Palangka Raya, November 13, 2021—Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo is an area covered by tropical rainforest, with key implications for global climate stability. The region also has a significant role to play in mitigating the effects of global warming.
However, not everybody has the same understanding and awareness of how important it is to reduce the pace of climate change, or what things can be done to contribute to these efforts. As such, the flow of information communicating the need for climate mitigation must continue unimpeded.
Regarding this need, BNF Indonesia and Sebangau National Park Office held a writing course for young people in Central Kalimantan at the Fovere Hotel, Palangka Raya City between the 9th and 11th November 2021.
The two-day training course was divided into two sessions: in-class training and field coverage, which was held in the Rosdy Abaza trekking area, Sungai Koran, in Sebangau National Park. Instructors for the training were Kompas Daily Editor, Mohammad Hilmi Faiq, and Kompas Daily Journalist in Central Kalimantan, Dionisius Tri Wibowo.
Head of the National Park Management Unit (SPTN) Region 1 Sebangau National Park (TN), Lisna Yulianti, said that awareness of the threat of climate change needs to be instilled early on, starting from the younger generation.
“Their ideas regarding climate change and for protecting our planet need to be written down,” said Lisna in her speech at the training’s opening ceremony.
This training, continued Lisna, can stimulate an interest in writing among the younger generation. Through their writing, they will invite the public to protect the forest.
In the same place, Deputy Director II of BNF Indonesia, Agnes Ferisa, revealed that the aim of this training is to provide a basic understanding of the writing techniques used in popular scientific articles, news, and human-interest stories.
“Besides that, it will motivate participants to translate their ideas and knowledge into writing, especially on environmental themes related to climate change,” she said.
There were 14 participants who participated in this training, consisting of BTNS staff, students from the Orangutan Caring Scholarship (OCS), New Generation Indonesia (Genbi) Central Kalimantan, and BNF Indonesia staff.
“After this training, they are expected to be able to contribute to the global climate change campaign through writings made to be published on various platforms, such as social media, mass media, community websites, the BNF website, and so on,” she added.
One of the participants, Dimas Teja Kusuma, said that he and his friends from OCS were happy to have the opportunity to learn to write from the right sources.
“This is a good opportunity for me and my friends because we can improve our writing skills and learn how to put our ideas into writing. We still have difficulty sometimes choosing the right words and, of course, stringing them together appropriately,” he said.
Written by Yohanes Prahara/BNF Indonesia
Photo by Yohanes Prahara & Ferdinandus Eko/BNF Indonesia
