On Wednesday (30/04), the Religious and Cross-cultural Studies Program (Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies/CRCS) of the Graduate School of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) held the Wednesday Forum at Room 307, 3rd Floor, UGM Graduate School Building. This forum featured an engaging discussion about the role of religious figures in addressing climate change issues.
The discussion was prompted by national survey results indicating that the Indonesian public tends to trust religious leaders more than the government, environmental activists, or even scientists on environmental issues. These findings raised an important question about the effectiveness of religious figures in environmental preservation, especially in contexts involving large corporate interests and state policies.
As a speaker, Rev. Jimmy M. Immanuel Sormin elaborated the strategic position of religious leaders in environmental issues. He emphasized that religious leaders not only serve as moral guardians but also as key actors in environmental advocacy movements.
“Morality is actually the root of the environmental problems we face. We cannot solve this issue with only technical methods. We need to involve more people, more followers or religious groups because they are stakeholders. They have the capacity to influence and mobilize society to change lifestyles and attitudes toward the earth and the environment,” said Jimmy.
Jimmy is an advisor to the Indonesian Rainforest Initiative and currently serves as a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the program committee of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA). In his writings, he notes that Indonesia is one of the pioneers in efforts to reduce deforestation and preserve the world’s forests. The approach used by Indonesia is considered different from other countries because it involves religious values and leadership that actively collaborates with alliances of indigenous communities, academics, and environmental activists.
One CRCS student who participated in the discussion expressed the view that digital involvement is an important part of tackling the climate issue. In response, Jimmy emphasized the importance of spreading constructive narratives in digital spaces.
“The digital world is a real world that we can use to disseminate ideas, agendas, and turn it into a space for dialogue,” he said.
Author: Asti Rahmaningrum