Fr Pedro Walpole (PHI), through his engagement with Asia Forest Network (AFN), had an opportunity to follow up on the actions agreed upon during the Jesuit Conference Social Ministries meeting in Manila last August. In October 2009, with Rowena Soriaga of AFN, he visited several Jesuits in Indonesia interested in contributing to a network of people currently involved in environment related activities.
Fr Greg Soetomo (IDO), who produces HIDUP Catholic Magazine, coordinated the arrangements with a variety of Jesuit institutions: Kursus Pertanian Taman Tani (KPTT), an agricultural training center; Sanata Dharma University (SDU); Jesuit Refugee Service Indonesia; and Akademi Tehnik Mesin Industri (ATMI), a technical school. Through this visit, Fr Pedro learned more about the work of Fr Greg (HIDUP), Fr Yohanes Wartaya (KPTT), Fr Adrianus Suyadi (JRS), Fr Petrus Sunu Hardiyanta (SDU), and Fr B.B. Triatmoko, Fr Andre, Fr Agus Sriyono and Fr Clay Pereira (ATMI-Solo). Each has programs or activities responding to environmental concerns. KPTT conducts training on organic farming. ATMI designs cost-efficient earthquake-proof houses while JRS provides assistance to people internally displaced by disasters. The Center for Environmental Studies in Sanata Dharma University promotes the principles for development technologies through its simple and cheap bio-digester that can be easily reproduced and modified. The Jesuit community in Blontas, Jakarta regularly hosts Café Blontas for the youth to discuss social issues in an informal manner. During the visit their topic was solid waste management. Pedro visited one community waste management sites in the morning and with the group in the afternoon shared the struggles of maintaining the interest of the community in the program.
These visits were held in between three environment-related workshops in Indonesia. The first was in KPTT in response to a request from the Sisters of Divine Providence for help in developing an environmental agenda for presentation during their congregation’s general assembly in Brazil. The second was in Sanata Dharma University on environmental disasters and bio-diesel technologies, which gave a chance for Fr Pedro to share ESSC’s experiences with challenges of disaster management in the Philippines. The third was with partners of Misereor in Indonesia to discuss the concerns of indigenous peoples and the poor over deforestation within the context of climate change and social justice. Fr Sunu and Fr Johannes Muller (GER) also joined the program, which had focused on Climate and Justice, the need for adaptation and the Copenhagen “Deal”.
Contributor: Fr Pedro Walpole
