Word: Ayu Arman
Who among them has a track record of consistent leadership and commitment to fight for the land of Papua to become an advanced, prosperous region, and in harmony with the dance of nature along with all its ancestral cultural heritage for the preservation, protection and sustainable use of resources for the land of Papua, Indonesia and the world?
Papua is the last bastion of Indonesia’s tropical belt. In 2015, West Papua was designated as the first conservation province in Indonesia and the world. The choice refers to the natural landscape of West Papua, which has the largest virgin forest resources and the widest diversity of fish and coral reefs in Indonesia.
In 2022, the government officially split the fourth province of Papua, namely the province of Southwest Papua which includes 5 regencies and 1 mayor, namely Maybrat Regency, Tambrauw Regency, South Sorong Regency, Sorong Regency, Raja Ampat Regency and Sorong city. So that Southwest Papua Province has the potential to become a leading program for sustainable development, especially tourism and the environment and shift the position of West Papua as Indonesia’s conservation province.
As Raja Ampat is now one of the districts in Southwest Papua, it has more than 540 species of hard corals (75% of the world’s total species), more than 1,000 species of reef fish, 700 species of mollusks, and a record high of gonodactylus stomatopod crustaceans. This makes 75% of the world’s coral species in Raja Ampat.
Meanwhile, 70% of Tambrauw’s land, out of a total area of 11,529.182 km2, is a conservation and protected forest area that has an extraordinary diversity of biological resources. Tambrauw forest is the only virgin forest in West Papua so far. So that Tambrauw is a key buffer for the availability of oxygen and biological elements of Indonesia and even the world.
However, the wealth and beauty of Southwest Papua’s natural and cultural resources will have no impact on people’s welfare and climate change if its leaders lack awareness and commitment to green leadership.
In recent decades, the land of Papua has experienced rapid and dramatic changes due to the exploitation of natural resources for economic activities and physical development that is not environmentally friendly. Moreover, Indonesia and the world are currently experiencing a climate crisis.
Therefore, Southwest Papua needs a strong leader who has heart and guts, has an outside world network and has a green leadership character in order to be able to consolidate Papuan human resources and maintain the sustainability of Papuan nature.
Green leadership is a leader who has an awareness and vision of sustainable development that is able to influence and encourage his leadership to support pro-environmental policies and has a strong loyalty to commit to sustainable development. Because power is often tempting to deflect noble ideals during election campaigns.
What will happen if the leaders of Southwest Papua do not have green awareness and vision? The indigenous Papuan people who live with nature will suffer the most. Because they lose land, lose trees, and lose other biodiversity, which will make the community and future generations hungry. That is why conserving biodiversity and harmonizing development with sustainable principles must be the direction of development of the leaders of Southwest Papua going forward.
In two months, on November 27, 2024 to be precise, we will elect new leaders who will run the government of Southwest Papua province for the first time. The leaders you choose will bring your fate forward. Are you prosperous or miserable? Because leadership is the key to determining the future of a nation. Leaders have the greatest responsibility to bring the nation and state into the future.
Failures under, outside, and within a government are caused by its leaders. If the government is filled with leaders who are incompetent, do not have a vision of conservation, are not nationalistic, are not committed, are just popular, political payback, and opportunistic, then the people will suffer. Therefore, we as citizens must be aware and smart to elect the right people in the right positions.
Then, how to choose the right and right leader, considering that nowadays people are quite sophisticated in “polishing” with massive self-imaging in the mass media?
There are several steps we can take to find the right leader. Because leaders are very influential figures in running the wheels of government and leading their people.
First, recognize the problems of our region and then choose leaders who have a vision and mission in accordance with the potential and challenges of the region so that their leadership can solve the problems of regional problems.
Secondly, recognize the quality of leaders from the ability and impact of the policies they make. If we see the quality of leaders only from personal values and self-image then it will be very biased. An action is called excellent if it is really useful for the country and the nation. If it is only for himself, then it cannot be called a very good deed or action. Because the policies and actions of a national leader should not only think about the good of himself and his group but for the public interest, the interests of the state and the nation.
Then, how to know the quality and ability of the leader and the impact of the policy of leadership? Look at the track record of leadership during the time they lead their respective regions.
The Southwest Papua KPU has announced a pair of candidates for governor and deputy governor of Southwest Papua province in the simultaneous election in November 2024.
There are five pairs of candidates for governor and deputy governor of Southwest Papua. First, Gabriel Assem SE. M.Si, the first former regent of Tambrauw Regency for the 2011-2021 period who was accompanied by Lukman Wugaje, SH, who is a religious figure in Southwest Papua.
Second, Elisa Kambu, S.sos is the former regent of Asmat Regency for the period 2016-2024 who was accompanied by Ahmad Nausrau, S.Pdi, MM, who is the Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council of West Papua.
Second, Abdul Faris Umlati SE, MM. M.Pd is the regent of Raja Ampat for the period 2016-2024, who is accompanied by Dr. Ir. Petrus Kasihiw, MT, who is the former regent of Teluk Bintuni Regency for two periods 2016-2024.
Third, Dr. Bernard Sagrim is the former regent of Maybrat Regency for two periods 2011-2021, who was accompanied by DRS.MM Sirajuddin Bauw, S.Ag, who is the Head of the Islamic Education Division of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of West Papua Province.Kelima, LETJEN TNI (Purn) Yopie Wayangkau adalah putra Papua pertama yang mencapai pangkat tiga bintang di lingkungan TNI Angkatan Darat, yang didampingi oleh Ibrahim Wugaje.
Before choosing leaders, make sure we recognize them by doing research and analysis on their background, integrity, ability to lead and make the right decisions in difficult situations, and the vision and mission of their work programs that will answer the problems of Southwest Papua. Who among them has a track record of consistent leadership and commitment to fight for the land of Papua to become an advanced, prosperous region, and in harmony with the natural dance along with all its ancestral cultural heritage for the preservation, protection and sustainable use of resources for the land of Papua, Indonesia and the world?
Our decisions in choosing leaders will determine our future fate. It’s time for us to choose consciously and intelligently!.