Arsad Ragandhi, Agus Heruanto Hadna, Setiadi Setiadi, Ahmad Maryudi

Nongovernmental Organizations in the Design and Implementation of Social Forestry Programs in Indonesia: Interests, Power and Strategies

Introduction

Nongovernmental organizations in the design and implementation of social forestry programs in indonesia: interests, power and strategies. Explore NGOs' roles, interests, and power in designing and implementing social forestry programs in Indonesia, revealing how funding competition and strategies impact local communities.

Abstract

Many social forestry projects have failed to produce expected outcomes. In many cases, they do not suit specific local contexts, problems, and needs because they only articulate the interests of powerful actors outside local communities. In this study, we examine how nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) affect social forestry implementation. In many cases, NGOs are characterized as benevolent actors, often claiming to represent voiceless groups, including poor local communities, in the social forestry context. We are specifically interested in analyzing the ways by which the studied NGOs have shaped the implementation of social forestry models in the forests managed by the state company of Perhutani. We focus on how the NGOs operate and their motivation and strategies nuanced around their power relations vis-à-vis the state company, how they have been shaped and readjusted. We found that due to competition for funding some of the analyzed NGOs were ably persuaded to alter their initial idealistic motivation of serving the best interests of local communities, while the others were simply motivated by financial self-gains from the resource-full state company. Even when the central government pushed the company to implement an innovative scheme, with greater rights and access granted to local communities, NGOs continued to favor the company’s interest by successfully persuading locals to continue with the old social forestry scheme. The study findings enhance the growing literature on the diverse roles of NGOs as interest groups in forest/environmental policies beyond the old characterization.

Review

This paper, "Nongovernmental Organizations in the Design and Implementation of Social Forestry Programs in Indonesia: Interests, Power and Strategies," offers a critical examination of the role of Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) within Indonesian social forestry initiatives. Moving beyond conventional portrayals of NGOs as universally benevolent actors representing marginalized communities, the study posits a more nuanced perspective. It argues that the failure of many social forestry projects often stems from their inability to address local needs, instead reflecting the interests of powerful external actors, including NGOs themselves. The research specifically focuses on the operational dynamics, motivations, and strategies of NGOs within state-managed forest areas under Perhutani, highlighting their intricate power relations with the state company. A significant strength of this study lies in its empirical challenge to the idealized view of NGOs. The findings reveal a complex landscape where NGOs' initial idealistic motivations to serve local communities can be significantly altered due to fierce competition for funding. Some NGOs were found to be directly motivated by financial self-gain from the resource-rich state company. Strikingly, even in scenarios where the central government advocated for innovative schemes granting greater rights and access to local communities, some NGOs continued to prioritize the company's interests, actively persuading communities to adhere to older, less beneficial social forestry models. This detailed analysis of how NGOs operate, their motivations, and their strategic adjustments within specific power dynamics makes a crucial contribution to understanding the political economy of social forestry. The paper effectively enhances the existing literature by recharacterizing NGOs not merely as benevolent advocates but as diverse interest groups profoundly shaped by financial pressures and power relations within forest and environmental policies. Its implications are substantial for policymakers and practitioners engaged in social forestry, urging a more critical assessment of NGO partnerships and a deeper scrutiny of their actual contributions to local community empowerment. By exposing the often-overlooked complexities of NGO involvement, this research provides a timely and important contribution to the discourse on sustainable forest management and community development, advocating for transparency and accountability in the sector.

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