Environment and traditional values

Environment and traditional values

From Media Indonesia

I am writing in reference to the bill on environmental management which has experienced a setback compared to law No.2/1982. The participation of society in the latter law includes people's rights and responsibilities, while the new bill only stresses the rights. Moreover, unlike the old law, the new bill does not involve society in the planning stage.

Since Indonesian delegates signed the 1992 Rio Declaration, it was deemed necessary to consider the existence of the traditional community as stipulated in the declaration. The spirit of the bill lags far behind law No. 10/1990 concerning population and families' welfare. The law reserves the full right of the traditional community to preserve and gain the benefit of land heritage and develop the community's cultural aspects (physically and socioculturally, including the way of life typical to the community). This means that the environmental law reflects ecological wisdom in managing the environment and biological diversity.

With the abolishment of social responsibility, and given the development of spirit and consciousness in theology and religiosity, the new bill is moving backward. By spirit and consciousness, I refer to the ethical attitude of the community toward nature and fairness among generations.

Should change be made, the bill must include community's responsibility to materialize the spirit and consciousness.

Ironically, the traditional community inherits the environmental values which are inherent in people's religious life. Take forest management, for instance. The past colonialists wanted to bequeath money to their offsprings, while the traditional community, on the other hand, they were eager to bequeath forests to the succeeding generations. The community's ethical attitude finds its expression in the community's concept that "the earth is our mother".

ANDREAS ISWINARTO

Jakarta