Anggi Dwi Anggraeni, Jakarta – Thousands of people from various parts of Indonesia who are part of the Earth Needs Action (BBA) collective voiced their anxiety about the threat of the climate crisis through a Climate Strike in Jakarta action on Friday September 23.
The action was an expression of their disappointment with the government's position of ignoring the threat of the climate crisis.
In the BAA collective's view the climate crisis is increasingly real and threatens the future of the human community. In their view the government is not serious about confronting the climate crisis and is instead in denial or adopting false solutions which in fact only benefit those who destroy the environment.
Departing from the same concerns, individuals, communities and organisations which make up the BBA collective are declaring a position of striking back at the climate crisis through the methods used by young people themselves.
The way to do this is through real solutions and to continue to pressure the government and businesspeople to make systematic changes and to take action to address climate change as soon as possible.
"The climate crisis is now making our breath which should be free and open become laboured, myself and my family live in an area of Jabodetabek (Greater Jakarta) where the sky is polluted, our sky is no longer blue but grey. Something must be done", said musician and activist Oscar Lolang.
And it is not just in the big cities that it is being felt, said Enter Nusantara representative Reka Maharwati, who said that the climate crisis is very much with us and is being felt throughout Java.
"We have the same worries about the earth's future, today we can already see the impact of the climate crisis on the coastal areas of northern Java where each year more and more land sings below the water. It has been three years since the first Climate Strike in Indonesia and we're [still] waiting for moves by the government to respond to our anxieties, but why until this year are they still ignoring this real threat? So it is time for use to close our ranks and to assist each and work with collectives that have the same anxieties, and ignore in tern the government in the important years when they need our votes", said Maharwati.
Climate Strike actions are a global youth movement inspired by the School Strike organised by Greta Thunberg in 2018. That year, young people who are concerned about the environment again echoed a message about the climate crisis. In order that the movement continues, the BBA collective has initiated collaboration and mutual support between communities, entities and organisations or groups with the aim of striking back against the climate crisis.
"The climate crisis which is already before our eyes must become a turning point for the human community to change policy direction, abandon dirty energy and other bad practices which worsen the climate crisis. But over the last three years since our [first] action in 2019, we have not seen any change taking place, the government continues to ignore and even create regulations which distance it from its own people. So out of this we will distance ourselves and ignore those who should listen to us. We reject being a figure at the ballot box and at tax collection [time], because we are the ordinary people who should be the masters of our government", said Hadi Priyanto from Greenpeace Indonesia.
Climate Strike 2022, which was joined by some 80 organisations and youth groups from various parts of Indonesia, began at the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) parking area at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta and ended with a musical performance and other activities at the aspiration stage at Dukuh Atas Park.
The action is aimed at creating space for the public to safeguard the environment by various means and colours as well as to work shoulder to shoulder and share the spirit to sustainably safeguard the earth. (hyu)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Kolektif Bumi Butuh Aksi Desak Pemerintah Serius Atasi Ancaman Krisis Iklim".]
