Edition 36 : April - June 2013

K a b a r I t a h

Editorial

YTS was involved in several events in the last quarter. Two of them were particularly interesting because they had somewhat similar themes, but the settings were continents apart.

The �rst one was in Rungan Sari, on ‘governance, sustainability and human centred development’, and second was in Vancouver, on ‘sustainable mining’. Somewhat di�erent topics seemingly, but having attended both, it seems to me that it was basically the same theme – how do we manage development in a way that brings the greatest good to humanity?

The conference in Rungan Sari was quite broad and forward-looking. People from all sectors in Kalimantan took part. Basically, everyone had very similar concerns regarding making choices about using local resources – land, water, minerals, forests - that would bring bene�ts to society beyond purely economic ones; and cause the least disturbance to the natural environment.

In Vancouver, there was a similar collection of people from across the sectors, but the focus was on the minerals sector. Participants came from all over the world, with a concentration from the Americas. Again everyone was concerned about how resource utilization could become more responsible and considerate, so that bene�ts could be shared more broadly and negative impacts to society and the environment could be minimized.

There was a tendency in the Vancouver event to look back and dwell on past harmful practices, whereas in Rungan Sari the past was examined in order to avoid having the future overly in�uenced by negative events from earlier times. Having the focus on human-centred development provided a creative and liberating mechanism for the Rungan Sari event. This was missing from the Vancouver event, and the result was that there was no real movement forward.

I feel that the comparison of these two events should be instructive for those of us who are concerned about the future development of Kalimantan. It’s important to have a higher and open goal when looking into the future, and not get bogged down by what happened in the past.

Bardolf PaulExecutive Director

Is There Room for Human Centred Development in Kalimantan?

In mid-April, 50 people, represent-ing a broad cross-section of society and institutions in Central Kaliman-tan, gathered together in Rungan Sari’s Muhammad Subuh Centre to explore possibilities for a new development path in the province.

The participants were expertly guided by Hardin Tibbs, a futures specialist from the UK, who took everyone through a journey look-ing at the major factors that were in�uencing development in the past, the present, and the likely future if things continued in the present manner.

The thematic backdrop for the two-day event was ‘human-centred development’, which provided a stimulating framework for the discussions, enabling everyone to move beyond the usual focus on the economy or the environment.

One of the highlights was a series of case study presentations on situations in Indonesia where radical change has already taken place, with an explanation of what made the changes possible. This was highly inspirational for many of the participants who had yet to see innovational change happen in their area.

At the end of the two days, every-one felt there was still more to do, and the event sponsors committed to supporting a continuation of the dialogue, moving into an action plan of some kind.

YTS is very grateful to all of the event sponsors: the Guerrand-Hermes Foundation for Peace, the Ford Foundation, Susila Dharma International, and Kalimantan Gold Corporation.

Hardin Tibbs (standing far right), futures expert from the UK, ably guides Hardin Tibbs (standing far right), futures expert from the UK, ably guides conference participants in a session on working towards the futureconference participants in a session on working towards the future

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Expanding the YTS success story in assisting village planning and livelihood activities, Tumbang Masukih became the 22nd village in our Kahayan Project. Taking the initial step in the YTS annual project work cycle, an experienced �eld team supported villagers in a Community-Led Analysis and Planning (CLAP) process over a seven day period, with three days spent on training village key informants and four days on implementing the CLAP. This methodology has been used in all villages seeking assistance from YTS. It operates with a participatory approach to make sure the information generated represents existing conditions in the village.

Tumbang Masukih is a large village with 174 households. Most livelihoods depend upon artisanal and small scale gold mining. “It is the fastest way to get more money” said Mr. Abel, an old villager who actively engaged in the CLAP activity. Over four days, the CLAP team helped villagers successfully analyze such village livelihood activities as artisanal mining, rubber tapping, gardening, construction, and trading; including an analysis of problems and opportunities for each livelihood activity.

The process was supported by excellent village key informants, who actively assisted with each analysis tool. This made a big di�erence in the success of the CLAP. Information needed for the village development plan, including infrastructure, the economy, and social and cultural activities were identi�ed clearly. These highly motivated key informants really helped the CLAP team to dig out much needed information from the villagers. They were very enthusiastic: “I am happy that I could take part as one of the key informants in this activity, because what we are doing now with YTS sta� is for our village itself” said Mr. Jhonedy happily.

“I really enjoyed doing the transect, because we could go around the village by river and �nd the existing problems related to our livelihood activities. I hope what we have been doing will be useful for our village” said Mr. Berlin enthusiastically. The spirit to bring about better conditions in the village transformed into some very useful actions during the CLAP activities. The key informants had no complaints during the hectic schedule, even though the activity was quite exhausting at times.

