SETAPAK ISSUE NO.2

January

2015NEWS

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The SETAPAK program is a DFID-funded initiative focused on improving forest and land governance in order to reduce emissions from deforestation and peatland degradation and contribute to poverty reduction. To achieve these goals, SETAPAK partnered with national and local NGOs to make concrete contributions to improve transparency, accountability, rule of law and policy in forest and land governance in six Indonesian provinces.

Outlined in this newsletter are some of the recent achievements by SETAPAK’s 37 national and locally based NGO partners. A civil society tool has created a baseline measure of land and forest governance across 16 districts; local governments have been supported to implement the Freedom of Information Act and to support local civil society actors to request information and pursue grievances; corruption cases investigated and violations of laws reported resulting in the cancellation of permits; research has been carried out at the local level on governance issues and media on forest and land issues has increased. Read on for more information about the inspiring work of SETAPAK partners.

ISSUE NO.2

January

2015NEWS

Transparency is a key component of good forest and land governance. Access to accurate and up-to-date information helps citizens to understand how decisions related to forest and land use are made and to ensure their appropriateness. Indonesian Centre for Environmental Law (ICEL) and Seknas Fitra partnered to develop an instrument called the Land and Forest Governance Index (LFGI), which establishes a baseline for tracking four aspects of district governance – transparency, participation, accountability and coordination – in the forestry, mining and plantation sectors. The LFGI provides a useful tool for NGOs to use to design advocacy activities and to provide a basis for informed dialogue with governments to target areas for improvement.

The LFGI produced a baseline (measured out of 100) for the following 16 districts:

The English translation of the first study of nine districts is available for download fromthe Asia Foundation website: http://www.asiafoundation.org/publications/pdf/1441

In 2015 a follow up study will be conducted to measure progress of forest and land governance of all 16 district governments. This will help local CSOs reflect on what governance interventions worked and what strategies are needed to continue to improve governance.

Already NGOs have used the LFGI measures to design strategic advocacy initiatives to improve key areas of land and forest governance. For example, the LFGI findings for Ogan Komering Ilir, South Sumatra identified the need to increase availability of information. WBH used these findings to support the issuing of a district regulation to implement the key requirements in the 2008 Freedom of Information (FoI) Act.

Land and Forest

Governance IndexTransparency

and AccessTo Information

02

100

Kutai Kartanegara

Kapuas Hulu

Muara Enim

Musi Banyuasin

Bulungan

Musi Rawas

Kubu Raya

Malinau

Melawi

Banyuasin

Sintang

Ketapang

Paser

Berau

OKI

Kayong Utara

55.03

27.04

23.21

17.17

16.01

14.67

14.34

12.22

11.8

11.74

11.41

10.3

7.68

7.07

5.3

2.1

The LFGI tool measures transparency based on how easily civil society can access government information deemed public as directed in the FoI Act. CSOs are demanding transparency by submitting information requests for 35 documents of relevance to land and forest governance issues, related to EIA, logging, mining and plantation concessions and local government annual work plans. Where information is not provided within the time the FoI Act allows CSOs pursue grievances using the mechanisms set out in the law.

As more civil society groups demand information and pursue grievances, governments are encouraged to become more transparent. Already NGOs are playing a strong role in increasing demand for public information. In Aceh, MATA pursued information grievances when the Mining and Energy, Forestry and Plantation Agencies failed to provide information requested. The grievances were mediated out of court through the Aceh information commission who facilitated an agreement in MATA’s favour; and the documents requested were provided. To avoid further information grievances, the secretariat of the Aceh provincial government released a circular letter, clarifying the procedures for government agencies to respond to information requests.

In West Kalimantan, when SAMPAN’s request to the Ketapang government was not fulfilled, SAMPAN pursued information grievances through the National Information Commission (as there was no provincial information commission in West Kalimantan). The NIC ruled that mining concession permit maps were not public information. This is problematic as maps are important sources of public information to enable the public to monitor private sector activities, and are relevant to land tenure issues for communities near the concessions. With assistance from Linkar Borneo and Kalimantan Legal Aid Movement (Gerakan Bantuan Hukum Rakyat Kalimantan), SAMPAN challenged the NIC decision through the state administrative court (PTUN) in Pontianak, which ruled in Sampan’s favour – that the mining concession maps were public information and had to be provided by the district Mining Agency to SAMPAN. SAMPAN has since received the mining concession maps from the Ketapang government.

Information accessed through the FoI Act is being used by CSOs for various accountability initiatives, including to review the compliance of land use permits to environmental laws; and analyzing local budget expenditures and revenues with respect to forest and land use issues.

