Walhi seeks to expand volunteer support network<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The donation Ester made to the Indonesian Forum for the
\nEnvironment (Walhi) could be considered, at Rp 50,000 (US$5), a
\ntoken offering.<\/p>\n
However, her act of giving should not be overlooked.
\nIn a country of 217 million people, 16.66 percent of whom earn
\nless than US$20 dollar a month, philanthropic acts are uncommon.
\nThis is particularly so when it comes to environmental causes,
\nwhich are seen as low-priority, below poverty and the occasional
\nnatural disaster.<\/p>\n
Walhi's website www.walhi.or.id seems to confirm this
\nsituation. The site shows that from February 2003 to August 2004,
\njust 59 people -- on top of the 60 regular donors, who are Walhi
\nstaff members themselves -- made a donation to the organization.<\/p>\n
Currently, like most Indonesian non-governmental organizations
\n(NGOs), Walhi receives funds mostly from foreign donors.<\/p>\n
Apart from the funding issue, on its 25th anniversary, Walhi
\nannounced its intention to reach a wider audience, summed up by
\nits new slogan: \"Save the Earth with Your Hands\".<\/p>\n
Walhi's executive director Chalid Muhammad said the
\norganization wanted to make environmental problems a public
\nconcern, not only Walhi's or other NGOs' concern.<\/p>\n
\"We have been conducting what I call a 'representative
\nmovement'. We think it is certainly not enough to create
\npolitical pressure,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Recently, Walhi invited professional copywriters and graphic
\ndesigners to give it a \"trendier\" image.<\/p>\n
In 2004, it also established Friends of Walhi (Sahabat Walhi
\nor Sawa), which now has more than 700 registered volunteers, of
\nwhom about 30 are active members in the capital.<\/p>\n
Sawa consists of like-minded people who donate some money or
\npledge their time and energy to help Walhi conduct campaigns,
\nparticularly in schools.<\/p>\n
\"We know that Walhi is an advocacy group not a conservation
\ngroup like WWF, for example,\" Suhud Ridwan, a coordinator of Sawa
\nin Jakarta told the Post. \"However, to reach the public, Walhi
\nshould be more flexible. While advocating, why not promote
\nenvironmental conservation, like cleaning up waterways.\"<\/p>\n
Suhud, a volunteer and student at Jakarta State Islamic
\nUniversity, added that Walhi should make itself more accessible
\nto the public by using simple and familiar words instead of
\nEnglish words like \"moratorium logging\", for instance.<\/p>\n
He said that, if Walhi was really serious about the \"Save the
\nEarth with Your Hands\" concept, the NGO should organize its
\nvolunteers in Sawa better.<\/p>\n
\"Walhi seems to be at loss when it comes to organizing and
\nlooking after its volunteers,\" Suhud added.<\/p>\n
Suhud's criticism was confirmed by the limited role Sawa
\nplayed in celebrating Wahli's 25th anniversary. The documentary
\nfilm made for the anniversary also failed to mention Sawa's part
\nin the organization.<\/p>\n
However, it is too early to judge Wahli as lacking seriousness
\nin its mission to embrace people from all walks of life.<\/p>\n
In fact, compared with many other NGOs, Walhi
\nhas made solid progress toward becoming an NGO that has
\nsignificant public support.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/walhi-seeks-to-expand-volunteer-support-network-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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