HD yang tepat untuk Papua. Kelemahan-kelemahan dan kekurangan pada aspek krusial hutan desa di tingkat kampung tentu perlu terus dilihat sebagai sebuah titik kebocoran yang perlu ditambal untuk memastikan HD berjalan optimal. Pengalaman Sorong Selatan dan Kaimana telah memberikan saya satu paket pertanyaan yang saya sebutkan sebagai "Menguji Berjalananya satu Inisiative Hutan Desa di Indonesia". Paket pertanyaan ini adalah rangkuman beberapa pertanyaan yang muncul di kepala saya berdasarkan pengalaman fasilitasi di Kaimana dan fasilitasi yang dilakukan oleh teman-teman di Sorong Selatan. Daftar pertanyaan tersebut saya sajikan didalam file word berikut DOWNLOAD. silahkan di download untuk membantu semua pihak yang konsen terhadap pembangunan hutan desa.

Berbagai panduan praktis sudah disiapkan untuk secara sederhana kita menguji sebuah proses fasilitasi hutan desa. Tetapi memiliki sebuah alat uji dengan rangkaian pertanyaan mungkin bisa membantu kita untuk terus melihat, mefasilitasi dan mengukur titik capaian dan progress yang sudah dilalui dari sebuah proses hutan desa.

Jumat, 20 Mei 2016

Indigenous Moi People Refuse the Oilpalm Expantion

Sorong, 20 May 2016. Hundreds of Moi customary people in the big groups of young and old came and banged the doors of Parliament of Sorong District West Papua Province, voicing up their aspiration to stop the oil palm expansion in their land. "Without Oil palm we can live in our land, the forests has provide every thing for us and has make us survive until now" says the group in a loud. They added "oil palm not create welfare but in vice versa has implicates to massive ecological destructive and changing in social lives".


This protest was the accumulative of Moi people anger to the government and Oil Palm concession that disobeying the rights of Indigenous Moi People those who has refused for oil palm existence in their land. People from Klayili and Klamono says that been witnessing the destruction conducted by PT. Henrison Inti Persada (HIP) in their land and don't fell any social changes in term of increasing of economic Income. David Ulimpa - the clan leader then added "we asked the Parliament to chase government taken out the license been granted to PT. Mega Mustika Plantation to converting forests in Klasow valley. Because the community since 2012 until now has raised their disagreement to the this investment plan". Beside PT. MMP they also refuse for the new established license for PT. Cipta Papua Plantation that hold 15,000 ha of oilpalm concession in Moi Land.

Charles Tawaru, Forests Campaigner Greenpeace Papua whose also joined in the long march said that "This protests was the representative of bigger voices of Papuan to says they not want Oil Palm coming to Papua. Because it has clearly destruct the foods plots, secret place, hunting areas and water catchment that are crucial for their livelihood and culture".

Community aware that they needs development and they support the government initiative to speed up the development but should works on the path that recognize the existence and right of the customary right holder. The coalition of big capital holder with the politician actor in region has only prioritizing their economic and politic interests but more often disobeying the right of People and has work bellow good forests and land uses governance standard. Even a big question about sustainability objective. Internal report of young Moi groups noted that customary community never involved in the legal administration and concession contract process that happened between government and concession. Compensation as cost of the early impacts are mostly the worse last step that the they will always do after the contract even though this mostly not counting double and long term impacts on livelihood and landscape the community will faces during and after the operation of the concession.


Adam Klouw, the head of Sorong District Parliament who received this protests together with several other parliament members appreciated the diligent and critics that Moi People has and noted that the protests have been addressed to the right institution. He was also cried because customarily part of Moi people and part of those who have land in granted for concession. He said "the Parliament will make sure that this aspiration will be pushing up to the higher stakeholder. I expects we could work together in keep voice up the problem so it can be solved soon".

#SaveMoiLand#

Minggu, 08 Mei 2016

Gunung Meja - The Forgotten Forests Park in the City Manokwari

The silent un-managed beauty forests park would be the sentence I conclude after this holiday trips in Gunung Meja. Gunung Meja or in English we could say “table-mountain” is a designated public forests park in the city of Manokwari through ministry of forestry decree in 2012 cover an areas of 462,16 ha. Lays in the 100 - 210 m above sea level the park provides the beautiful spot to enjoy all the city and landscape of Manokwari that mostly developed bellow it. As a forests it is the home of different types of trees, epiphytes, birds, orchids and insects. We could easily found beautiful butterfly, wild flowers and orchids along the park that for me is the place to taking a walks in the hot sunny days. Tree canopy covers creates cool fresh air that people always feel in the primary untouched forests. But yes it is not well managed so many the facilities have broken and more sadly is the park is also become an alternative garbage spots for the people around the park.
Explored the history the park actually has exist since Dutch colony, Bosh Reselve Tuffelberg[1] is the early given names back in 1950 when it was designated as protection forests because of its crucial hydrology function as the water catchment areas. Then having several legally designation changes by Indonesia Government since 1963, 1980 and 2012 as Taman Hutan Rakyat (public forests parks) and be legally supervised by ministry of forestry through conservation management body at provinces level. In 1980 the name was changed into natural tourism park (Taman Wisata Alam/TWA), which designed as one of the recreation spot in the city that would also increase city income from tourism.

Major problem I saw is there’s no clear management unit with its duties that managed the park even though the legal decree has in place. It implicates to the situation where: (1) all the building are completely broken, (2) trash everywhere, (3) broken roads, (4) no sign, (5) no toilet, (6) no clear regulation, forbidden or any other action to control the areas, (7) no guards that collecting enter fee, (8) no walking track, (9) no wall that protects the park with its buffers area and (10) not clear who own the park.

Despite of its complex management problems, from what I found in this park the complete picture of steady forests, is working function on climates/temperature regulatory, hydrology functions and the home of high threaten biodiversity in city. The waters that clean and fresh for example is flowing without stop even in the dry season. I met some students of UNIPA (I quest they are from Wamena-the central highland of Papua) in the stream while washing and taking a bath, there is medium size pipes that taking water to several houses in the borders of the parts. As I continued climbed the hill, I found carts rocks holding big trees above it and for me this is the great point to enjoy the city even though high canopy density. The diversity index is also high in term of tree species you can see in the park. Several high price timbers such Matoa (Pometia, sp) and Merbau (Instia, sp) can also easily be founded here. Moved to the northern part the robust stock of palm and pendants will welcome you with their long spicy green leave. Across the main roads beautiful wild flowers decorating the scene. And I think this made me confirmed the publication I got from Prof Charlie Heatubun et all (2008) about the diversity of flora and fauna in Gunung Meja. They said the parks has 101 species of timber species in almost dominated by Matoa family (Pometia Sp and has at least 15 species palm, bamboo and pandan. 


