UNAIR NEWS – The Indonesian Embassy for the Republic of Panama (KBRI Panama) held an event entitled “Indonesia-Panama Youth Forum” on Friday evening, July 15, 2022. The forum aims to increase the role of youth in finding solutions to issues related to environmental degradation and environmental crises, as well as improving relations between Indonesia and Panama.
Six youth speakers were presented at the forum, three from Indonesia and three from Panama. Two students from UNAIR International Relations study program were among the speakers representing Indonesia, Deanita Nurkhalisa and Devi Yuni Ekasari. Each speaker was given five minutes to give an overview on climate action and the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Panama.
Dea presented an urgency for Indonesian and Panamanian youth to voice their concerns regarding the climate crisis. Both countries are driven by exploitative economies that have triggered the crises, such as forestry, agribusiness, and mining. Therefore, the role of youth is how to voice the available solutions according to their respective abilities. For example, by building/joining environmental communities, participating in climate protests, and implementing sustainable lifestyles.;
“The climate crisis is a complex problem. It requires progressive government commitment and support from the epistemic community in policy making. Moreover, the solution must also be participatory, especially for marginalized communities like indigenous peoples. We play a role in amplifying the solution,” said the President of UNAIR Society of Renewable Energy.
Meanwhile, in her presentation, Devi also suggested a sustainable lifestyle, where she suggested applying the rule of seven in daily life. The implementation involves eating less meat, saving energy, and implementing 3R (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle).
Furthermore, Devi also promoted the contribution made by UNAIR related to climate action. Some examples are restrictions on the mobility of motorized vehicles in the campus area to reduce carbon emissions. UNAIR also strives to be able to process waste and water better in order to reduce the amount of waste through composting and re-purification.
“UNAIR is also in the process of making campus activities more energy efficient and sourced from renewable energy. We are trying to install solar panels in various buildings, and we will implement an automation system so that lights and air conditioners can automatically turn off when not in use,” said the 2020 student.
Dea and Devi also emphasized that improving relations between the two countries regarding climate action can be done through youth forums like this. Dea suggested that the utilization of the Spanish language community is an interesting endeavor considering that Panama is a Spanish-speaking country. Devi suggests coffee diplomacy, where Panamanian culture can be introduced and contextualized with the ‘ hanging out at coffee shop ‘ culture currently popular in Indonesia.
Author: Pradnya Wicaksana
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
