About Our Work :
The Aceh Conservation Environment Humanity (A.C.E.H) Program is an innovative program working to engage with legislators in Aceh, Indonesia in order to improve the understanding and implementation of the sustainable development concept in public policies. A.C.E.H is affiliated with the Aceh Climate Change Initiative at Syiah Kuala University in Banda Aceh. A.C.E.H seeks to addres
s the inconsistencies in laws, rules, and institutional authority related to natural resource management, as well as the low level of intergovernmental competition in the development of public policies. Mission :
The mission of A.C.E.H is to mainstream the concept of sustainable development in the formulation and implementation of public policies in Aceh. Strengthen the concept of ‘sustainable development’, which has been mandated by the Indonesian Constitution, in Aceh.
2. Support the formation and operations of a sustainable development caucus in Aceh’s parliament.
3. Facilitate the flow of information about sustainable development to legislators in order to enhance the development of policies that incorporate sustainability principles.
4. Provide technical consultation to the legislature on a variety of issues such as land use planning. Why focus on legislators? In a survey of environmental civil society organizations working in Aceh only 4% stated that their target audience is legislators. Environmental conservation efforts and land-use planning decisions often rely heavily on the decisions of legislators. Without a sufficient base of knowledge and a high level of awareness amongst legislature members, it is unrealistic to expect that environmental conservation needs will be met. Recent activities – Establishing the program foundation:
A.C.E.H. conducted a baseline study of environmental civil society organizations (CSOs) in Banda Aceh. The result has been disseminated amongst the CSOs and the survey showed that only 4% of the surveyed CSOs have interactions with legislators. This result provides evidence for A.C.E.H. to target the legislator as its main audience. A.C.E.H. hosted a “political party roadshow” in Aceh. More than 115 people participated in the roadshow, which introduced political parties to A.C.E.H.’s activities. Many participants expressed support of mainstreaming the sustainable development concept in public policy. Through a MoU with the postal service, A.C.E.H. mailed 673 fact sheets and letters to legislative candidates. received feedback from several candidates and key quotes are displayed on the A.C.E.H. website. uses various online and social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and the A.C.E.H. website (www.acci-acehprogram.org) to spread awareness of A.C.E.H.’s activities. continues to develop relationships with environmental CSOs in Aceh. In April 2014, A.C.E.H. supported a billboard campaign, entitled, “Trans Generation Solidarity”. This campaign created billboards that provided criteria, including support for nature conservation, human rights, and democracy that CSOs wish to see in a legislator. In the planning stages of the campaign, 18 CSOs were invested in the campaign and within 48 hours, 63 CSOs requested and added their logos on the billboards. Some CSOs even contributed funds to the campaign. Upcoming program steps:
ACEH is in active consultation with various relevant bodies and key individuals to develop the appropriate institutional arrangements and logistics for the Caucus before the elected legislative members officially begin their terms in September 2014. The next crucial part of the program will be the Caucus kick-off where interim agendas, membership, and timeframes will be agreed upon amongst legislative members. ACEH anticipates various activities involving the Caucus, including field visits with professors from partner universities and regular meetings with civil society organizations and constituents. ACEH will continue to implement a monitoring tool and in later stages will conduct an assessment to measure the impact of the Caucus. Sustainable development in Aceh :
The sustainable development approach emphasizes the balance of economic growth, environmental protection, and social development. With a land area of 5.5 million hectares and forest cover of 3.3 million hectares, sustainable natural resource management in Aceh is critical. The Helsinki MoU, signed in 2005 after the tsunami, marked a new chapter for Aceh’s development. As mandate of the MoU, the Law on Governing Aceh (BAL) No. 11 of 2006 expresses a clear vision of sustainability, particularly in the chapter BAB XX. Sustainable development in modern Aceh can be interpreted as an attempt at reconciliation of politics, people, and the environment. Why is this important? Errors in spatial planning and management of land use policies for the pursuit of economic growth can encourage natural disasters such as floods, landslides as well as human – wildlife conflicts. Floods can cause damage to public infrastructure like roads, bridges, and schools, which further hinders Aceh’s development by replacing economic growth with investment needed to restore infrastructural damages.