Having a clear management body with concrete action and duty in managing the parks seems like the only solution to revitalizing the existence of park while maintaining the major function on hydrology. Its requires a comprehensive attention, action and intervention to makes the parks is benefits. Built this spot is convenient fresh and beautiful forests park for public should be agreed on common consensus. Emerging question now is who should move first to mobilize other?  In this scenario I think Government should be in the frontline on powering all stakeholder to move on. Papua State University (UNIPA) with plenty of forestry, social, institutional and policy experts is the vital capital that the city has to help the government and they partners in make the expectation become a reality.

[1] Sources, Max Tokede.

Minggu, 01 Mei 2016

Yarona Village in Kaimana and Their Customary Territories

Yarona is lies in the reef of the big Buruway river that extent hundred kilometer in eastern of Kaimana, West Papua Province. Total population are 354 people that mix of three indigenous tribes Madewana, Asenara and Sabakor with other groups such as Buton (south east sulawesi), Java, Maybrat (Sorong), Batak (North Sumatera) and Key (South East Maluku). Its position on the delta in which sea water and rivers are meet has be a blessing for the richest of fishes and shrimps. Same as the other local village in Papua, the people in this village are living with strong customary rights claim and high dependency to natural resources mainly fishing, gardening and forests products uses. Rights over land resources are recognized under each customary clan and its influence all the norm of resources management on it. But with its open access the village has also occupied by non Papuan people and create a harmony acculturation of social values and relation in community daily live.
Yarona Village - Photo: Yunus Yumte

Since 2015 responded to request from community to maps their territories, WEER (Local NGO based in Kaimana) in a partnership with Samdhana Institute have worked with community leader of Yarona villages to maps the customary right territory. Through a long process that took about a year the customary boundary map of Yarona village are finalized and approved covering almost 21,000 ha. They also recorded 9 clans that have a customary right claim over this village with Urina clan is recognized as the owner of the land where the settlement of the village. While the other clans include: Kawada, Sepbuana, Kawena Bada, and Geabi are spread in all over the village boundaries. Geographically this villages is bordering with Esania village in the North East, Hia and Tairi villages in the north, Edor is down in the west and Kaimana Sea in the east.

For the community customary boundary map is the tools to secure their resources. They aware that their land rights will be threaten  by current development plan and the increasing of land uses and forestry demand in Kaimana. And learning from the the community in Esania whose under supported by Samdhana and PERDU has initiated village forests, Yarona community are feel that having a customary boundary maps should be one vital capital in the early stages on fighting for their right protection. Forests function has strongly support what the community are worrying about because it clearly classified all the customary territories of Yarona community into majority Production Forests and Convertible forests while few parts in the bank of the rivers and the beaches are determined as Protection forests. Mangrove forests are also another treasure of this villages with its potency. But legally the village has been occupying by the logging concession PT. Hanurata Unit III. 

Fery Hutapea, the field facilitator and also a member of the community in Yarona village expressed that the community in Yarona is welcoming the maps and hope they can do something better with their land through this maps. The social study WEER conducted found that about 80% of community income are generated from extraction of natural resources with marine products are dominating the contribution with almost 70% while forests products only contribute 10% of total income. The community mostly harvesting non timber forest product such as nutmeg, rattan and massohi (tree for aromatic oil). WEER is noted that the maps and its basic social data are useful foundation for the village to stepping forwards with clear legal natural resources management. 

Customary territory map of Yarona Village - Credit: Weer - Kaimana


Jumat, 15 April 2016

FMU in Biak Shaping Up the Basic Concept of Forests Development Partnership


The establishment of Eco-Tourism Management Body in Sebse – Village of Eastern Biak, Papua Province of Indonesia has shown how FMU in Biak gradually developed a good pathway on creating partnership scheme with customary community whose claim the rights over land, forests and resource inside the FMU designated areas. Founding of partnership scheme is an effort to acknowledging the specific Papua natural resources management problem in the appropriately positioning community rights in the official natural resources governance.

Making forests benefit to people and government within good governance are the main objective of the FMU Biak establishment. “Through KPH, I have vision to turn the current public paradigm that forests governance in Indonesia are far from good because it full of conflict, not sustainable, lack of community participation and lack of contribution to local economic development.” said Mr. Ariestoteles Ap – the Head of Forests Management Unit (KPHL) Biak Numfor on his welcoming words to the NORAD and Samdhana team visited KPH on January 2016. Holding the responsibilities to manage 206,016 ha of forests in Biak and Numfor Island he acknowledged that community are the main actors since customary right claim are strong in the islands.  

Eco-Tourism management body in Sebse with assisting by FMU and MNUKWAR (local Ngo based in Manokwari) will working on technical, social, business and legal components on managing the potency in the east coast of the Biak Island. From the full forests inventory that the FMU and Papua State University did in 2015, it’s found that this region is the home of 18 species of birds - 3 of which are the endemic paradise bird, 114 species of plants from 43 order, 10 different orchids and 8 mammals. The forest has also preserve the water and in harmony with karts stone creates beautiful lake “Opersnondi” that has high value for eco-tourism. Community and government on the Inauguration ceremony of the eco-tourism management body are welcoming this initiative and commits to move forward with concrete social-business concept/action of eco-tourism development.

Sharpening the partnership concept of legal management of eco-tourism within FMU has been putting as the priority intervention. Testing effective institutional development and professional community based business development that enable the creation of good benefit sharing mechanism are another big output that the supports in Sebse targeted by Biak FMU and MNUKWAR. Andi Saragih, the Director of MNUKWAR realized that this is just the beginning and there are a lot of challenges are waiting to be dealing to achieve what been built. Making sure that the communities are actively engage and lead the managerial activities until control and running the business are the attention that MNUKWAR is putting. Because he acknowledges that the pure partnership concepts of forests development partnership will working then the community are ready to engage and lead the process. But he believes that FMU and the community in Sebse has on track to get it. Emphasize this, the head of FMU noted that the works in Sebse are valuable for them to implement the long term management plan they have within an appropriate local partnership approaches. 

