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Empower villages to reach global goals
However, with the rush of globalism, we often overlook what already exists in our surroundings. These intrinsic details that coexist with us could serve as the springboard for progress if we shift our lens to focus on strengthening our existing assets, returning to a locally engaged vision.
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A Halim Iskandar – Minister of villages, disadvantaged regions and transmigration
I’ve always believed Indonesia has the potential to shine across borders.
However, with the rush of globalism, we often overlook what already exists in our surroundings. These intrinsic details that coexist with us could serve as the springboard for progress if we shift our lens to focus on strengthening our existing assets, returning to a locally engaged vision.
In order to do this, we must awaken our sense of empathy and return to ourselves, return to our community and reflect on the ways we can ensure our planet embraces well-being for all. This applies to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of our 2030 vision.
One particular issue that occupies my attention and is in urgent need of care are the villages in Indonesia that deserve nothing less than to experience the enhanced benefits of the implementation of the SDGs.
Taking each day as a chance for hope, the 10th Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Forum serves as a strategic benchmark for us to humanize the quality of life on a global scale. We can begin this journey by shifting our lens to a communal light. With a local focus, we should illustrate Indonesia’s perspectives and experiences in catalyzing local implementation of global goals and localizing SDGs at the village level through the SDGs Desa initiative.
Desa means village, and in SDGs Desa we will begin our journey by localizing SDGs at a village level that will provide a significant contribution toward the achievement of the SDGs on a national scale.
Language plays a significant role in catalyzing our SDGs as we want to ensure a unanimous understanding of our goals among villagers. Understanding the role of language has prompted us to create simple modifications of the logos and formulations to ensure a sense of togetherness in reaching our goals. As well all knowledge, communication is key. Exercising our sensitivity has allowed us to engage with local governments with consideration and care, and we are determined to see SDG achievement indicators improve at the village level.
Villages in Indonesia are a garden waiting to flower to raise Indonesia’s development on a national scale. Indonesia is home to 214 million village residents, and villages cover 91 percent of the lowest level of government administration in Indonesia. They have strategic keys, with the remaining 9 percent being urban areas.
Village administrations’ inclusivity enables them to interact directly with citizens. With communication flows assured, the village government is the closest representative of villagers, and we can further enhance our localization of the SDGs with a strategy of respect and consideration. Preserving the growth of inclusion and faithfully serving villages should be ensured, as these represent meaningful contributions to Indonesia’s development.
With our country of some 300 ethnic groups, we should encourage the integrity of our people and trace continuities that will preserve and respect the diversity of culture, ethnicity, religion, local customs and wisdom.
It is our obligation to abide by these values at a bare minimum when pursuing the localization of our SDG strategy as our ancestors have embedded a timeless culture that we Indonesians have taken pride in over the millennia. This has led us to accelerate our process in achieving our initial 17 SDGs that were reformulated at the promise of the village level, hoping we have implemented an appropriate understanding.
We can begin by zooming in on the two most outstanding characteristics that only villages have, which we discovered to be dynamic village institutions and adaptive cultures. Our explorations of these two characteristics gave birth to our newest goal in our SDG strategy: Dynamic Village Institutions and Adaptive Village Culture, as our new 18th goal, which mainstreams all of our SDGs Desa goals.
Certainly, we must not neglect cultural roots and local institutions as they are the foundation of community empowerment and a value instilled within our lives.
Of course, we must provide development programs that are well-suited and relevant to local needs, which we have begun by implementing each village SDG with informational access. If we trace back to 2022, the Indonesian village fund raised around US$4.5 billion with the optimal focus on achieving these goals, and to our surprise, it is expected to accelerate the village SDGs by 2030.
Returning our hearts and minds to our cultural roots has enlightened us and created valuable results for the hundreds of villagers that are now able to reach their potential.
These results alone, I believe, can increase our enthusiasm and hope as they unlock the door to community participation in granting a desirable quality of life for rural communities.
Like a dream that unites our planet, localizing SDGs at the smallest community level cannot be done alone. With that being said, I welcome countries in Asia and the Pacific region with open arms to reinforce our learning and develop best practices to localize SDGs for the betterment of communities, inducing their safety and resiliency.
Because from here, we will shine from within, and by shining within, we can shine beyond borders to achieve global goals.
