Baruga Tani: Building Solidarity and Advocacy for Agrarian Reform in Nepo Bila Village, South Sulawesi

Baruga tani is one of the important facilities for farmer organizations in Nepo Village, Barru Regency and Bila Village, Soppeng Regency, South Sulawesi. Baruga is used as an education center, a gathering point and meeting place for farmers to discuss various problems faced, ranging from those related to social, economic, cultural life, to the struggle to obtain land rights.

The presence of the farmer's baruga as a center for learning, association and struggle is the first step in strengthening the institution of farmer organizations and the capacity of farmer union members. Here farmers can pour out all their thoughts and develop together for mutual progress. Previously, PPSS has carried out several Baruga Tani developments in several village/sub-district levels in 3 districts, including East Luwu, Gowa, and Soppeng by means of mutual cooperation for the progress of farmer organizations that are aspired to in the struggle for land rights.

With the support of the Nusantara Fund Direct Funding, two Baruga Tani were built in two assisted base areas. The construction of the Baruga Tani in Nepo Village was driven by a farmer organization member of PPSS, namely the Nepo Village Young Farmers Union, the building measuring 6 x 9 meters is located on land owned by one of the PPSS members.

The construction of the farmer's barracks in Bila Village was also driven by the farmer organization of PPSS members, the Bila Soppeng Farmers Association. The construction process of the barracks in Bila Village was carried out by continuing the construction of the barracks that had previously been carried out by Bila farmers independently and cooperatively. The 6 x 12 meter building was named the Llatemmamala Farmers' Barracks.

These two Baruga Tani are also used by the villagers, totaling 648 men and 352 women, to gather and discuss agendas related to common interests for the village. So far, the residents of the two villages tend to solve social problems individually or on their own. The existence of Baruga Tani can strengthen relations and solidarity in the village, becoming a social glue to build awareness among residents about the importance of organizing. The importance of Baruga Tani lies not only in its physical form as a gathering place, but also as a symbol of the return of organizational culture and the belief that farmers are capable of making sustainable socio-economic changes.

In addition, increasing capacity in conducting advocacy and understanding the urgency of true agrarian reform was sharpened through True Agrarian Reform Academy (ARAS) Education and Advocacy Training, which was attended by a total of 62 participants. 

Advocacy training was held at Baruga Tani, Nepo Village, Barru Regency, which was attended by 25 people consisting of .

Advocacy training was conducted in Baruga Tani, Nepo Village, Barru Regency, starting with the identification of potential participants to be actively involved in advocacy work in areas facing many conflicts and interested in being involved in the farmer movement driven by PPSS. Because, advocacy training is an important part of strengthening the capacity of farmers in facing various threats of land conflicts in their area. Advocacy training was attended directly by 25 participants (18 men and 7 women) who also contributed widely to building advocacy movement nodes in 2 villages.

In Nepo Village, the main conflict involves claims over forest areas that limit the community's activities in growing nutmeg, cloves, and pepper. Nepo farmers also face conflicts resulting from industrial projects, including plans to build a landfill, a cement company pipeline, and sand mining activities. Meanwhile, in Bila Village, since 2002, the community has faced claims over forest areas that have resulted in several arrests of farmers by forestry police for alleged forest encroachment, even though the land has been managed for generations as a plantation for candlenuts, cloves, cocoa, and durian.

For the local True Agrarian Reform Academy education at the village/sub-district level, it was held at Baruga Tani Sawerigading, PPSS Mantadulu Village - East Luwu Regency with a total of 21 participants consisting of 14 men and 7 women. It began with the formation of the True Agrarian Reform Academy (ARAS) education committee at the village level, division of work, and determination of the education schedule. opening of the True Agrarian Reform Academy (ARAS) at the village level. The activity was attended by the Mantadulu village government, the East Luwu Regency government represented by the agriculture office, community leaders of Mantadulu village, and the Mantadulu BPD.

The methods used in ARAS are group discussions, materials, and simulations of facing problems. During the activity process, participants are invited to dissect the problems faced through simulations of materials presented by facilitators or resource persons. In addition to increasing the awareness of PPSS members, education has succeeded in building a node of a genuine agrarian reform movement in 2 villages that have not yet joined the PPSS membership.

The implementation of the construction of Baruga Tani, Advocacy Training, and ARAS Education is certainly not without obstacles. There are many obstacles, ranging from difficulty in understanding training materials, to logistical problems in coordinating development. However, the spirit of collaboration and mutual cooperation continues to encourage the community to move together. Creative solutions such as using technology to create simulations of materials in the form of games so that they are easy for participants to understand (problem-facing education); monitoring the development of Baruga Tani remotely via video call, preparing a daily work schedule for PPSS members to assist in development, are proof of how persistent the community's efforts are in facing challenges.

The Nusantara Fund's Direct Funding Support is a form of recognition of the collective action of communities fighting for change such as PPSS. The existence of spaces such as Baruga Tani allows communities to strengthen social relations in overcoming various challenges and carrying out various collective actions as the backbone of the struggle of farmer organizations. The True Agrarian Reform Academy (ARAS) education and the ability to effectively advocate strategies are rooted in the local context and potential in dealing with agrarian conflicts, this is an important step in achieving True Agrarian Reform.