Measuring transparency by

testing access to information

A short film produced by Forest Watch Indonesia highlights the importance of information in dialogue and decisions related to forest and land governance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHXiY_027RY

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CSOs are working to support the implementation of the FoI Act, which outlines steps local governments must follow to ensure citizens’ rights to information. These steps include the formation of Provincial Information Commissions, the designation of local government information officers to respond to information requests, the establishment of standard operating procedures for handling information requests and procedures for handling grievances.

Already, CSO achievements related to implementing the FoI Act include:• In Kubu Raya, Jari supported the drafting of District Head regulation no. 3/2014 about Standard

Operation Procedures for provision of public information (issued 10 February 2014). • In Banyuasin, WBH supported the drafting of decree no. 33/2013 about SOP for provision of

information was issued (issued 5 February 2014). A website was developed by WBH and the PPID on how to access information: www.ppid.banyuasin.go.id

• In Muara Enim, PINUS supported the issuing of District Head regulation No. 45/2014 on work procedures for the management of official documents and information (issued 23 September 2014).

• In OKI, South Sumatra, WBH supported the development of a District Head regulation No. 664/2014 about management and provision of public information by the government (issued 4 September 2014).

• In Aceh Besar district, GeRAK supported the issuing of District Head regulation No. 113/2014 about managing public information. Budget has been allocated for a PPID position, and an SOP

will be issued in future.

Achievements related to

implementing the FoI Act at a

provincial and district level

ISSUE NO.2

January

2015NEWS

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Law Enforcement and Anti-Corruption Initiatives

The SETAPAK program partnered with another Asia Foundation program, ‘Equipping Tomorrow’s Justice Reformers,’ to hold a training on environmental law enforcement in September 2014. The training provided 22 activists skills in basic environmental law enforcement, covering land and forest cases as well as wider environmental issues such as pollution. The training taught about laws and procedures that activists can leverage to have environmental cases heard in courts, including how to define legal standing and how to collect evidence and use advocacy to support litigation and how to engage public interest lawyers. The law enforcement training taught partners how to bring cases through Indonesia’s three court types – civil, criminal or administrative. The SETAPAK program will continue to support law enforcement training in 2015.

Law enforcement training

On 12 June 2014 the anti-corruption working group GeRAK launched a course on mining corruption, to respond to the expansion of mining in Aceh. The mining corruption course material will teach participants about mining governance issues, including regulations, business permit and revenue collection processes, and other aspects of mining with potential for corruption or misuse. Course alumni will put their training to work, to investigate potential cases of corruption and legal violations. Already GeRAK’s desk investigations have identified 65 mining companies that are operating in protected forests, these will be cross-checked with field visits by mining corruption alumni.

GeRAK’s anti-corruption school

Gerak anti-corruption school

ISSUE NO.2

January

2015NEWS

The Gerakan Samarinda Menggugat, a coalition of East Kalimantan NGOs, together with local communities, academics and civil society leaders, made legal history by winning Indonesia’s first environmental civil lawsuit on 16 July 2014. The court case was not a SETAPAK initiative, however its important to share learning’s about this case as it sets a legal precedent for other CSOs to learn from, including the impact roles played by JATAM-BUMI.

The GSM citizen lawsuit took two years of preparation, and involved a series of 26 court trials before a verdict was reached in the Samarinda district court. The court ruled in favour of some of the GSM’s charges; that the local government had been negligent in fulfilling their obligations to create a good and healthy natural environment (set out in the 2009 Environment Law) that had consequently detrimentally impacted the people of Samarinda. The court also ruled that the government must revise public policies about coal mining including: evaluating all coal mining permits that have been allocated, monitoring reclamation and post mining efforts, environmental improvements, strategic efforts in protecting community farming and fishing areas from contamination from coal mining activities. The court also decided that the government had not managed mining permits appropriately.

The GSM opted for a citizen lawsuit over other lawsuit or litigation options. According to JATAM East Kalimantan, a civil lawsuit was the best option as this works to change or reform government policy as opposed to other options, like class action, which is for seeking compensation. The GSM submitted their case to the Samarinda High Court, putting the charges as mismanagement of the city’s environment and posing harm to residents due to unsustainable mining concessions. The GSM brought together 19 plaintiffs, all of whom had been impacted in different ways by mining in and around Samarinda. The plaintiffs included rice and fish farmers whose water sources had been diminished by the impacts of mining, combined with dust and acid levels in water that forced local communities to purchase water to irrigate their crops. They also argued that impacts to diminished soil fertility had reduced their produce yield. Other plaintiffs included university students, academics, private sector workers and religious leaders who had been hindered from accessing their places of work and study due to landslides and flooding that directly followed mining expansion in Samarinda. The constant noise and coal dust from mining operations posed health risks, and unprotected mine sites had caused in eleven deaths by drowning in exposed mining pits filled with water.

