Jakarta- Jakarta will host the Clear Papuan Voice Festival (Suara Jernih Papua) starting today and tomorrow (Fri 17 & Sat 18 March). This free event, a collaboration between Greenpeace Indonesia and Papua Itu Kita (We Are Papua) introduces an urban audience of Jakartans to the true voices of Tanah Papua, its Indigenous cultures, and world-beating biodiversity.
The Clear Papuan Voice Festival presents an exciting series of experiences in the form of art and photographic installations, traditional dances, and storytelling, including Papuan mop, music performances, and film screenings. Papuan celebrity chef Charles Toto will lead participants in a unique culinary experience on Saturday. A full schedule is available here.
Workshops will provide an opportunity for participants to learn how to make traditional bracelets and iconic Papuan ‘noken’ string bags. A limited number of traditional handicrafts will also be available for purchase.
Each day will also host a public discussion: on Friday the topic is the preservation of Papuan culture and the launch of a new report by researchers from the Center for Melanesian Studies, Cenderawasih University on Papuan local food cultivation, and the impact of introduced food types. On Saturday the discussion topic will cover ecotourism – travel and the natural beauty of Papua.
Greenpeace and Papua itu Kita are collaborating on this festival to highlight what is at stake for Indigenous Papuans and the wider world if a wave of destructive deforestation is unleashed on one of the world’s last remaining intact forest landscapes. “Over 2.7 million hectares of Papua’s natural forest faces destruction due to licenses already issued for palm oil, pulp plantations, and mining. That’s 41 times the land area of the Special Capital Region of Jakarta,” said Nico Wamafma, Papua Forest campaigner with Greenpeace Indonesia.[1]
The organizers of the Clear Papuan Voice Festival invite everyone to get to know Tanah Papua, rich with Indigenous culture and millenia-old wisdom in sustainable management of forests and other natural resources including local foods. We hope all festival visitors will deepen their understanding of the importance of respecting the land rights of Indigenous Papuans, and ensuring they may continue their central role in forest and biodiversity conservation.
Notes:
For more information visit: https://www.greenpeace.org/indonesia/festival-ranipa/
[1] This calculation excludes commercial logging licenses (HPH) that would further increase the figure for the area of natural forest potentially degraded to a total of 7.7 million hectares. Based on data from https://nusantara-atlas.org/
[2] Photos from the event will be here as they become available.
Media Contact:
Nico Wamafma – Greenpeace Papua Forest Campaigner, +6282197585110
Rahka Susanto – Greenpeace Communications Campaigner, +628111098815
Igor O’Neill, Greenpeace Indonesia forests campaign, [email protected], +61-414-288-424