Life at WRI Indonesia

Exploring creativity in finding new ideas is quite challenging for the communications team in the midst of a pandemic situation like today, especially to explore ideas and creativity for WRI Indonesia's digital content. #CeritaKita was developed to share experiences, actions, and perspectives on the relationship between humans and nature to inspire more people to feel close, care for, and build a better earth.

COVID-19 has changed our daily life, including how we work at WRI Indonesia. With all the limitations to prevent the spread of coronavirus, we have to change offline events into online meetings. Before the pandemic, WRI Riau office assists community in more than 10 villages, including smallholder farmers and indigenous community who lives around the forest. In the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, we need to adjust our way of work to make sure our assistance continue.

At WRI, where advancing sustainable development is our purpose, love isn’t often expressed orally or in writing, but everyone showed it in action. Our hearts are dedicated to serving Indonesia in its war against the climate crisis - despite knowing we may fail. Because it is still better to have loved the Earth and lost this war, than to never love it at all.

People usually associate communications with the sole activities of interacting with people or delivering information. Those are certainly part of communications, but there is always a thought process behind those activities. Communications is a science.

The ongoing pandemic has shifted the way WRI does its mission and how I personally live. We are lucky enough to have most of our operations intact, teams functioning and near-zero health cases. Organization-wise, we feel good, but personally, how do I really feel?

Growing up in times when climate change arises and environmental problems such as floods, over-polluted air, and droughts have begun to escalate have propelled Ines Ayostina, one of WRI Indonesia's young researcher from Wahana Riset Indonesia program, to work in the environment sector.

To make sure the goals are achieved, development programs should be based on the real situation on the ground, which include the physical, social, economy, and culture condition of local community. A participatory mapping method is a way for local community to take part and use their knowledge for the development planning of their home.

The experience of Dwiki Ridhwan, WRI Indonesia' GIS expert in Riau, who tries to get to know the forest which may be gone in a blink of an eye.

We cannot deny that forest fires are still happening today. However, we should also see responsible farmers who care about the environment. This article written by Thontowi Suhada will focus on these farmers in two regencies in Riau who are trying to be more responsible.

Forests are complex places that attract an intertwining network of positive and negative forces. Indonesia is a place that knows this all too well with its incredible expanse of rainforests being both a place of immense life and horrifying destruction.