The Study Program of Religious and Cross-cultural Studies (ALB) or the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies (CRCS), Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada (SPs UGM), held its Wednesday Forum on Wednesday, April 15th 2026, at the Graduate School Building, UGM Unit 1.
On this occasion, CRCS UGM invited Dicky Sofjan, Ph.D. as the speaker. He is a lecturer at the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada. His scholarly works have been widely published in the fields of Islam, religion and politics, religious literacy and social justice, as well as the interconnections of nature, culture, sustainability, and spirituality. He currently serves as Vice President of Globethics, based in Geneva, Switzerland. He has also been a speaker at various international conferences, including the Faith Pavilion at COP-UNFCCC and the World Urban Forum (WUF). One of his latest projects involves the design and curation of the environmentally friendly and sustainable Nglanggeran Eco-Village, which is part of the UNESCO Global Geopark network.
In his presentation, Dicky Sofjan delivered a talk titled “Strategic Religious Engagement in Faith, Ecology, Conservation, and Sustainability in Indonesia.” He highlighted that although discussions and initiatives on faith, ecology, and sustainability have been widely conducted, a fundamental question is often overlooked: who is actually financing these efforts?
“Behind every ecological and faith-based initiative, there are financial structures and actors that determine what is possible and what is prioritized,” he stated. He further added, “We need to critically examine how religious communities contribute financially and strategically to sustainability efforts, not only symbolically but also materially,” said Dicky Sofjan.
Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of understanding the funding mechanisms that support various faith and ecology projects, including the roles of the state, society, and religious communities in promoting environmental sustainability. This approach opened space to more comprehensively examine the contributions of religious actors in conservation and natural resource management.
The presentation was based on a formative research study on strategic religious engagement in faith, ecology, conservation, and sustainability in Indonesia, conducted by Dicky Sofjan with support from the International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD). The study maps the landscape of actors and stakeholders involved, as well as their strategies in supporting sustainability agendas. It also offers recommendations for developing the field of faith and ecology through various sustainable financing mechanisms.
The forum addressed the often-overlooked financial dimension in conservation practices. While many environmental preservation efforts are carried out in the name of faith and ecology, critical questions remain regarding how priorities are set and who bears the costs behind them.
CRCS UGM, with this Wednesday Forum, reaffirmed its commitment to provide a reflective, critical, and inclusive academic space for contemporary global issues, particularly at the intersection of religion, ecology, and sustainability.
Author: Asti Rahmaningrum