Since the July court announcement, the government defendants have lodged an appeal with the High Court of East Kalimantan. The GSM are now working on strengthening their evidence. Many are optimistic that the GSM evidence is strong enough so that the decision is unlikely to be overturned.

Environmental

activists make legal

history: Samarinda

Law Suit (GSM)

Activist’s that supported the GSM have their heads shaved to celebrate the court victoryPhoto: Armin Hari

Members of the GSM hold up briefing papers explaining their 14 demandsPhoto: Armin Hari

06

PT Kallista Alam legal case

On 25 August 2011, the then Governor of Aceh Irwandi Yusuf issued a permit to the company PT Kallista Alam to develop a 1,605 hectare palm oil plantation in the Tripa peat swamp forest, an area which is part of the Leuser Ecosystem. Local NGOs protested the permit, and sent a letter to the Governor demanding the permit be withdrawn as it violated a national law that protects the Leuser Ecosystem and other areas of environmental importance, as well as former President SBY’s national moratorium on allocating new permits in primary forests and peatland areas. Environmental groups also demanded the Ministry of Environment (MoE) investigate the issue. The MoE investigated formally in May 2012, and found that the company had been clearing forests in the Tripa area for 10 months prior to receiving the permit.

When the permit was not revoked, WALHI Aceh pursued a lawsuit to the Medan State Administrative High Court, where the court ruled in WALHI’s favour – finding the issuance of the permit was a legal violation and that the company owned at least one illegal permit. The court ordered the new Governor of Aceh, Zaini Abdullah, to cancel the illegally issued permit.

On 27 September 2012, the permit was withdrawn by the new Aceh Governor, who released a letter stating that 1,605 hectares of the Tripa swamp area would become a managed protected area. PT Kallista Alam appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which was later rejected, upholding the Medan State Administrative High Court’s decision and order that the new Governor revoke the permit.

A second set of proceedings took place on 8 November 2012, when the MOE filed civil and criminal lawsuits against PT Kallista Alam through the District Court of Meulaboh. The charges were illegal clearing of peatlands by burning and causing environmental damage in the Tripa peat swamp forest. A series of court hearings and mediations were held, with the court handing down its final ruling on 1 January 2014. The company was found guilty of illegally clearing peatland forest by burning within the protected Tripa peat swamp in violation of the national law 32/2009 on Environmental Protection and Management. PT Kallista Alam was fined $31 million (Rp 362 billion) for environmental destruction and damage recovery costs.

Most recently, PT Kallista Alam filed an appeal with the Supreme Court on 6 October 2014, claiming the initial case was invalid as it failed to include all relevant parties as defendants, including the governor of Aceh for issuing the permit in 2011. PT Kallista Alam also disputed the amount of land the lawsuit claims they deforested - 1000 ha. This appeal case is yet to be settled.

Other examples of litigation cases – historic ruling of Tripa swamp case(PT Kallista Alam)

Another example of litigation used by environment NGOs is the lawsuit WALHI submitted against palm oil company PT Kallista Alam and the Governor of Aceh, Irwandi Yusuf, for issuing permits in areas of protected forest and violating the national moratorium that reinforced protection of primary forests and peatlands. PT Kallista was ordered to pay $31 million (Rp 362 billion), sending a powerful message to companies in Aceh and other parts of Indonesia about the potential consequences of illegally clearing forests or using burning methods. Although not part of the SETAPAK program, this case set an exciting new precedent for Indonesia’s environment movement.

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ISSUE NO.2

January

2015NEWS

As mining expands in Indonesia it is increasingly important to ensure that revenues gained from resources extracted outweigh the environmental and social damages brought by mining. Indonesia is now the world’s highest exporter of thermal coal, and coal mining is expanding quickly in East Kalimantan and other locations across Indonesia. Poor governance means that the process for issuing mining permits has not adequately considered the environmental or social impacts of mining, at a high cost to local communities.

