Aim

WRI Indonesia aims to empower youth to become stewards of their environment and catalysts for positive change in their communities.

Where

Six provinces of Tanah Papua

Why

Youth play a critical role in their communities and in the protection and management of natural resources at large. Yet youth are often marginalized and lack proper recognition and inclusion, which is a missed opportunity to advance more sustainable development, harness innovative solutions, and promote equitable and inclusive growth that benefits Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC). As the next generation, youth play an important role in their communities and in the protection and management of natural resources at large. Yet the role of youth is often marginalized and lacks proper recognition and inclusion, which is a missed opportunity to advance more sustainable development, harness innovative solutions, and promote equitable and inclusive growth that benefits IPLC.

Youth are an important source for creativity, and supporting young leaders in the community can help advance sustainable development and drive positive economic and social change in the Papua Region. By investing in their growth, they can address pressing local issues with innovative solutions by utilizing their understanding of cultural nuances, local wisdom, and community needs. They are also crucial in raising awareness about environmental issues and shaping future generations committed to environmental stewardship.

Papuan provinces hold great potential as youthful regions. The former West Papua province has the highest percentage of youth population in Indonesia, with 38% of its population aged 15-34. Papua province ranks sixth highest, with 36% of its population in this age group (BPS Statistics Indonesia, 2020).

However, youth in Regional Papua currently face significant challenges that hinder their ability to drive positive, lasting change for their communities and the environment they grew up in. Key challenges include limited access to quality education, especially in rural areas, pressures to move to cities for better economic opportunities, and often a lack of recognition within their communities that hinders them from their voices to be heard.

Empowering youth to become stewards of their environment and catalysts for positive change in their communities presents a real opportunity. This involves enhancing their access to capacity building initiatives, resources, and networks at local, national, and international levels to empower them to bring in their innovative perspectives and to contribute to the sustainable development dialogue.  

How

In close collaboration with universities and other stakeholders, WRI Indonesia regularly provides capacity building and opportunities for knowledge sharing to young people through various platforms, including:

  • Papuan Leaders Initiative to support young community champions develop sustainable businesses that promote local food and forest conservation  
  • Papua Muda Melangkah, a youth group mentoring initiative that aims to increase knowledge, provide guidance and resources for youth to catalyse environmental and climate movements in their regions.  
  • Regional Papua Learning Hub (“Lingkar Belajar Tanah Papua”) and Jelajah Tanah Papua, knowledge-sharing sessions around specific topics related to Regional Papua
  • GIS Club Tanah Papua, training on spatial analysis methods, mapping and forest monitoring targeted at university students
  • Coaching clinic for training on academic journal writing 

Other Initiatives

Papuan Future Leaders Initiative

Aim

The initiative intends to support nature positive economic development across all six Papuan provinces through capacity building activities. It originated as an initiative under the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) which is focused on the integrated and sustainable transformation of the global food and land use system to support the achievement of global agreements including the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. The aim of the Papuan Future Leaders Initiative is to support aspiring young community leaders develop their sustainable business ideas into sustainable business models as well as raise their awareness and understanding on forest conservation and environmental issues. Special focus is placed on sustainable business ideas that help the preservation of local wisdom and cultural values, especially related to food security.  

Where

  • Manokwari, West Papua Province
  • Jayapura, Papua Province

Why

Indonesian Papua’s rainforest contains the largest remaining tracts of intact rainforest in the Asia-Pacific region and is one of the most bio and culturally diverse places on earth. With 34.9 million hectares of rainforest covering approximately 87% of its land area and about 250 forest dependent indigenous groups, Indonesian Papua is a critical frontier for preservation of the unique environment and local wisdom (Global Forest Watch 2022). However, despite Indonesian Papua having the healthiest environment in the country, its provinces rank among the lowest in Indonesia in terms of Human Development Index (HDI) and high levels of poverty persist among the population (Badan Pusat Statistik, 2022).  

Many young community champions have emerged and started to innovate ideas that improve their community’s resilience and increase livelihoods whilst promoting sustainable practices and preserving the environment. However, they largely lack the support and capacity to reach their full potential. This support gap includes limited access to educational resources, funding, mentorship, and insufficient platforms for their voices and initiatives to be showcased.  

Empowered community champions can mobilize resources, inspire collective action, and build more resilient communities. Nurturing young community leaders and ensuring their active participation in development processes contributes to a more inclusive and sustainable development transition to a nature positive economy in Indonesian Papua.  

How

WRI Indonesia’s regional office in Papua has been dedicated to empowering young community leaders through a series of capacity-building activities aimed at promoting sustainable, locally led business development. In collaboration with several local and national partners, WRI Indonesia hosted a 6-day ‘Papuan Future Leaders Bootcamp’ for a first cohort of promising local leaders. This initiative focused on nurturing business ideas that highlight the importance of indigenous foods and the close connection to forest conservation. Over six days, 24 emerging local champions from all six provinces in Papua received comprehensive training in various aspects of business development, including financial management, marketing, business operations and planning, as well as sustainable practices, local wisdom, and the unique environmental assets of Papua. At the end of the activity the five best groups were selected and received financial further develop their businesses. WRI Indonesia’s regional office in Papua and its partners have since continued to offer ongoing programmatic support to all participants, ensuring sustained guidance and support for their entrepreneurial journeys. The ‘Papuan Future Leaders Bootcamp’ was the first activity as part of a continuous, broader Papuan Future Leaders Initiative.  

Partners

  • Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU)
  • Indonesian Intact Rainforest Partnership (IIRP)
  • Yayasan Ekologi Sahul Lestari (YESL)
  • Perkumpulan LEKAT
  • Apindo
  • Swadaya
  • Papua Jungle Chef
  • Individuals: Usilina Epa

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