Walhi seeks to expand volunteer support network

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The donation Ester made to the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) could be considered, at Rp 50,000 (US$5), a token offering.

However, her act of giving should not be overlooked. In a country of 217 million people, 16.66 percent of whom earn less than US$20 dollar a month, philanthropic acts are uncommon. This is particularly so when it comes to environmental causes, which are seen as low-priority, below poverty and the occasional natural disaster.

Walhi's website www.walhi.or.id seems to confirm this situation. The site shows that from February 2003 to August 2004, just 59 people -- on top of the 60 regular donors, who are Walhi staff members themselves -- made a donation to the organization.

Currently, like most Indonesian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Walhi receives funds mostly from foreign donors.

Apart from the funding issue, on its 25th anniversary, Walhi announced its intention to reach a wider audience, summed up by its new slogan: "Save the Earth with Your Hands".

Walhi's executive director Chalid Muhammad said the organization wanted to make environmental problems a public concern, not only Walhi's or other NGOs' concern.

"We have been conducting what I call a 'representative movement'. We think it is certainly not enough to create political pressure," he said.

Recently, Walhi invited professional copywriters and graphic designers to give it a "trendier" image.

In 2004, it also established Friends of Walhi (Sahabat Walhi or Sawa), which now has more than 700 registered volunteers, of whom about 30 are active members in the capital.

Sawa consists of like-minded people who donate some money or pledge their time and energy to help Walhi conduct campaigns, particularly in schools.

"We know that Walhi is an advocacy group not a conservation group like WWF, for example," Suhud Ridwan, a coordinator of Sawa in Jakarta told the Post. "However, to reach the public, Walhi should be more flexible. While advocating, why not promote environmental conservation, like cleaning up waterways."

Suhud, a volunteer and student at Jakarta State Islamic University, added that Walhi should make itself more accessible to the public by using simple and familiar words instead of English words like "moratorium logging", for instance.

He said that, if Walhi was really serious about the "Save the Earth with Your Hands" concept, the NGO should organize its volunteers in Sawa better.

"Walhi seems to be at loss when it comes to organizing and looking after its volunteers," Suhud added.

Suhud's criticism was confirmed by the limited role Sawa played in celebrating Wahli's 25th anniversary. The documentary film made for the anniversary also failed to mention Sawa's part in the organization.

However, it is too early to judge Wahli as lacking seriousness in its mission to embrace people from all walks of life.

In fact, compared with many other NGOs, Walhi has made solid progress toward becoming an NGO that has significant public support.