In an attempt to address violations of mining permits in Indonesia, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) this year has supported a crackdown on the mining sector. According to the KPK, of the 10,857 mining permits (IUP) across Indonesia, only 5,989 have received a clean and clear status – meaning they adhere to requirements concerning forest usage and government revenues. ‘The focus for the KPK is to increase government revenue and avoid revenue leakage’, said Bambang Tjahjono, director of coal business supervision at the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources in an interview.

To evaluate mining permit compliance, the KPK conducted visits to 12 provinces, four of which were SETAPAK regions – Central Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, South Sumatra and West Kalimantan – between February and March 2014. Silvagama accompanied the KPK’s visits to engage provincial and district governments, as part of the KPK team and to facilitate involvement of civil society in the activity. Four of the SETAPAK regions were visited. The KPK found from their visits to 12 provinces, more than 4,500 mining companies owe the government land rent and royalties of Rp. 5.43 trillion (US$468 million), and recommended governments review or cancel permits that do not meet ‘clean and clear’ status.

As a result of the KPK’s visits, according to the Director General for Minerals and Coal, 265 permits have already cancelled in SETAPAK locations: 17 mining permits were cancelled in Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatra; 85 mining business permits in Morowali, Central Sulawesi; 2 in Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan; 16 in East Kalimantan (5 in Samarinda, 1 in Kukar, 10 in Berau); and 11 in Malinau, and 35 in Bulungan, North Kalimantan. A larger number still are non-clean and clear; the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry have given local administrations until December 2014 to ensure licenses adhere to regulations.

Throughout November the KPK conducted follow up visits to Sulawesi, Sumatra and Kalimantan to check the progress of the recommendations issued earlier in the year. SETAPAK NGO partners used this opportunity to communicate with governments and the KPK, producing policy briefs and infographics on how to improve mining processes, including ensuring that permits work as they should to ensure environmental laws are adhered to, that revenues are collected from resources extracted, that post-mining clean up and land rehabilitation is monitored. Initiatives to push for improvements to mining are continuing, most recently ICW activist Emerson Yuntho alongside a group of NGOs met with the New Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar to discuss corruption issues in the forestry sector. Partners in West Kalimantan are working on a similar initiative for the KPK to focus on governance issues in the palm oil sector in 2015.

Coal Corruption The Corruption Eradication

Commission cracks down

on corruption in coal

and mineral mining

Samarinda’s Mahakam River busy with coal bargesPhoto: Armin Hari

Emerson Yuntho from ICW discusses forest corruption with Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Minister of Environment and Forestry

08

To provide a mechanism to address violations by the mining sector in Central Sulawesi, the KPPA has established natural resources complaints posts in eight villages in the districts of Donggala and Parigi Moutong, areas affected by poorly regulated mining. Reports of legal violations and illegal activity will be reported through these complaints posts. All eight of these complaints posts are now active, operating out of the houses of community members who have received para-legal training. The complaints posts are open to receive any legal complaints, including related to land use conflicts. Where these cases cannot be resolved at the complaints post, they are pursued to the legal aid body (LBH) in Donggala for further legal advice.

A coalition of NGOs lead by BUMI/JATAM, including AMAN, Pokja 30, Prakarsa Borneo and Walhi East Kalimantan, have established a complaints post in East Kalimantan. Already since its initiation 16 cases have been reported, including cases of 8 children who had drowned in abandoned mining holes between 2011-2014, and a number of reports of companies falsifying land certificates, mining illegally in conservation forest areas, not fulfilling reclamation obligations or responding to reports of human rights violations, and a number of cases of destruction of local farmers land and water ways.

Cases reported through the complaints post were submitted by ICW together with community members to the KPK in May 2013. On the 28 October 2014 the KPK begun investigation of a number of these cases, including suspected bribery in the issuing of mining permits (IUP).

On the 29 October 2014, the KPK also began investigating 14 companies suspected of illegally mining coal in the Bukit Soeharto Nature Reserve, an area of conservation forest in East Kalimantan, also reported through the Jatam complaints post. The total amount of state loss due to lost revenues from the five years these companies have been mining illegally has been estimated at to Rp. 17 trillion ($1.38 billion).

Initiatives To ReportViolations of Environmental Laws Coalition group tracks

complaints in East Kalimantan

KPPA setting up

complaints posts in

Central Sulawesi

Illegal oil palm plantation in Sumatra, IndonesiaPhoto: Rhett Butler

ISSUE NO.2

January

2015NEWS

Forest and Land Use MonitoringSilvagama monitoring

forest and land use

violations

CSOs are playing important roles in monitoring the effect of land based industry on forest and peatlands, including ensuring that laws and regulations in place to protect the environment and communities are adhered to and enforced, and that revenues from extractives and land based industries are collected and distributed equitably.

