IPB Lecturer Hosted the “Inspiring Heroes” Talkshow: How to Save the Earth
Kamar Ijo Community in collaboration with the Blue Lake Community held a talk show entitled Inspiring Heroes: How to Save the Earth. This activity aims to share knowledge and provide insight to the younger generation and layers of society in supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and protecting the earth from the threat of climate change.
The activity was hosted by Osmaleli, SE., M.Si., IPB University lecturer from the Department of Resource and Environmental Economics (ESL), Faculty of Economics and Management (FEM) as well as the Co-Founder of Kamar Ijo Community. The talk show presented two speakers, Rio Ahmad as the Director of Blue Forest Indonesia and Sarah, a young woman as Senior Social Education Lead of the Indonesian Plastic Bag Diet Movement (GIDKP).
According to Rio, Blue Forest Indonesia uses an action research approach and problem-solving process based on the 'local to global to local' paradigm. "We want to improve the socio-economic and ecological resilience of critical watershed systems across the mountains to the sea," he said.
To achieve this mission, Rio continued, Blue Forest Indonesia has objectives including getting to know the community, environmental problems, and the characteristics of watersheds and coastal areas. The foundation also provides practical experience in social, economic and ecological research related to watershed and coastal areas.
"Blue Forest Indonesia also promotes intercultural communication and understanding so as to foster awareness of the global context that departs from local environmental issues and the importance of cultural perspectives in choosing effective problem-solving strategies. Then take local action to improve the social, economic, ecological conditions of watersheds and coastal areas and their communities," Rio added.
Sarah explained that GIDKP is a non-profit organization incorporated as an association that has received various awards for its efforts to realize Indonesia Free of Single-Use Plastic. "By using advocacy, collaboration and education approaches, GIDKP has succeeded in encouraging more than 70 cities/districts to ban the use of single-use plastics," she said.
Various awards that GIDKP has successfully obtained include the Mental Revolution Award from the Government of Indonesia (2019) and the 2018 UN Ocean Hero appreciation from the United Nations (UN). "GIDKP's activities have also been covered in two documentary films, namely The Story of Plastic (2019) which has won Emmy Awards and Plastic Island (2021)," she added.
Osmaleli concluded from the two speakers that the most difficult thing in realizing all the goals that Blue Forest and GIDKP want to achieve is changing people's mindsets and habits to follow every project that has been designed in supporting SDGs and saving the environment.
"Thank you to all the organizers from Kamar Ijo Community and the Blue Lake Community who have taken the time and thought to realize this talk show activity. Thank you to the participants who have enthusiastically participated in this activity until the end. Hopefully we all love and care more about protecting the earth from damage," concluded Osmaleli. (*/Rz) (IAAS/NVA)
