Human Rights, Climate Change, Business and Indigenous Peoples: Food Estate in West Papua and the Impact on the Community

This is the first webinar in a series exploring the impacts of the rapid expansion of Indonesia’s Food Estates strategy in Merauke, West Papua, Indonesia. It will focus on the threats to Indigenous Peoples rights, biodiversity and the environment. The Food Estate strategy involves large scale deforestation and loss of biodiversity. Promoted as necessary for national food security, it conflicts with Indonesia’s international commitments on climate change, biodiversity and human rights. The impacts of deforestation extend beyond Indonesia’s borders, with predictions it will accelerate global climate heating. Concerns have been raised by local communities, national and international NGO’s and UN human rights experts.

This first webinar will build awareness of the Food Estate, its impacts on Indigenous peoples in Merauke, the local and global environment. Future webinars will look at the Food Estate in the context of government and business commitments to climate action, human rights and environment, and the advocacy to defend the forests and its peoples and cultures.

NOTE: At least half an hour will be allocated for questions and answers, and comments. Through the webinar, and after, useful links will be shared.

Speakers

Laksmi A. Savitri, Ph.D., is a social anthropologist and agrarian activist in Indonesia. She has a PhD from Kassel University, Germany. She currently serves as a board member of the Pusaka Bentala Rakyat Foundation.

Dr. Budi Hernawan is a human rights advocate and senior lecturer at the Driyarkara School of Philosophy in Indonesia. He has long studied the conflict and human rights violations in West Papua, highlighting their deep ties to Indonesia's political, economic, and military elites.

This webinar will be in English and it will be moderated by DTP alumnus, Eko Waluyo, National Coordinator of Indonesian Solidarity, a Sydney-based human rights NGO promoting awareness of human rights issues in Indonesia to the Australian public.

The webinar is being hosted by the Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) and its Indonesian Alumni Network.