Jumat, 08 April 2016

Climate Agreement and Challenges on Local Action to Reduce Emission Reduction in Papua - Indonesia


A historical agreement was achieved in Paris COP 21 December 2015 when more than 170 countries approved the proposal on the efforts to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change. Forests and lands been highlighted part of the cores attention in the mitigation actions to prevent the temperature raised not over 2oC by 2100. And again reducing deforestation and degradation of forests was emerged as global component of action. Most of the tropical country like Indonesia, Congo and Brazil were stood in the position on requesting the clear finance mechanism on forests and people for climate mitigation. Incentive and benefits should go to the appropriate action on saving the primary forests. Beside government the voices were also came up from civil society and indigenous people alliance to considered the rights of Indigenous people on the climate convention. They claimed the rights over 60% of world land that contain approximately 37.7 billion tonnes of carbon—29 times more than the annual emissions of the world’s passenger vehicles.

Indonesia with its large tropical forests up to 140 million ha plays important position in combating climate change impact through low emission land and forests development. The INDC raised in Paris by President JOKOWI emphasized new country commitment to reduce 29% of domestic emission by 2030. Highlighting forests moratorium and improve forests management on community based forests management as part of the national efforts on forests and land mitigation action. But it was remained contradictory with the facts that the government are trying to pushing up economic growth by creating economic policy package in 2015 that allow massive expansion of natural resources extraction in the country. The national targets on peatland protection has failed in 2015 by huge forests fires and oilpalm expansion in peatland areas. While the social forestry initiative facing the problems on limited forests availability for community and local government intention on developments. Allocation of forests to big concession are mostly be considered advantages to the government revenue.

For the provinces like Papua and West Papua, Paris climate agreement and national commitment on emission reduction would be a best chance to gets financial and non-financial incentive to the development by saving the forests. 42 million ha of the forests in the Island in which 70% are primary (**90 forests cover) could contribute about 38% of national forests and land use low emission development targets. Provincial action plans strategy on low emission development have now opened for implementation depending on how fast are the government then translating their program reflect to the global and national commitment on climate change mitigation and adaption. Particularly how the government could then control massive forests cover changes for road construction, public facilities and other land uses purposes because they are the main drivers of deforestation in the region emitted almost 53 million Ton of CO2 per year. It is realized that there are a lot of challenge appear to be answered by Government and all actors in the region to meets good and benefiting forests governance to the people, states and global interests. 

Understanding the forests development are unique in each region, the Ministry of Forestry introduced and prioritizing forests management units (FMU/KPH) as the forests decentralization management scheme that be designed to bridge such national-local and global gaps. This sites specific scheme are then be formulated to solve the conflicts such as community/indigenous people rights claim over the forests in the region. Papua and West Papua Provinces are then responded this by designing 77 FMU that covers almost 23 million or about 60% of the forests in the island – 12 of which are now have been operationalizing. Recently the FMU policy was expanded to cover all types of forests include conservation which means about 80% of the Papua forests are potentially to be managed under FMU scheme. It is just one of several option on climate change mitigation and adaptation locus on the region. Another sustainability land uses and forests development practices outside of FMU are also crucial to gets special attention such as energy and agriculture sectors.

In the complexity problem of activities on the Ground, the forestry actors are now become panics and not comfortably working in the transition phase of Law No 23 of 2014 implementation. The law has clearly mentioning forestry in the ‘non mandatory responsibilities’ in which the district level forests administrative functions are no longer needed because it is not efficient. All of the asset and program are now moving to the province. Direct consequences will be a problem of services at the districts and willingness of forestry actor to responsible to the program in the region. Which means all low emission development action that working at the provinces are now under provincial responsibility that would high costs because it is centralistic governing. Authority of forests management are in provinces could create interest conflict between Governoord and Head of the Districts.


Political situation in Papua with number of Head of District election happening in 2015 until 2017 are another issues that would significantly influence the ways of land uses and forests development pathway. One risk that each environmental and people based projects intervention would face is where no political and program support from local government authority. REDD and any other locally forests and land development program are enormously influenced by local politics and government program. In cases like Tambrauw West Papua Province all the process are were well and be backed up by the government because the current Bupati’s has good will and concrete political commitment on conservation and rights recognition.

Rabu, 06 April 2016

Yospan – A Dancing in Harmony of Young Papuan


The sky is bright this afternoon in the beautiful sunny day in Manokwari. More than 10 groups of young people and teenager in pair man and women performing a beautiful moves of dancing following the nice local Papua music. Wearing fence and colorful dress they dances across the main of  Sanggeng in Manokwari. Yes, I then realized that they performing “Yospan”.

Yospan is one of the most famous dancing in Papua and are very often been performing almost in all the island. The dance was introduced by Biakness and Yapenness people that describing young people that still looking their girls and boys friend. This is why for Papuan, Yospan is also identic with young and has another call with “Tarian Muda-Mudi” or “the dancing of young people”. It combines the skills of body shaking, hands dancing and variance of move following the variance music tempo. A specific song in Yospan are describing the live scene of all the process on how a young man approaching his targeted young women with many challenges. There is one famous song that I never missed to hear in every Yospan performance I enjoy is “Mas Kawin” or “wedding gift”. It express how expensive are the wedding gift of Papuan women. The songs says that the gift even could be equal with the prices of water-motor-machine and big bulldozer. Hehehe. There are also another kind of song that describing the connection between human and nature.

With more than 250 tribes the Papua island of Indonesia are the home of big diversity of tradition, values, arts, ceremony and ways of expressing the relation. Dancing if one of the people treasure. A lot of traditional dancing with their specific names and meaning representing specific cultural values in the particular tribes. Song and dancing somehow become the tools of unity that bringing people in any relation to be interact in harmony.

Yospan this afternoon in Sanggeng – Manokwari is the yearly event that tourism department conducts in collaboration with all dancing groups in Manokwari. They said this is part of welcoming the joyful April and voicing up peace in Manokwari. I really enjoy this afternoon with this performance and expects that the event could then help increasing the tourism promotion of the city that recently only well known as the Gospel city.  


Video: Street Yospan in Manokwari 


Sabtu, 02 April 2016

Inspiring Story: Baywatch “Pasir Putih” Manokwari


Broom stick, coconuts, inner tube and plastic carpets are the materials in the beach where we can easily know where the white sand (pasir putih) beach guardian is. ‘Decky Kadakolo’ is the man I meant. This Moi Man has moved and live in this place for more than 30 years together with his Mother which originally part of the Doreri tribe those who living and claim the rights over the coast city of Manokwari – West Papua Province of Indonesia. He is the important man behind the comfortable, clean and save of the beach.
Trash is remaining appears be the main problem of management of Pasir Putih as the mass tourism site in Manokwari. It come mostly from the bad garbage management in the city where people are mostly throw their trash in the main roads, small river and bank of the sea. When the rain comes, they are pushed down to the sea and then the wave took into the beaches. Garbage left by the tourist are also then come makes the beach are dirty. Here are the crucial parts of Decky and his groups contributions - spending hours every afternoon to clean the beach and burn the trash. He says “people in the city need wake up and aware that they have done a wrong thing. Together with the government they needs to create a good garbage managements so they not throwing them into the small river, main roads or sea”. People some time don’t aware that they enjoy the beach that covered by urban garbage. 