To strengthen access to information and law enforcement in forestry, the KPK has developed an initiative called ‘Indonesia Monitors the Forest’ (Indonesia Memantau Hutan), in collaboration with Silvagama. This initiative consists of regional outposts in West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan and South Sumatra for collecting forest-related information and submitting reports of infractions. Moderators compile and verify spatial data, which is then fed into the KPK’s IMH database (www.kpk.go.id/imh).

SAMPAN using online

tools to report

violations in

West Kalimantan

Muhammadiyah launch

complaints posts in

Central Sulawesi, East

Kalimantan and South

Sumatra

Muhammadiyah, one of the largest Muslim-based organisations in Indonesia, have developed a complaints post to track and investigate violations in the forest and land sector in three SETAPAK provinces. Complaints will be investigated and reported to the relevant law enforcement body or the KPK. In October 2014 Muhammadiyah provided training to activists from South Sumatra, East Kalimantan and Central Sulawesi on how to identify violations and respond to complaints. Following the training complaints posts are now being established, to operate out of Muhammadiyah’s provincial branch offices in the three regions. Muhammadiyah’s complaints post will work alongside the Jatam complaints posts in East Kalimantan, and the KPPA Coalition in Central Kalimantan. Jatam and KPPA Coalitions will use their expertise to help Muhammadiyah investigate mining related complaints.

Sampan have an online portal for reporting forest and land violations in West Kalimantan. The website uses an anonymous SMS gateway to report complaints. An administrator reviews then posts SMS on the website portal (http://www.pantautambang.org/). Users can also upload videos, photos and other evidence of forest and land violations on the site. SAMPAN staff have already conducted investigations to verify cases reported, including a community report from the Sekucing Labai village that a bauxite mining company has violated its permit by operating outside its concession area. SAMPAN investigated with local communities and are awaiting legal advice to pursue these violations further.

10

Permits are an important governance mechanism to ensure that companies adhere to legal requirements, and that revenues are collected from extractive and land based industries. ICEL developed a field investigation tool for field investigators to use to check permit compliance. ICEL trained local partners from Berau, East Kalimantan (Menapak), Malinau, North Kalimantan (PADI), South Sumatra (Walhi SS), Central Sulawesi (CSF), Aceh (MATA and Bytra) and West Kalimantan (Jari) to become field investigators. Trained investigators are using their new permit review skills to investigate permit compliance in their region. The English language version of a permit review study is available for download from the Asia Foundation website: http://www.asiafoundation.org/publications/pdf/1440.

Reviewing land use

permit compliance

Aside from IMH there are a number of online tools that support forest monitoring and track fire burning and environmental legal violations.

Hadi Jatmiko, Director of Walhi South Sumatra, has been using the Global Forest Watch tool to monitor forest and peat fires in South Sumatra over the burning season. ‘The GFW website makes it easy for us to inform the public about areas of forest and land that are burning. Then we analyze to check if the burning areas have the right permits’, said Hadi.

According to Hadi, the GFI website offers complete information about permits on forest areas, including industrial timber plantations (HTI and HPH) and ecological restoration permits, but the still needs updating to be able to analyze palm oil plantations on peat lands areas.

The Global Forest Watch tool is an online forest monitoring system developed by the World Resources Institute that allows people to manage forests. The maps unite satellite technology, open data, and crowdsourcing to produce information about forests. See link http://www.globalforestwatch.org/

Tools for forest monitoring

Trialing forest

monitoring

technology

The SETAPAK program will be supporting the use of remote controlled airplanes, called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), to conduct field monitoring of land use and forest infractions. UAVs are increasingly used for conservation purposes, as they allow for surveying large areas that would be difficult and time consuming to survey on foot. UAVs have cameras and video equipment installed that captures detailed footage of forest and land areas of up to 25 kilometers. Already, SAMPAN in West Kalimantan have been developing skills in assembling UAVs using imported parts, and to monitor land based industry concessions. SAMPAN have provided support to Walhi South Sumatra to use UAVs to gather data to support their advocacy work related to forest fires inside palm oil plantations. In December SETAPAK program in collaboration with SAMPAN will hold a training for an initial group of partners on how to operate UAVs, capture data and analyze maps collected. In 2015 other partners will be supported to use UAVs for land and forest monitoring as we learn from these pilot initiatives.Walhi South Sumatra use UAVs to monitor burning in palm oil concession areas

SETAPAK, together with Epistema Institute, funded seven research organisations to conduct research on forest and land governance issues and disseminate their results in the form of a policy brief. The following is an outline of the seven research studies:

• The effectiveness of communication regarding the conservation policy in the heavily forested Kapuas Hulu district in West Kalimantan, by PPKLMB with UNTAN in West Kalimantan. This study found that the Kapuas Hulu conservation policy had not been well communicated to necessary stakeholders. Researchers presented their findings to the district government to recommend improvements to the policy.

