AMBUNU COMMUNITY FORUM OF CENTRAL SULAWESI UNITES TO DEFEND ITS LAND RIGHTS FROM THE ANCAMAN NIKEL

The community of Ambunu Village, Morowali, Central Sulawesi, has long been in dispute with a private company operating in nickel mining and renewable energy supply. The international company once claimed the road used for its operations was legally owned by the company, when in fact, it was community-managed land. In 2024, the community protested and blocked the company's operational road. This culminated in October 2024 when the company reported five local residents to the police, accusing them of disrupting the company's activities or operations.

Based on this conflict, the Ambunu Village community chose a solution by deepening their Agrarian Reform education to strengthen their organization and advocate for land rights. The training targeted women's groups, youth, and vulnerable groups within the Ambunu United People's Forum. Through the True Agrarian Reform Academy (ARAS) educational program, they successfully integrated three adjacent villages, strengthening inter-village consolidation. The women's group's involvement in the training was also quite active. Youth groups also attended and participated, although their proportion was still relatively small.

In terms of impact, the Agrarian Reform education program has had direct implications for Ambunu Village, particularly in providing clearer information and a more targeted campaign strategy to highlight the negative impacts of nickel mining operations on the environment and land grabbing. This initiative has directly impacted efforts and strategies to protect 1.682 hectares of land and affected 943 people, including 353 men, 354 women, and 236 youth.