 
As one of the nearest, beautiful and long white sand beach in Manokwari, this place is always become the main choice of people in the city to spent a holiday, recreation and relaxing. Not less than 1000 peoples are coming to this beach every week. The beautiful sand and low cost are always become reasonable why Pasir Putih are always in the main list of the weekend holiday for young, kids and adults people in Manokwari. Face to face with Mansinam island and the scene of Arfak mountain from the distances are also coloring this beach when the sunny day. But as consequences to be the mass tourism place, making sure that the environment are well maintain, security and comfortable of the tourist are guaranteed should become the main priority to make sure people are enjoying the beach and all economic vehicles are run equally each other. Here are why the roles of Pasir Putih guardian are crucial.




“We believe that the best ways to make Pasir Putih remain the main choice of mass domestic tourism sites in Manokwari is by keep it clean and comfortable for everyone” Decky added. Even though officially the beach has been bought by the government for public facilities but it hasn’t yet well managed. The problems in land tenure claims and un-clear benefit sharing has driven to not clear management of this tourism site. The government has built a good facilities and small houses for trading but it still not occupied. Decky said that the determined renting price is high so they can’t pay for it. The problem of Pasir Putih management are more complicated in the fact that no management unit for the business governance within an institution that having a concrete management agenda on ecological and social business perspective. Every year there is a chance of funding and physical supports that the government provided but it still not well managed. Decky and his colleague are often collecting money from the parking services. Some tourist are often complaining but they said this is the way to keeps the beach clean after visiting hours. The money they collected are using to paying people time in cleaning the beach from the remaining trash in the sand.


Kamis, 31 Maret 2016

Tambrauw Conservation and Customary Right Recognition Drafts Regulation Were Publicly Disccused

About 70 participants representing village leader, customary community groups, district government institution, sub-district chief, resorts police and army commander  joined one full day discussion of two draft of District Regulation about conservation and recognition and protection of customary rights. This two draft are part of the initiative regulation that the parliament of Tambrauw is prioritizing this year to support the political commitment of current Bupati about mainstreaming conservation as the development code and support the protection and recognition customary rights in Tambrauw. On his opening remarks the Bupati of Tambrauw pointed out the real development challenge in Tambrauw is how to put in balance the interests and targets on spatial development, regional and community economic growth, protection the rights of people and sustainable environment. This to regulation are part of his commitment to realize that. Gradually the government and all stakeholders are actualization their commitment on (1) non massive destructive investment such as mining and oilpalm and (2) develop the green investment pilots such as micro hydro for electricity and (3) supports the customary meeting in each sub-districts.
Opening Panel; Photo: Yunus Yumte 

Moderated by the legislative division head in the Tambrauw Parliament Mr. Petrus Yewen the discussion was went well and robust with active comments, inputs, correction and suggestion from the audiences. One keys messages on his speech was "Mainstreaming conservation to realize the objective of protection the forests covers and it natural function is by integrating 'frezzz" academic conservation mainstream into more dynamic and local specific to makes community have a legal certainty to be the main conservation action to their 1,2 million ha of forests and land". Four resources people were includes: Nonette Royo - the Executive Director of Samdhana Institute shared the core thinking of rights recognition and appreciation to the Bupati of Tambrauw, Yunus Yumte showed the indicative mapping results, Yance Arizona from Epistema Institute presented the substance of customary rights recognition regulation draft and Jhony Marwa from Papua State University shared the substance of conservation regulation draft. 

In summary there were 4 points comes up during the review and discussion: 
  1. There are remaining a lot of missing substantial information and data about clans, tribes and family and how their autonomy of rights and decision making are works. Which of the customary structure are holding the basic authority in lands usage? Both facilitator and community representative agreed sharpening the academic script of the regulation that appropriately legally regulate the rights and its elements are the next steps after the discussion. 
  2. Positioning the core intention on recognize, designates and governance among customary knowledge with the official government regulation are crucial to enable conservation and rights recognition pathways could works in the on going development platform be understood and implemented by all the actor  in Tambrauw. 
  3. Reviewing and re-analyzing the substance of conservation regulation drafts that mentioning the legal binding and criminal sanction should be undertaken to make sure that the regulation would not banning community for their illegal activities to fulfill their livelihood needs. 
  4. Concrete supports and sharing resources to supports the improvement draft to the finalization process are important to accelerating the public discussion until legal approval. 
Most of the participants were criticized the content of conservation from the perspective of low conflict and accommodate local development needs and livelihood of community. Make sure that Tambrauw with its vision and regulation are not taking the frozen step in interpreting and implementing conservation are crucial to connects the content of local rights, spatial plan and conservation needs. Keys recommendation as next steps were appeared such as: supports the gradual community meeting in each sub-district discussing the rights and development, continues supports to customary boundary mapping and gradual discussion on the substance of legal draft before legally approval are came up at the ending summary of the meeting.
 


Rabu, 30 Maret 2016

2 Peta Wilayah Adat Indikative Suku di Tambrauw Dipresentasikan ke Pemda

Sausapor, 30 Maret 2016. Menjadi salah satu Narasumber dalam konsultasi publik sehari Naskah Akademis dan Legal Draft PERDA Kabupaten Konservasi dan Perlindungan-Pengakuan Hak Masyarakat Adat, Yunus Yumte - Papua Program Manager the Samdhana Institute memberikan laporan akhir pekerjaan pemetaan wilayah adat Indikative 2 suku di Kabupaten Tambrauw yaitu Suku Miyah dan Suku Abun. Selain ini, hasil pemetaan indikative ini, telah juga membantu wilayah adat Moi Kelim mendapatkan revisi peta wilayah adatnya untuk bagian yang berbatasan dengan suku Abun. Dalam presentasi-nya Yunus mengatakan bahwa "hasil pemetaan Indikative Wilayah adat yang dilakukan secara bersama oleh tim Aka Wuon, UNIPA, WWF, Samdhana Institute dan PEMDA Tambrauw telah memperkuat studi-studi antropologis sebelumnya bahwa kabupaten Tambrauw 100% berada didalam wilayah adat suku-suku yang secara de facto mengklaim hak adat atas ruang dan sumber daya didalamnya". 
Final Draft Peta Indikative WA Suku Miyah Abun dan Moi di Tambrauw 