• The issues surrounding the borrow-use permit (izin pinjam pakai), a requirement when mining is to take place within the state forest zone, by Prakarsa Borneo in East Kalimantan. There is a lack of clear directives for issuing izin pinjam pakai permits, leading to permits being issued to support the interests of mining companies without community consent. Prakarsa Borneo are working on pushing for further reforms to the permit issuing process to introduce better environmental and social safeguards.

• Engagement of local communities in forest management units (KPH), by the Centre for Social Forestry, in East Kalimantan. This study focused on two villages within the West Berau production KHP to understand relationships between level of forest dependency and forest management. CSF are continuing to work on improving community involvement in KHP management institutions.

• Analysis of agrarian conflicts in Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatra, by Spora Institute in South Sumatra. The study recommended to the district and provincial government measures for reducing the incidences and longevity of conflicts, including increasing detection of conflicts, supporting land use partnership schemes and increasing grievance mechanism for communities to report complaints.

• Analysis of land allocation for local communities in the West Kalimantan spatial plan, by Swandiri Institute in West Kalimantan. The study found that more land has been allocated for forest and land based industries in West Kalimantan than there is actual land area. The Swandiri Institute researchers are part of a coalition working to improve land allocations to increase land allocations to protect community food security in the West Kalimantan spatial plan.

• The effectiveness of community involvement in mangroves forest management in Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan, by PENA in West Kalimantan. The recommendations for approaches to support community based forest management in an area of Kubu Raya were presented to relevant policy makers.

• Analysis of best practice financial management for forest management units in South Sumatra, by Pemali in South Sumatra. Researchers have been working with the Lakitan production forest management unit head to advise on the implementation of a more efficient and transparent financial management system.

These policy briefs are available from SETAPAK: tessa.toumbourou@asiafoundation.org

ISSUE NO.2

January

2015NEWS

Research and Publications

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Land and ForestGovernance in The Media Mongabay Indonesia (mongabay.co.id) is an environmental news service that is working to improve representation of environmental issues Indonesia. Mongabay has expanded its coverage in Indonesia, with new field coordinators in five provinces. These coordinators have been covering stories relating to local NGOs advocacy priorities, including violations of permits, corruption and illegal practices of land based industries, revenue loss issues and many other forest and land governance issues. All NGOs are encouraged to work with the Mongabay field coordinators with suggestions for stories, contact details are set out in the text below:

Mongabay field coordinators also supported environmental educational workshops in East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, South Sumatra and Aceh. Three high school workshops and one photography and writing workshop for university students was held in each province. Students enjoyed learning about environmental issues affecting their region, and schools are interested in engaging further with environmental NGOs on these issues.

Every Tuesday at 5pm, Green Radio broadcasts a radio segment called ‘Jalan SETAPAK’ in Jakarta (89.5 FM), which is simultaneously broadcast to radio stations in the six SETAPAK provinces and in Pekanbaru. The radio stations in each capital city are: Nikoya in Banda Aceh (106 FM), Smart FM in Palembang (101.8 FM), Grass FM in Takaran (106.2 FM), Nebula FM in Palu (101 FM), Radio Kita in Pontianak (87.6 FM), Gema Nirwana in Samarinda (105.1 FM), and Green Radio in Pekanbaru (96.7 FM). National media outlets participated in media briefings covering key forest issues. Green Radio held its first media briefing in Jakarta on the 4 September, which focused on the need for coordination between government and civil society to improve forest governance, with a representative from the Ministry of Forestry presenting the opportunities for the new government administration and CSOs.

Green Radio supported national media outlets to visit sites in Central Sulawesi, to see the impacts of mining on local communities. In September journalists visited Donggala, Central Sulawesi to see the impacts of iron ore and manganese mining on water ways and community health. Journalists also visited Sigi to see local NGO’s progress in securing tenure over a community forest site. Journalists who participated in these field visits produced some media coverage of NGO initiatives, and gave feedback for future visits suggesting that to improve their ability to write good stories, they need richer detail including hard facts to illustrate environmental impacts.

