Media and outreach

Media, education and outreach

Although focused on the SETAPAK regions, the program’s media, education and outreach initiatives have reached audiences across Indonesia. Through print, video, radio and online services these activities have been building public awareness and civil society support for improved governance in land use and forestry. Face-to-face workshops have also taken advocacy into schools, universities and public forums.

SETAPAK partners Mongabay Indonesia and Green Radio have been working to improve representation of environmental issues in the press and on the airwaves. Mongabay, an environmental news service, has established new field coordinators in five provinces, and its correspondents have produced hundreds of articles about forest and land governance in Indonesian (www.mongabay.co.id) and English (www.mongabay.com). Articles have covered partner priorities, including permit violations, corruption and illegal practices in land based industries, and government revenue losses. Mongabay has also established an active readers’ blog (https://readersblog.mongabay.co.id/).

Green Radio has been producing a weekly environmentally themed radio programme called ‘Jalan SETAPAK’ in Jakarta, which is simultaneously broadcast to radio stations in the SETAPAK regions. Mixing investigative and educational approaches, subjects have included the expansion of palm oil plantations, forest fires, the impacts of mining on local communities, legal matters, and threats to the Leuser Ecosystem.

Media briefings for journalists have also been held in Jakarta focusing on opportunities for improved coordination between government and civil society, and on environmental issues relating to Aceh’s revised spatial plan. Field visits for journalists have been conducted to highlight the environmental impacts of iron ore and manganese mining in Central Sulawesi, and to report on progress in securing tenure over community forest sites. Another field trip to Aceh highlighted issues with the revised spatial plan, and community work to replace a palm oil plantation with forest.

In Indonesia’s busy social media environment, the Public Virtue Institute (PVI) has been promoting civil activism by running a series of workshops covering social media advocacy campaigns, and Aceh Documentary has held a competitive documentary competition with a special category on forest issues. Aceh Documentary is also producing a series of films for SETAPAK partners in Aceh, documenting the issues which each partner is addressing.