Abun dan Miyah bersama dengan suku Moi Kelim, Mpur, Ireres dan Biak-Karon secara antropologis membentuk satu kesatuan kekeluargaan dalam adat yang kuat karena terhubung dengan beberapa sejarah seperti pertukaran kain timur, perkembangan pendidikan dan agama serta perkawinan. Tidak hanya dengan suku-suku di Internal Tambrauw hubungan kultur yang kuat juga terjadi antara masyarakat adat di Tambaruaw dengan beberapa suku di Kabupaten Lain yang berbatasan seperti Suku Mare di Kabupaten Maybrat dan Suku Aifat di Kabupaten Maybrat. Secara proporsi wilayah Miyah dan Abun menguasai hampir 60% dari total wilayah administrasi Tambrauw, dimana suku Miyah berdasarkan pemetaan indikatif memiliki luas 209,250 ha dan suku Abun seluas 404,352 ha. Hubungan sosial yang kuat juga ditunjukan dengan bagaimana sebaran marga di kampung-kampung yang secara adat bukan wilayah adat-nya. Mereka tidak hanya tinggal tetapi juga mendapatkan ruang kelola yang terbatas untuk memenuhi kebutuhan hidup-nya. 

Koneksi antara klaim hak, nilai adat dan pola ruang pemanfaatan sumber daya didalam masyarakat adat Abun dan Miyah sangatlah kuat. Hasil pemetaan indikative ini juga telah berhasil menangkap banyak informasi, data dan fakta tentang tempat penting dan pola ruang yang telah tumbuh dan dipegang kuat oleh masyarakat adat di suku Abun dan Miyah. Suku Miyah misalany, berdasarkan hasil pemetaan di temukan pola zonasi seperti: 
-        Hutan: Wiam mase (hutang rimbah), Sre  (sejenis  hutan gambut yang ada di daerah perbukitan   namun daerah ini cukup rata dan luas), ruf (daerah yang sangat rata dan luas),Etiam ( Bekas Kebun yang lama)  Tein ( bekas kebun baru) dan Ora ( daerah perkebunan baru )  adalah tata pembagian ruang berdasarkan fungsi menurut nilai-nilai adat secara turun-temurung oleh suku miyah.
-    Tempat Berburuh: Ramen tempat atau jalan tempat binatang burun bermain, Rmoy dan Fim tempat dimana semua binatang datang meminum air dan mencari makan, Wilayah berburu secara terbatas.
-    Ritus Budaya: Sorwon, Totor, Arbouw, Etkunyah dan emos, adalah wilayah keramat menirut tatanan spiritualitas masyarakat adat suku miyah yang harus dilindungi. 

Sebelumnya, pada tahun 2014/2015, WWF Kantor Sausapor bersama beberapa fasilitator Kampung Suku Abun, telah juga melakukan pemetaan dan kajian tempat penting untuk wilayah disekitar pantai penelurun penyu. Hasil yang sama juga mereka dapatkan bahwa masyaakat adat secara kuat sudah memiliiki Zonasi adat yang apabila di paduserasikan dengan pola dan struktur ruang harusnya bisa menjadi kekuatan pembangunan dan tata kelola konservasi di Tambrauw. 

Dalam point-point penutup-nya, Yunus memberikan rekomendasi bahwa

  • Konsolidasi di tingkat suku dan marga secara berkala dan terstruktur perlu dilakukan secara serius. Langkah-langkah untuk membangun kekuatan kelembagaan adat bisa kemudian dibangun.
  • Mematangkan pemetaan detail tentang tata guna lahan dan ruang dalam upaya untuk pengaturan dan penataan sumber daya alam berkelanjutan berbasis masyarakat harus dilakukan bersama untuk memastikan pengaturan sumber daya alam yang bermartabat dan rendah konflik.
  • Pemetaan wilayah adat di tingkat marga harus dilanjutkan terus untuk mengklarifikasi kepemilikan ruang dan konsolidasi pengaturan pengelolaannya di tengah perkembangan pembangunan yang ada saat ini.
  • Pengembangan peraturan daerah untuk mengakui, melindungi dan menata keberadaan masyarakat adat di Tambrauw menjadi penting untuk dilakukan oleh pemerintah dan legislatif untuk memberikan kepastian hokum bagi masyarakat adat beserta visi dan rencana pengelolaan dan penataan ruang yang dimiliki.
  • Dalam hal tata ruang dan pembangunan konservasi, posisi hak adat bersama dengan tempat penting dan asset sosial masyarakat adat didalamnya harus menjadi komponen data penting dalam penentuan detail pola dan struktur ruang. Langkah ini perlu diambil untuk meminimalisir konflik kepentingan ruang yang mungkin terjadi karena kompleksitas hak dan klaim ruang yang ada di masyarakat saat ini.
  • Membangun system administrasi untuk fasilitasi identifikasi, inventarisasi, pendataan, pendaftaran sampai dengan instrument pengaturan ruang menjadi penting untuk dimiliki pemerintah daerah dalam rangka resolusi konflik ruang. Serta memberikan ruang legal arbetrasi bagi masyarakat untuk mendapatkan layanan hukum dan administrasi terhadap objek hak yang dimiliki.


Rabu, 23 Maret 2016

Alarm....... Manokwari Darurat Sampah.................

"Menjaga kebersihan dan kepedulian terhadap lingkungan selalu mudah dimasukan menjadi slogan dalam gaung megah-nya program pembangunan, tetapi tidak mudah untuk di implementasikan ternyata. Kira-kira kapan kita akan betul-betul sadar akan pentingnya menjaga lingkungan yang bersih?"

Sore itu hujan tidak terlalu deras, mendung kabut dan jalanan agak padat di Kota Manokwari - Papua Barat dengan hiruk pikuk lalu lalang kendaraan. Perjalanan saya dari Amban yang tadinya akan menuju Cafe Calais di Jalan Borobudur pun kemudian berubahan menjadi sebuah perjalanan photo sore. Kali ini object yang menjadi perhatian saya adalah 'sampah'. Sampah dalam tulisan ini mengandung pengertian adalah material sisa dari manusia yang berbentuk padat umumnya didonimasi oleh limbah rumah tangga, bahan plastik dan material sisa berwujud padat lainnya. Yang material-material ini yang terus mengganggu indahnya kota Manokwari dan juga menggangu perjalanan saya hari ini. Saya pun memutuskan untuk terus melakukan perjalanan menuju pasar sanggeng yang setiap minggu-nya saya pun membuang sampah rumah tangga kami - itupun karena disitu ada bak sampah milik pemerintah yang kata-nya selalu rutin diantar ke TPA (tempat pembuangan akhir).