Mongabay regional coordinator teaching high school students in AcehGreen Radio regional coordinator teaching high school studentsabout forest issues in West Kalimantan

AcehChik Rinichikrini72@yahoo.co.id08116803191

East KalimantanPanthom Priyandokopanthom.priyandoko@gmail.com 0811556539

South SumatraTaufik Wijayawijayataufik@gmail.com 082179555256

West KalimantanAndi Fachrizalandifachrizal@gmail.com 08115717778

Central SulawesiChristopel Painochristopelpaino@gmail.com 085256617494

ISSUE NO.2

January

2015NEWS

Indonesia has been called the social media capital of the world – Jakartans alone tweet more than any other city in the world. The Public Virtue Institute (PVI) is leveraging Indonesia’s embrace of social media to promote digital democracy and civil activism. Throughout November and December PVI ran a series of workshops with local partners to develop social media advocacy plans to support partner’s program objectives.

PVI USING SOCIAL MEDIA

to create demand for

good governance

reforms

The second media briefing was held in Jakarta in October 2014, with a focus on issues relating to the Aceh spatial plan. The following week journalists from national news sources were taken to visit a number of locations in Aceh to understand first-hand the environmental issues posed by the provinces’ revised spatial plan which has been critiqued by NGOs for clearing large areas of nationally important forest systems, including the Leuser Ecosystem. Journalists visited Tamiang in Aceh, where Aceh NGO Haka has been working with the local community to remove palm oil plantations illegally planted in the Leuser Ecosystem, to be rehabilitated with natural forest. Journalists also met with members of the Coalition Concerned for Aceh’s Forests (KPHA), a coalition of Aceh NGOs working on improving spatial planning in Aceh.

Journalists learn about a community forest initiative in Sigi.

Journalists attending the September media briefing.

Recent and upcoming events• Indonesia Green Region Award – forest governance award

The Indonesia Green Region Award this year had a category for good forest governance, which on the 22 December 2014 was awarded to the Bojonegoro district, in Bali. This event was hosted by Green Radio, to recognise environmental achievements by district governments.

• Mongabay Readersblog – writing and photography competition Updates to the Mongabay readersblog, and a writing and photography competition for the public, including students who participated in the photography and writing workshops. The competition closed on 10 December 2014, and the winners will be announced on the Mongabay Readersblog: http://www.mongabay.co.id/tatacara-lomba/

• Aceh Documentary Competition – Raising public awareness through filmFilm-making non-profit Aceh Documentary is using film to raise public awareness of the governance issues driving forest loss in Aceh. Aceh Documentary held a competitive documentary competition in October 2014 with a special category on forest issues. Five of the best films in the forest issues category were awarded at the event. Alongside the film awards, ADC will produce films for SETAPAK partners in Aceh, to raise community awareness and build support their advocacy strategies. On 21 November a test screening of the partner’s films was shown in Banda Aceh, and revisions are now being made to produce the final films. These films will be used by Aceh partners as campaign tools.

• Forest Watch Indonesia – book launchForest Watch Indonesia (FWI) on 11 December launched a book titled a ‘Portrait of Indonesia’s Forest Conditions’ (Portret Kondisi Hutan Indonesia) outlining the state of Indonesia’s forest cover and licenses in West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan and South Sumatra. The book will provide a forest and land database, and will include key themes on current forest conditions and status, and includes an album of maps with data related to licensing, including timber production, borrow-to-use permits for forests, and forest boundaries. The book is available on the FWI website: http://fwi.or.id/publikasi/potret-keadaan-hutan-indonesia-periode-2009-201 FWI have produced a short film about Indonesia’s forest cover and conditions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIdFxUHTedM

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The SETAPAK program started in 2011, and has expanded to include 15 national NGO partners and 26 regional NGO partners. The programme covers 26 districts in six provinces: South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi and Aceh.

SETAPAK Locationsand Partner NGOs

ACEH • Aceh Utara• Aceh Barat• Aceh Besar

• Aceh Selatan• Aceh Tamiang

• Pidie

WESTKALIMANTAN

• Kubu Raya• Sintang

• Ketapang• Kapuas Hulu

• Melawi• Kayong Utara

NORTHKALIMANTAN

• Malinau• Bulungan

CENTRALSULAWESI

• Sigi• Donggala

• Parigi Moutong• Morowali

JAKARTA / NATIONAL

SOUTHSUMATRA • Musi Rawas

• Musi Banyuasin• Banyuasin

• Muara Enim• Oki

EASTKALIMANTAN

• Berau• Paser

• Kutai Kartanegara

NATIONAL PARTNER

ICEL

Seknas FITRA

ICW

IPC/FOINI

HUMA

Forest Watch Indonesia

INFID - IWGFF

SILVAGAMA

Public Virtue Institute (PVI)

