Bali Towards Community Resilience

Hunger is happening all over the world as the COVID-19 virus develops from early 2020. According to an analysis of the World Food Program, as many as 41 million people are hungry. Over the years, hunger in the world has continued to increase, especially in developing countries with high poverty levels. At the same time, droughts and floods occur in most areas due to climate change.

Celebrating IDEP’s anniversary in Kulidan Kitchen & Space, Sukawati, Gianyar, Sunday, May 15, 2022 (Photo: Dewa Wira)

Director of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Dwikorita Karnawati, revealed, "This is something we need to be aware of together; that global warming must be immediately mitigated. Global warming continues to increase and accelerate so fast that countries cannot respond to this problem, especially when the world is facing a pandemic. Like Tropical Cyclone Seroja that hit Indonesia, East Nusa Tenggara to be exact, in 2021. Tropical Cyclones may become a regular phenomenon yearly and become more dangerous."

Even though disasters keep coming and the pandemic still haunts, development projects continue, even encroaching on conservation areas. In Bali, the Gilimanuk-Mengwi toll road project took place during the pandemic and took up agricultural areas, protected forests, and the West Bali National Park. Then in other areas, such as Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua, they have become targets for food estate mega-project, which are part of the national strategic plan. This program has been going on since the New Order era. According to WRI Indonesia, Indonesia has tried food estates many times, but they often fail to make land-use effective. Apart from being ineffective, food estates threaten the sustainability of the earth's biodiversity and the environment.

An alternative to overcome the food and climate crisis is a food forest. IDEP applies this concept as a response to the current environmental crisis. "With the Permaculture approach, we are currently working on a model for this food forest project in Banjar Bukit Sari, Sumberklampok Village, Buleleng," said Edward Angimoy, Coordinator of Resource Development from the IDEP Foundation.

Edward Angimoy explain about background of Community Resilience Week in Kubu Kopi, Denpasar, Monday, May 9, 2022 (Photo: Dewa Wira)

Food forests offer sustainable forms, are ecologically oriented, and are in favor of the community. Food sovereignty can certainly be achieved when the community has control over the means of production and land. Edward added, "Food sovereignty is important because citizens are sovereign to determine the production, distribution, and consumption of food locally, independently, and sustainably. The goal is clear so that community avoids food crisis."

Realizing food sovereignty is an achievement that IDEP has been pursuing for almost 23 years. Through a permaculture approach, IDEP began to assist the community in becoming more resilient and independent. "During that time, IDEP tried to produce as many models as possible that could provide a real picture for the community about the benefits of being resilient and how to get there," said Edward at the IDEP Press Conference held on May 9, 2022, in Kubu Kopi, Denpasar.

Photo exhibition about IDEP journey of 23rd years

IDEP's models for Community Resilience are also shown in a series of activities that last for a week. Community Resilience Week will be a vehicle for IDEP and various parties to present models of resilient communities that can also be replicated according to the needs of each region's local conditions.

During the week, there will be various activities, including Webinar Series: Indonesian Permaculture, which will be held starting on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, with the theme Community Resilience Model; Thursday, May 11, 2022, discusses Sustainable Architecture and Appropriate Technology for Community Resilience; Friday, May 12, 2022, webinar with the theme Permaculture Principles in Sustainable Farming for Food Sovereignty; and finally on Saturday, May 14, 2022, the topic is Caring for Local Knowledge, Caring for Relationships with Nature.

Social Project Competition participant was presenting their project (Photo: Dewa Wira)

In addition, IDEP will also plant trees with the community at the food forest location in Sumberklampok – an area adjacent to a protected forest. Next will be the Pasar Rakyat which will take place online – across IDEP social media – and offline – Kulidan Kitchen & Space. The People'sPeople's Market will showcase the products of IDEP-assisted farmers and partners – SMEs & home industries – that apply permaculture components.

Community Market in Community Resilience Week event (Photo: Dewa Wira)

Then there will be an exhibition displaying IDEP's 23-year journey documentation. This exhibition will be in online and offline spaces so that anyone can see the process and dynamics of IDEP so far.

The Community Resilience Week's highlight will include a series of workshops, including Vegetable Plant Nursery; Processing of Fruit into Fruit Jam; Household Scale Compost Processing; Natural Dyes Manufacture; and Processing Plastic Waste Into Ecobricks. This activity is also expected to be sustainable, inspiring, and can be implemented daily.

Workshop to make natural tie dye in Community Resilience Week (Photo: Dewa Wira)

The ceremony, which will take place on Sunday, May 15, 2022, will also feature presentations on social project work from the community and students who were selected from the selection process for the competition that took place during Community Resilience Week. Then, there will be a Book Review and an IDEP Soft-Launching Book entitled Permaculture in the Tropics. The series of events culminated with entertainment from musicians and artists who supported environmental and community-oriented activities. Then the discussion continued with Screening Documentary Movie Lokawana, which will discuss the ecological crisis in Bali.

Book review with permaculture practitioners and expert (Photo: Dewa Wira)

Apart from IDEP, various communities, public figures, artists, organizations, and many more will complete the vision toward community resilience in Indonesia. These series also "aim to bring together the community and initiate the Indonesian Permaculture National Network," said Sri Handayani, Support Coordinator of the IDEP Foundation. He added that "IDEP also involves various partners to strengthen relationships and share experiences with assisted communities, colleagues, networks, supporters, and volunteers."

IDEP team in Community Resilience Week (Photo: Dewa Wira)

Community Resilience Week which will take place from May 9 to May 15, 2022, is a start and a form of experimentation with IDEP and other communities toward community resilience. " We hope this Community Resilience Week will become a liaison between the community, civil organizations, government, educational institutions, private sector, and all parties who have the same hope, namely to become a Community Resilience together. Networking is the key to expanding the movement that the Community Resilience is not impossible to do together," concluded Edward Angimoy. (Gd)