Singkat kata, singkat cerita, dalam photo session sore ini, saya mengabadikan potret-potret sedih kota Manokwari yang alam dan keindahannya betul-betul dikotori oleh masyarakatnya sendiri. Jejeran sampah yang saya potret mulai dari jalan Makalo-Amban, Makalo - Sanggeng sampai dengan Pasar Wosi dan Pantai di Pasar wosi merupakan potret lingkungan yang kotor akibat ketidakpedulian kita terhadap nilai keindahan dan kesehatan lingkungan yang kita tinggali. Ya.... Lihat saja photo pertama ini yang merupakan potrets yang saya ambil di Sungai kecil yang melintas dari dalam SMP N 3 menuju Borobudur, bagaimana tumpukan sampah botoh, sampah rumah tangga dan sampah-sampah padat lainnya sudah mencemari sungai dan menutup arus aliran airnya.
Gambar 1. Tumpukan sampah di Kali Kecil dekat jl. Borobudur Manokwari.

Menariknya sebagian besar dari penduduk disekitar sungai ini masih menggantungkan kebutuhan air bersih untuk masak, mencuci dan mandi dari sumur-sumur bor/galian yang sudah bisa kita bayangkan kira-kira gimana kualitas airnya apabila aliran permukaannya sudah kotor seperti ini?

Saya pun melanjukan perjalanan saya menuju Pasar Sanggeng. Ya, yang saya sini salah satu lokasi yang selalu menjadi tempat buangan akhir, karena ada bak sampah disitu. Saya pun sejak akhir tahun 2014 selalu membuang sampai di tempat ini. Sebelumnya jujur saya pun buang sampah-nya di bak-bak umum bahkan pernah dengan sangat merasa berdosa harus membuangnya ke Jalan malam-malam. Ya, itu harus dilakukan dari pada sampah menumpuk dirumah makin membuat saya dan keluarga terganggu kesehatanya.

Sanggeng juga adalah pasar yang menjual sayuran segar, ikan dan kebutuhan pokok lainnya untuk penduduk kota manokwari. Bersama dengan pasar wosi, keberadaannya sangat memegang kendali utama perekonomian masyarakat lokal di Manokwari. Tetapi nampaknya pengaruh-nya secara ekonomi tersebut juga membuat tempat ini menjadi lumbung pembuangan sampah. Lihat saja gambar 2 dibawah ini, Tampilan selokan besar disamping pasar sanggeng yang harus-nya bersih karena saluran buangan air menuju laut, tetapi sekarang pemandangan kumuh dan kotor-nya sangat menggagu dan sangat mengganggu mud berbelanja sayuran segera yang dijual mama-mama di pasar sanggeng, Uniknya sepanjang saluran ini berjejer ratusan bangunan megah yang kalau dilihat saluran pembuangannya juga menuju ke selokan ini. Coba lihat gambar 3 dibawah.

Gambar 2, Tumpukan sampah di saluran sungai-selokan samping Pasar Sanggeng

Gambar 3. Saluran air di samping pasar Sanggeng. Tampilan satu bak sampah yang di Pasar Sanggeng
Sedih bukan? Ketidakpedulian yang disengaja, entah apa yang sebenarnya dipikirkan orang pemerintah bersama warga tentang sampah, Sudah jelas-jelas ini persoalan serius, tetapi masih tetap diabaikan. Pasar, jalan, saluran air dan laut yang seharusnya menjadi tempat-tempat penting bagi publik berubah menjadi tempat pembuangan sampah yang tidak dikelola dan dibiarkan menjadi kotoran dan sumber penyakit.

Laut sudah pasti menjadi perhatian saya yang lain. Mulai dari penampakan pantai pasar Wosi sampai dampaknya ke Pantai Pasir Putih yang setiap minggu-nya menjadi pilihan utama masyarakat manokwari untuk berlibur, rekreasi, bercengkrama dengan keluaga melepas penat-nya kesibukan pekerjaan. Laut yang juga mensupply protein bagi kita pun ikut tercemar berbagai bentuk sampah yang dibuang. Lihat saja gambar 4 dan 5 dibawah. Gambar 4 adalah potret kotor pantai di pasar Wosi, sedangkan gambar 5 adalah potret pilu pantai pasir putih yang selalu menerima dampak dari kotor dan buruknya rasa empati terhadap lingkungan dengan membuang sampah disembarang tempat.

Gambar 4. Pantai pasar wosi yang indah sebelumnya, berubah menjadi gudang sampah yang kemudian dibawa obak ke laut dan mengotori laut.

Gambar 5. Serakan sampah di pantai pasir putih yang dibawa ombak dari pembuangan di kota.

Kira-kira bagaimana Manokwari bisa keluar dari persoalan ini? Bagaiman agar tugu Adipura yang baru saja selesai pembangunannya didepan Kantor Kejaksaan Tinggi Manokwari - Polda Papua Barat itu bisa benar-benar layak berdiri sebagai wujud penghargaan terhadap upaya manokwari menjaga kebersihan kota-nya? Siapa yang harus bertanggung jawab terhadap urusan sampah ini? Bagaimana warga juga bisa berkontribusi dalam menjaga kebersihan kota Manokwari? Apa saja sich kendala-kendala sehingga pengelolaan sampah tidak bagus-bagus juga? Mau sampai kapan sech persoalan-persoalan ini dibiarkan? Haruskah sampai ditemukan kasus besar dan masal akibat sampah baru kita sadar dan menyesalinya? Saya kira pertanyaan-pertanyaan ini bersama dengan pertanyaan lain yang mungkin muncul dikepala2 kita adalah pertanyaan penting yang harus dijawab untuk membangun Manokwari menjadi kota sehat melengkapi gaung-nya sebagai Kota Injil,



Minggu, 20 Maret 2016

Aliansi Mahasiswa dan Pemuda Adat Papua Barat Tuntut Penetapan PERDASUS PILKADA


Demonstrasi didepan kampung UNIPA-Manokwari, Papua Barat. Photo: Yunus Yumte

Manokwari, 21 Maret 2016. Dari depan gerbang kampus Universitas Negeri Papua Manokwari lebih dari 30 Pemuda dan Mahasiswa yang tergabung dalam Aliansi Mahasiswa dan Pemuda Adat Papua Barat berorasi menyampaikan aspirasinya agar draft PERDASUS tentang Pemilukada (Pemilihan Umum Kepala Daerah) Papua Barat segera ditetapkan. Orasi kemudian dilanjutkan dengan long march menuju Kantor DPR-PB. Tuntutan ini disampaikan kepada DPR Provinsi Papua Barat, MRP-PB, Menteri Dalam Negeri (Mendagri) dan Pemerintah Provinsi Papua Barat. Salah satu orator mempertanyakan dimana draft Naskah Akademis dan Rancangan PERDASUS-nya sebenarnya sudah siap dari tahun 2015? Kenapa masih di tahan-tahan di DPR-PB penetapannya? Padahal seyogya-nya Draft PERDASUS ini sudah harus ditetapkan sebelum proses pendaftaran calon Gubernur Provinsi Papua Barat di laksanakan.