Impartial Mediators Network (IMN)

Muhammadiyah

Publish What You Pay (PWYP)

Sawit Watch

Green Radio and Mongabay

PROGRAM MANAGER

Henri Subagiyo

Hadi Prayitno

Emerson

Sulastio

Tandiono Bawor Purbaya

Christian Bob Purba

Willem Pattinasarany

Syahrul Fitra

Harits (Jenggots)Anita Wahid

Ahmad Zazali

Budi Nugroho

Agung Budiono

Jopi Teguh Lasmana Peranginangin

Ridzki R. Sigit (Mongabay) Franto Simanjuntak (Green Radio)

EMAIL

henrisubagiyo@yahoo.com

hadi@seknasfitra.org

emerson@antikorupsi.org

sulastio_tio@yahoo.comsulastio.tio@gmail.com

bawor06@yahoo.comn

bob@fwi.or.id

willem@nusa.or.id

fitrasyahrul@gmail.com syahrul@auriga.or.id

jenggot@gmail.comanita.wahid@gmail.com

a.zazali@imenetwork.org

budinh2002@yahoo.com

agungbudion@pwyp-indonesia.org

jopi@sawitwatch.or.id

rrsigit@mongabay.co.idp_franto@yahoo.comfranto@kbr68h.com

Province

South Sumatra

West Kalimantan

East Kalimantan

North Kalimantan

Central Sulawesi

Aceh

Partner Name

WBH

Walhi South Sumatra

PINUS

Gemawan

Titian

Jari

Sampan

STABIL

Menapak

Padi

Prakarsa Borneo

Jatam-Bumi

Aman East Kalimantan

PADI

KPPA

SCF

YTM-Jatam

GERAK

BYTRA

MATA

YKN-ADC

JKMA-KPHA

HAKA

Area worked

Provincial level,Musi Banyuasin, Banyuasin

Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI)

Musi Rawas, Muara Enim

Provincial level, Kapuas Hulu, Kayong Utara

Sintang

Kubu Raya

Melawi, Ketapang

Province level

Berau

Paser

Province level, Paser

Kutai Kertanegara

Province level, Bulungan

Malinau

Province level, Donggala, Parigi Moutong

Province level, Siggi, Donggala

Province level, Morowali

Province level, Aceh Barat, Aceh Selatan, Aceh Besar

Province level, Aceh Utara

Province level

Province level

Aceh Barat, Pidie

Aceh Tamiang

Program Manager

Dedi Permana

Hadi Jatmiko

Rabin

Laili Khairnur

Sulhani

Faisal Riza

Fajri Nailus Subchi

Jufriansyah

Wastaman

Ahmad SJA

Mohammad Nasir

Kahar Al Bahri

Olvy Octavianita Tumbeleka

Ahmad SJA

Sunardi Kattili

Muhamad Subarkah

Syahrudin

Muliyadi

Muhadi

Abdullah AM

Faisal Illias

Zulfikar Arma

Ilyas Isti

Email

deddy.permana@gmail.com0812 8735 776

adi.jatmiko@gmail.com 0812 7312 042

rabin.zainal@gmail.com 0811 718 481

khainur@yahoo.com0813 4522 5232

icunks@gmail.com 0813 4565 0501

ichal_1999@yahoo.com 0813 4542 7059

fajri_nailus@yahoo.com0853 4535 6719

jufriansyah_73@yahoo.co.id0812 5801 198

mamanwstmn@gmail.com0812 5682 6874

amonglumut@gmail.com0812 5326 204

mohamad.nasir73@gmail.com0812 586 1794

timurangin05@yahoo.co.id0813 4790 0913

olvy_tumbelaka@yahoo.com81235500553

amonglumut@gmail.com0812 5326 204

undeng_palu@yahoo.co.id0852 9871 1664

abalantara@yahoo.com / roasulteng@yahoo.com

0813 4136 9841

etal.palu84@gmail.com0852 4119 9222

moelcd@yahoo.co.id0853 6135 4262

muhadi_08@yahoo.co.id85277303060

na_tinta@yahoo.com0812 697 5113

faisal.ilyas10@gmail.com; acehdocumentary@yahoo.com

rotangayo@gmail.com0821 6154 1305

isti_leuser@yahoo.com0852 7716 5086

SETAPAK Local Partner NGOs

ISSUE NO.2

January

2015NEWS

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