Sumba, Dana Nusantara filled a special session at the 14th National Environment Week (PNLH) on Thursday, September 18, 2025. The session carried the theme "Direct Funding for the Struggles and Movements of Indigenous Peoples, Farmers, Fishermen, Women, and the Youth in Indonesia." Present as speakers were the Secretary General (Sekjen) of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) Rukka Sombolinggi, Secretary General of the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) Dewi Kartika, National Executive Director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Eknas) WALHI) 2021-2025 period Zenzi Suhadi, and Yustina from the Obor Hidup Lestari Foundation. The discussion was moderated directly by Ode Rakhman, Director Dana Nusantara.
Secretary General AMAN, Rukka Sombolinggi, tells the history of the formation Dana Nusantara since the event Conference of the Parties 21 (COP21). Good AMAN, KPA, as well WALHI They sat down to discuss the funding inequities received by Indigenous Peoples, Farmers, Fishermen, Women, and the Youth, who are recognized internationally as protectors of nature. They also discussed the similarities and differences between these three organizations, which could pose future challenges when developing direct funding mechanisms.
Rukka's reference to funding injustice refers to the world's perception of Indigenous Peoples, Farmers, Fishermen, Women, and the Youth, who are deemed to lack the capacity to implement programs. Rukka also stated that the 7% of funds allocated is negligible compared to the challenges faced by communities in fighting for their rights to collective land recognition and management. This is the basis for the formation of the Dana Nusantara.
"This organization is an organic funding mechanism, ensuring all our money reaches the villages. If it doesn't reach the villages, that's corruption," Rukka explained.
“But how can this organization not be busy taking care of money? So it was created. Dana Nusantara to bolster support for the work of these three movements,” he added.
In line with Rukka's explanation, Secretary General KPA, Dewi Kartika, explained that Dana Nusantara is here to reduce all administrative and bureaucratic requirements to a minimum compared to global funding requirements. “Second, Dana Nusantara is support system or our support systems and tools to strengthen the existing social capital in the community or union,” said Dewi.
Dewi added, as a direct funding mechanism, Dana Nusantara ensure that funding reaches the grassroots level. The process is not top down, but rather program planning originates from the ground up. This way, the funding addresses the fundamental needs of the recipient groups.
“Why in Dana Nusantara "Are the three of us allied? Because we feel this movement must be united. Even though we have our own membership, in the context of [advocating] land grabbing and environmental destruction, we three movements must unite," Dewi said.
“Ambition Dana Nusantara "This should be a catalyst to encourage friends in the regions to meet and even work together, at the national and regional levels, to address this threat," he stressed.
Meanwhile, the Director of Eknas WALHI For the 2021-2025 period, Zenzi Suhadi emphasized efforts to build the archipelago economy in line with the establishment of Dana Nusantara. Zenzi reflects on her mentoring journey WALHI on community groups in conflict with the interests of big capital. Zenzi said, WALHI was indeed present when the large equipment came to the village and caused destruction. However, after successfully securing it, WALHI simply leave. Therefore, whether the assisted group can survive the threat of further land grabbing conflicts after advocacy remains a major question mark and a challenge for the organization. Therefore, additional efforts are needed to build a grassroots economy that strengthens resilience and realizes the group's aspirations.
“In the scheme WALHI, Dana Nusantara It supports the ideals of people's organizations. Support WALHI "That's in it, while the financing scheme is through members who accompany the people's organization," explained Zenzi.
The economic form deemed most in keeping with the spirit of grassroots groups is the cooperative. In cooperatives, ownership rests with members and can be transparently monitored by all. This has led to a transformation, as the environmental movement has begun to give birth to an economic movement that provides long-term support for environmental protection.
"So, if we want to protect nature from environmental destruction caused by economic interests, we must first restore the economy," he said.
Zenzi emphasized the importance of the ownership nature of the cooperative by WALHI and people's organizations that are members WALHIWith this character, prevention of corruption cases can be enhanced, considering that the highest power of the organization rests with its members. "So Dana Nusantara "It is also the key to the success of the environmental movement transformation that gave birth to the economic movement," Zenzi emphasized.
Stories from the Land of Sumba
On the sidelines of the PNLH XIV exhibition, Yustina shared her experience and the impact felt by the Sustainable Torch Community after receiving direct funding support. Dana Nusantara, especially in efforts to eliminate coffee farmers' dependence on middlemen or entrepreneurs.