Penetapan Rancangan PERDASUS ini dinilai krusial di suasana kerasnya politik saat ini sebagai wujud implementasi dari UU No 21 Tahun 2001 Tentang Otonomi Khusus Papua pasal 29 yang menyebutkan bahwa hak pemimpin Tanah Papua adalah milik orang asli Papua. Aliansi Pemuda dan Mahasiswa Adat Papua Barat dalam orasi-nya kembali menegaskan bahwa mereka siap memberikan dukungan kepada MRP-PB dan DPRPB dalam percepatan finalisasi sampai penetapan Rancangan PERDASUS ini apabila kendala yang terjadi adalah pada kendala teknis. Mereka juga mengawal para pemimpin politik untuk lebih dewasa menghormati Otonomi Khusus Papua sebagai kekhususan bagi Orang Asli Papua untuk memimpin diata tanah-nya.

Salah satu orator sedang menyampaikan orasi-nya didepan demonstran Aliansi Pemuda dan Mahasiswa Adat Papua Barat. Photo: Yunus Yumte

Rabu, 16 Maret 2016

Mapping Customary Right; for Forests and Land management in Baliem Valley

Timber is the main valuable resource for the community in Baliem Valley, beside for housing and public construction it is also needed for wall in the farm land and fuel-wood for daily livelihood needs. High extraction by the community which mostly illegal even though in their customary territories has implicates to the high degradation in the valley, scarcity of commercial woods and social conflict because of forestry law enforcement. So making the timber would sustainably available for the community and development needs under clear rights protection and legal management scheme, the collaboration of Forestry Department of Jayawijaya District, Yayasan Bina Adat Walesi/YBAW (Local NGO Based in Wamena), Lorentz National Park Management Body and Lembaga Study Pembangunan Kampung/LSPK (local NGO based in Jayapura) are facilitating customary community rights recognition, institutional strengthening and land uses planning. The worked was started in 2010 and now has mapped the boundary of 19 customary community groups and 3 which are now having the land uses and forests development plan.

 Small plots of timber in covers coffee plots in Baliem Valley. Photo: Yunus Yumte

The project was designed to bridge the gaps in the government and the communities about the expected sustainable management of Baliem Valley. For the forestry department and Lorenz National Park Management Units a key problem was the fundamental difference in the way that the national Forestry Department and communities view forest governance: for the forestry department nationally, the lack of proof that communities can manage forests sustainably is reason not to acknowledge customary ownership, whilst for the communities, the question of forest ownership is non-negotiable and is separate from the objectives of quality of the management of forest resources. YBAW also analyzed that the problems of timber management is strongly relates to the economic and social position of the traditional communities of the Baliem. They believe that communities are increasingly marginalized within the economic and political life of the valley, and that the key to asserting influence over the development process is recognition of their land and resource rights and, by association, the traditional leadership and decision making institutions.

Livelihood and landscape assessment conducted by IUCN, Samdhana and Partners in 2008 – 2010 identified the steps forward to dealing with the landscape degradation, community rights and economic development problems. Customary boundary mapping, customary community land uses and forests management plan and legal recognition of rights and its management scheme are the sets of activities been recommended and implementing until now. YBAW with their social expertise been working on social customary boundary mapping, while LSPK then continue it with in-depth social-land-forests data collection until institutional development. Both are backed up with the technical and legal supports from Forestry Department. As a pilot in Witawaya (1 customary group has mapped) a reforestation program been initiated to test the effective implementation of modified customary community groups institution in managing the land forests resources.


Sketching the customary boundary in Social Mapping. Photo: Yunus Yumte

19 customary boundary maps produced. They cover 192,000 ha of forests, land and water body in Belliem Valley or about 65% of total districts areas. The maps had stimulated the discussion at government level to revise the administrative boundary that currently full of conflict. For forestry they helps to appropriately recognize the owner and keys stakeholder they will involving in the forestry program. LSPK with their works in 3 groups of 19 has produced a full sets of basic social-land uses and forests data bases. They have also helps these 3 community in establishing a modified customary institution for effectively manage their resources and socio-communal relation. The recently started reforestation program in Witawaya has plant 5000 seeds of casuarina and will be spread to each community member. A legal draft and academic script of customary right protection and recognition were developed and now ready for further discussion and improvement before it goes for final approval by the parliament.

Government particularly forestry department of Jayawijaya district believes that current collaboration among government, CSO/NGO in Baliem Valley and customary community groups are a great foundation and momentum to move forward with their legal plan on timber plantation. The new established FMU in Baliem will then found easy ways to develop a plan and partnership arrangement with the community. Timber scarcity will then easily to be solved with the customary community reforestation.

Understanding the right, culture, tradition of community and their interaction to natural resource is the best start to create low conflict, legal and sustainable approaches on natural resources management. Because illegal logging is beyond cutting the tree without legal permission. During the projects implementation in Baliem valley we learned that: 


  • Community are mostly needs suitable friends to escape from their social-economic and environment problem. With limited capacity and minimum access to any positive information that could inspire them, a friend they expected should able to fill the gaps they had. Having someone or organization that understand local context with enough capacity to works with community was the project main attention when started. But then we found that most of the partner are also need to develop their capacity to handle all the technical-social and environmental issues they will working with community. So building a training of trainer program are one keys recommendation we should take in the next steps of projects
  • Government are mostly don’t brave enough to take a deeply action to solve the community problem but they do have an intent to do that and would provide a financial support when they see the impacts of the issues been pushing at community. So investing resources and human capacity in several pilot sites should be a priority to build field based evidence in which clarification of customary rights, legal recognition, complete land uses plan and strong customary institution will lead to the legal, benefit and sustainable management of natural resources – include timber
  • Holistic livelihood and landscape development approaches should be applied to bridge the gaps between community and government in the Balliem valley. The ongoing partnership among government-CSO/NGO and community that the project has successfully built should be maintained to the further works. But it is necessary for them to seat and talk about a long term target they will achieve in Baliem Valley though this collaboration.

