Delivering Healthy Country Planning training in Indonesia

Selamat Pagi Semua from Tanjung Redeb, Kalimantan!

Recently, I had the privilege (and challenge) of delivering the Healthy Country Training course to a cohort of conservation practitioners in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The Healthy Country Planning 5-day intensive training course has been developed in Australia. It is specifically designed for people applying adaptive land management in a first nations context. The Healthy Country Planning framework is an adaptation of the globally applied Conservation Standards. It incorporates social and cultural values and was developed together with first nations people, making it more accessible and applicable to indigenous communities caring for country.

Interest in the Healthy Country Planning framework has expanded internationally with communities around the world looking for appropriate tools.

The Kalimantan training was organised by Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) and funded by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Twenty-two participants attended the training representing a variety of organisations such local foundations and institutions, local government and NGOs. Participants came from various places within Kalimantan and Indonesia, such as Berau, Bulungan, Samarinda, Surabaya, Makassar, Jakarta and Kupang.

By utilising the Healthy Country Planning framework, YKAN hoped participants would develop new skills and tools to ensure indigenous and local communities could place equal value on conservation, community wellbeing, and cultural values. The training focused on maintaining the strength of local people's vision and voice throughout the planning process.

It was so great to be back in Indonesia working with a group of such passionate and experienced conservation planners who are dedicated to lift the voices of indigenous and local communities in the protection and management of community forests. Creating new friends, learning about new cultures and improving my bahasa Indonesian skills whilst working in a cross-cultural environment was such a privilege.