PATTIRO together with development partners in Papua who are members of the Judicial Approach in Papua Area (JAiPA) Program, namely the Independent Consultation Foundation for People’s Empowerment (KIPRa), the Limited Association for the Study and Empowerment of Papuan Indigenous Peoples (Pt PPMA), and the Wasur Lestari Papua Foundation (YWLP ) encouraging forest-friendly policies in Papua through a judicial approach (JA). This approach encourages the creation of joint initiatives and solutions with stakeholders in the same jurisdiction to overcome regional problems.
This initiative, which was built on a judicial approach, was developed through the Multi Stakeholder Forum (MSF). On Tuesday and Wednesday (27-28/02/2024), PATTIRO together with Development partners in Papua held a coordination meeting to discuss achievements, challenges and lessons learned while developing and strengthening MSF in Sarmi Regency, Jayapura Regency and Merauke Regency. This meeting was held at the Aston Hotel, Makassar.
During the course of implementing programs and activities, partners have achieved important achievements in carrying out development in Papua. In Sarmi Regency, the KIPRa Foundation together with MSF in Sarmi Regency succeeded in pushing forward the MSF Road Map Draft for Sarmi Regency for 2024-2026. This road map will later become a guide for stakeholders in Sarmi Regency, such as the regional government (Pemda), civil society groups, the private sector and the community in pushing policies related to community development programs in Sarmi Regency.
There are several programs offered in the context of community development in Sarmi Regency, namely natural resource management, community economic development, as well as developing business capacity and product marketing for women’s groups and indigenous communities.
One of the activities that has been carried out in this regard is training in preparing business plans for women’s groups. This training is aimed at groups who are starting a fish floss business, fish leader business, and sago flour business. The Sarmi Regency Government was also present at this activity so that in the future it is hoped that synergy will emerge between the regional government and the community regarding local economic development.
In Jayapura Regency, Pt PMMA succeeded in encouraging the formation of an MSF forum in Jayapura Regency. Structurally, MSF in Jayapura Regency is led by the Head of Bappeda and four working groups, namely environment, RTRW/Spatial Planning, empowerment (economic, socio-cultural, women, health and education), and communication and information. At the same time, Pt PPMA together with the newly formed MSF Jayapura Regency have also encouraged the birth of the MSF Jayapura Road Map for the 2024-2026 Period.
Apart from forming the Jayapura Regency MSF, Pt PPMA together with the Jayapura Regency Government have also drafted a monitoring and evaluation instrument for the utilization of Village Fund Allocations (ADK). Through this instrument, it is hoped that it can help the Jayapura Regency Government in optimizing ADK so that it can have an impact on the community and environmental development at the village level.
In Merauke Regency, YWLP also succeeded in encouraging the formation of the Merauke Regency MSF forum with the name MSF Kitorang Sayang Merauke. Legally, the existence of the Merauke Regency MSF was strengthened by the issuance of Merauke Regent’s Decree Number 100.3.3.2/1895/2023 concerning the Determination of Multi Stakeholder Members of the Kitorang Sayang Merauke Forum in Merauke Regency for the 2023-2026 period.
MSF Merauke Regency focuses on issues of environmental conservation and natural resource management; community empowerment; public service; and information technology. YWLP together with MSF Merauke Regency and the Community Empowerment and Village Government Service (DPMK) have also formulated a proposed Ecology-based Regency Budget Transfer (TAKE) policy. This proposal has received appreciation from the Regent of Merauke and a draft Regent’s Regulation is currently being drafted.
The JAiPA program has also formed a youth forum in Papua, namely Friends of Papua Nature (SAPA). This forum consists of 24 young people from Sarmi Regency, Jayapura Regency and Merauke Regency. In the future, SAPA will be one of the groups involved in MSF membership in these three districts.
Currently SAPA has been active in facilitating the activities of young people in Papua and carrying out various activities related to environmental conservation, such as public environmental protection campaigns on social media, podcast broadcasts with RRI Merauke, planting mangroves, and active in activities in the area such as taking part in the 2024 Wana Rally swamp cross-country competition in Wasur National Park.
Even though various achievements have been achieved, there are several challenges faced during program implementation, such as synchronizing the MSF program in the three districts with the regional government agenda, there are still obstacles in accessing public information, and there is still a bureaucratic culture that is difficult to work with. In the future, this program is expected to strengthen its role in the regions in accordance with the plans that have been prepared.
This meeting also resulted in learning where the political approach to the Acting Regent became significant, in addition to strengthening substantive proposals from the community. Another thing is that dissemination activities are a means for MSF to introduce ideas to the wider public, as well as the importance of strengthening institutions considering that MSF comes from different stakeholders.