Technical mapping preparation; develop gps tracking plan for boundary mapping. Photo: Martin Hardiono

Selasa, 15 Maret 2016

Building Synergies to Develop Community Primary Forests Enterprise in Indonesia

Timber harvesting by Esania Community in Kaimana - West Papua Province. Photo: Mnukwar Papua

March 15th 2016, one full day workshop and round table discussion in Hotel Orie Jakarta was organized by Samdhana Institute, AMAN and Rainforests Alliance talked about finding the ways to creates community forests enterprise in Indonesia Natural Forests. Taking cases from Messo-Amarica region such as Guatemala, Mexico and Peru where indigenous community have moving on sustainable, legal and benefits management of their forests resources. The meeting has brought together NGO, Facilitator, community forestry right holders, keys forestry officers and one representative from private sector. They presented three scheme of Indonesia forests management with their progress and challenges. These three schemes are: (1) customary community based timber management in Papua, (2) private forests management - cases from Lampung and (3) village forests- a social forestry program in Riau. Highlighting the importance of community participation in managing their forests resources, mainstreaming business perspective and advocating legal regulation are the cores issues the discussion had.

On his opening speech Abdon Nababan, General Secretary of Indigenous People Archipelago Alliance (AMAN) says that this is remain the big home works for us to show the cases where customary community raise and organize them self to managing their natural forests. He then emphasized that self-reviving means all the projects are getting approval and legal certification not because of money from charity donors but from the money they get from managing their forests resources. Learning from almost 25 years experiences working on this community forestry issues he noted that there are 4 major issues that we should preparing to make the community forests enterprise are working: (1) clarity of land tenure rights over the forests, (2) how institutional development and arrangement are working properly, (3) how to makes sure the current living forests community products are remain a core priority and attention and (4) capacity of the manager and all community member of the economic body on the ground. With currents change in the forests development pathway which taking social forestry as the national development target he encourages all the facilitator, donors and community to strategically looking at this opportunity to bridge the gaps in natural forests community enterprises. Supported Abdon points, Nonette Royo the director of Samdhana Institute says that current changes in Indonesia politics and policies orientation are the opportunity but also the challenges to us. So having a collaboration work to sharing knowledge, skill and resources are the steps we have to counting soon.

Complexity challenges and problems of the community forests enterprises in Indonesia are varying in each region. The participant and resources person pointed out them as follow:
  • Papua is now having a problem in the legal approval of their norms, standard, criteria and indication of customary community based forests management. As addition the limited capacity of the community in understanding the robust technical and business requirement in the CFE and social problem to clarifying and social consolidation among community have put the huge challenges for all forestry actor in the island to make the schemes is working properly
  • Sumatera, Sulawesi, Papua and Kalimantan with their social forestry program such as Village Forests, Community Plantation Forests and Community Forestry are facing the problem in local government commitment and supports from the preparation to the implementation of the scheme. The conflicts of claim and interest on huge money driven development are another issues they been fighting for. Technical capacity and social issues are also emerged together with a markets for forests products they produce from these legal social forestry program.
  • Private forests management. The example from South Konawe in Sulawesi, Kulon Progo in Central Java and GMWT in Lampung have shown that bringing community into real business room is another challenges after a licenses. Institutional arrangement and strong capital to compete with current big business power. They emphasized that working on timber/ forestry business is beyond having a sustainable certificate. Many ghost riders across the long chain of timbers transport and supply are influencing the amount of benefits they received
Despite their complexity of challenges and problems it is acknowledging that demand in timber from community concession are increasing. In Lampung, about 70% of total timber been supplied in the town are harvested from community concession. With it legal problem the un-planned logging in the Biak Island has contribute to 90% of timber needs in the city. These facts have previously confirmed in the 2006 report by Dudung Darusman (Forests Economic Professor in IPB) that the contribution of community forests industry are enormous high in the total timber supply in the country. Where about 39,4million m3 on 1,5 million ha are records as the potency of community timber industry.

Globally there are increasing number of community managed their forests resources. And it mostly successfully maintaining the functions, ensuring the benefit flows and has successfully reducing poverty lines. Indonesia government are also now aware that make forests valuable for the people are by giving them rights and access to manages it. The long history of big logging concession capture the forests resources has left the negative impact from high deforestation and degradation to social conflict in the community. 12,7 million ha for social forestry for example are part of the shift steps to balancing the allocation to community controlled and managed forests resources. Wiratno – the director of social forestry area preparation at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry on his presentation highlighted the current concern on pushing high allocation to community. PIAPS (social forestry indicative maps) are then developed to sets up national optimistic targets for community forestry. Funding, technical capacity and legal support are parts of the efforts the government is consistently will do in the presidential periods. He added there are many challenges needs to be answered to achieve those targets particularly with the increasing demand on non-forestry investment plan such as oil palm and mining that more often influenced policy makers not to support the development of social forestry program in their regions.

Cases from Latin America where local communities in country like Mexixo and Guatemalla have successfully manage their natural forests provides a good learning sites for Indigenous communities in Indonesia. In the Maya Biosphere Reserve of Guatemala, for example, nine community concessions co-manage more than 400,000 hectares of highly commercially valuable forest. Development of enterprises among these concessions has resulted in timber and non-timber forest product sales of around $10 million annually, generating thousands of jobs and financing investment in local infrastructure and social development. Significantly, over the last 15 years, deforestation rates in concessions have been significantly lower than in adjacent “core zone” protected forest says Ben Hodgdon – from Rain Forests Alliance. He underlying the challenges been facing in Indonesia are also same with what they have in latin America. Having a community consensus and consolidation to works together within good institutional arrangement are the keys in community forests enterprises.


Connecting resources and facilitator across the archipelago to supports emerge initiative at the community to take control over their forests are an important step to take. Focusing on create one good models on primary forests should be emphasized now. Learning from other country experiences with the same cases are to fulfill the gaps we don’t have in Indonesia. Bani Susilo as a representative of private sector in Papua noted that in cases like Papua, the challenge is to make sure that in the beginning of 2 – 3 years, community forests enterprises program are survives and could do good business arrangement even though they only reach local markets.

Timber measurement by the community in Esania - Kaimana West Papua. Photo: Mnukwar-Papua