"Previously, we were very dependent on middlemen or entrepreneurs. Now, the coffee farmers' association from four villages in the West Miomaffo District, along with the community and the Obor Hidup Lestari Farmers, conducts market surveys and then collectively determines the selling price for the coffee," said Yustina.
Under this scheme, coffee purchases are only made through the coffee farmers' association from four villages in the West Miomaffo District. Yustina also noted that women dominate the coffee farming community there. She noted that 99 of the 132 coffee farmers in the West Miomaffo coffee farmers' association are women.
"Women's roles there range from harvesting, sorting, and post-harvest, primarily carried out by young women in ground coffee production," Yustina explained.
Of all the stories of change she shared, Yustina emphasized the impact felt by women in Fatuneno. According to her, domestic violence against women has significantly decreased. This is due to women's increased bargaining power in their involvement in the post-production process of Kopi Rimba Mutis, particularly from sorting to ground coffee and marketing.
“Previously they only sold coffee green beans which are dried at an unfair price to middlemen, so that household economic problems also lead to violence against women in some households," he explained.
Chairman of Uma Kokur, Umbu Arnoldus Yansens Bulu, as a representative of one of the partners Dana Nusantara in Tanamanang Village, East Sumba, also shared stories in the plenary discussion on the second day of the 2th Pre-PNLH. The benefits felt from accessing Dana Nusantara It focuses on strengthening the economy for the sustainability of environmental efforts to defend customary lands. Briefly, Umbu Arnold also described the formation of the Uma Kokur community.
"We do not reject investment, but we reject evidence of our ancestors' civilization being pushed aside for the sake of development and plantations," explained the man familiarly known as Umbu Arnold regarding the public's view on investment.
Uma Kokur Indigenous Community – Youth with virgin coconut oil (VCO)
Umbu Arnold said that in 2023 the Regional Executive (ED) WALHI East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) contacted him and informed him that the Indigenous Community could get funding from Dana Nusantara as capital to manage the results from the management and production areas of pure coconut oil or virgin coconut oil (VCO). “We access Dana Nusantara "We're not faced with the complex administration that communities typically experience. Usage is also seamless. The community determines all programs, from production to production tools. Access is straightforward, and we're assisted by our colleagues from ED with reporting," he said regarding funding administration. Dana Nusantara.
He also hopes Dana Nusantara It can fund long-term plans that are accessible to more communities in need. He and the Uma Kokur Community claim to have felt the impact of direct funding, enabling them to maintain the solidarity of Indigenous Peoples, youth groups, and women's groups. As a result, they are able to produce VCO that is competitive in the market and collaborate with the Tanamanang Village government in East Sumba. They are even confident in promoting the product to a wider audience, as exhibited at the 14th National Forestry Day (PNLH) WALHI in East Sumba.
Proposed Savanna Ecosystem
In the implementation of PNLH XIV in East Sumba, there are several important decisions that will influence future policies or strategies. WALHI as a founding organization and also Dana Nusantara One of these is the proposed savanna ecosystem. East Sumba has a landscape dominated by savanna, which would also have a significant impact on the environmental movement in the region.
As the oldest environmental movement organization in Indonesia, WALHI The proposal was recognized as a priority to be championed. By proposing that savannahs be designated as essential ecosystems, this step ensures prevention of exploitation and destructive development. "Sumba represents the largest savannah in Indonesia. The hope is that savannahs will be included in essential ecosystems protected by the state, like peatlands, seagrass meadows, karst, and mangroves," Zenzi explained.
This proposal is in line with the latest research related to the role of savannas in the climate crisis mitigation processThe research proves that dry areas like savannas or grasslands can sequester carbon more stably in the soil than trees in tropical rainforests. This finding certainly changes the prevailing perspective, particularly regarding reforestation projects or tree planting in savanna areas.
The proposal to designate savannas as essential ecosystems received a positive response from East Sumba regional government officials attending the 14th National Land Agency (PNLH) event. In Sumbanese culture, savannas are sacred spaces for traditional rituals. They also provide livelihoods for local communities, including livestock herding and agriculture. In traditional arts, such as ikat weaving and songs and poetry, savannas often appear as symbols.
The proposed designation also ensures protection initiatives. Sumba is currently threatened by large-scale industrial investment plans that are sacrificing 52,000 hectares of savannah ecosystems. "So this proposal is very relevant for the future," Zenzi emphasized. Furthermore, the 14th National Forestry Project (PNLH) also... WALHI Declaring September 20, 2025, as Ecological Justice Day in Indonesia and Sumba Island as its zero point, with a call to save the earth as a shared home that will be inherited by future generations.