Great and Passionate People take on CLAP in Tumbang Masukih

Left:Working with a group of mostly elders, key informants and YTS facilitators record historical events in Masukih Village during the Village History Analysis

Upper Right: Cicae (right), YTS Program O�cer, has an interesting discussion with a villager about livelihood activities in the village during the Village Walk Analysis

Lower Right: Having lived in Masukih for most of his life, Jonedy is looking forward to better development in his village as the CLAP process has helped them to identify their resources, opportunities, problems and solution

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The Governance Project has shown encouraging results from a series of trainings on strategic planning that were delivered in May and June, as well as from the monitoring and evaluation of the project’s third quarter. Immediately following the training series and despite their limited budget allocations, the Health and Education agencies committed to approve proposals from our six pilot villages. Results of the monitoring and evaluation showed that these communities are very positive about the project’s education and health campaign in the last quarter.

Villagers in three of the six pilot villages have now established self-funded and self-administered preschools. Better still, one of them, Tumbang Tajungan, just received an award at the Gunung Mas 11th anniversary celebration for its achievement in promoting education for preschoolers. This is a direct result of the community campaign. The preschool in this village has been running with support from parents, who are very excited that this initiative has been taken.

Communities take Education to the Next Level

For quite some time PT KSK and its catering contractor, Indocater, have been discussing the idea of purchasing food supply locally. These discussions intensi�ed at the end of 2012 and the �rst actions to realise this program were initiated in early 2013. Discussions were held with the villagers of Tumbang Mahuroi, closest to the Marinyoi exploration camp to discuss this idea and gauge the interest of community members.

Local Community feeds Exploration Camp

The Gunung Mas government also expressed its appreciation to the project, as conveyed by Ir. Kamiar, the Secretary of Gunung Mas: “YTS has been taking the right steps in delivering alternative livelihood programs and capacity building for village governments towards better governance in the village”. This positive outcome is expected to last, even when the project �nishes at the end of this year.

After several rounds of discussion, all parties agreed on a mechanism to enable villagers to supply the Marinyoi camp and ensure a steady supply of produce for the catering company. The next step was an intensive training program to diversify and increase vegetable production. A total of 15 farmers became active in the vegetable interest group. Over a two month period, YTS conducted training every three weeks, and monitored progress in the �eld of each farmer.

KSK began to buy vegetables in Tumbang Mahuroi on 9 June. As soon as purchasing began, other villagers also became eager to sell vegetables and the amounts supplied are increasing as more vegetable gardens start producing. The system still needs further �ne tuning, especially because the remoteness of the area makes communication and transportation between Tumbang Mahuroi and the Marinyoi Base Camp not easy. Experience is still needed to ensure a steady supply, but we hope that a good part of the camp’s vegetable supply can now be purchased locally.

Despite the limited facilities, teachers and students in Tumbang Tajungan are excited with the preschool initiative. Mimin (right), one of the teachers is teaching the pupils the alphabet in a villager’s house

Women farmers in Mahuroi weigh up and bundle freshly-harvested Women farmers in Mahuroi weigh up and bundle freshly-harvested vegetables for sale to a buyer from the KSK exploration campvegetables for sale to a buyer from the KSK exploration camp

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Many YTS interventions are conducted through trainings, seminars, workshops, and other group events with local government and community partners. Creative use of visualization techniques can enhance the e�ectiveness of these group events. With this objective in mind, YTS organised a capacity building event on ‘Visualization in Participatory Programs’ (VIPP) training in April in Eco Village, Rungan Sari, Palangka Raya. This important �ve day training was facilitated by two highly experienced trainers, Nur Tjahjo and RM Jannah.

The training was intended to improve the quality of service delivery by YTS, and to imbed sound participatory, interactive, and adult learn-ing principles in any group event that the sta� facilitates. The concept, principles and use of VIPP was presented, discussed and demonstrated enthusiasti-cally by all YTS sta� under the guidance of the highly experi-enced and �exible trainers. “Based on the participants’ level of understanding, the trainer was very �exible in terms of delivery. I feel the training was really suited to my need”, commented Elsi, a program o�cer for Miri Manasa subdistrict.

The training sessions brought valuable insights to YTS sta�. “Training handouts are not always easy for villagers to understand, but when they are presented using colorful VIPP tools showing only the key words, it’s much easier to understand them, and I am sure the technical assistance sessions in villages will now be more interactive”, said Blink, a program o�cer for Damang Batu subdistrict.

Most participants commented positively on the training, especially new sta� members. “I like this training since it was my �rst experience with participatory visualization. It’s very interactive and the facilitators were very expert. Very good training delivery”, said Duma, a new sta� in the renewable energy project. Cicae, a new program o�cer commented, “I never had training on participatory visualization before; this training is very useful for supporting my �eld work.”

A few considerations have to be remembered when using VIPP tools: “Too much focus on design rather than on content or the message may negatively impact the e�ectiveness of participatory visualization. Therefore, focusing on the message has to be considered equally important as focusing on the visualization design”, said TJ concisely in closing the group simulation event session.

YTS is currently a local partner for the Apex Consulting Group – New Ventures Indonesia (NVI) in a program called ‘Capacity Building and Investment Facilitation for Renewable Energy Project Developers, Palm Oil Plantations and Financiers in Central Kalimantan’. An information session that YTS hosted in Palangka Raya on May 16 attracted a range of interested parties from various sectors - businesses, banks, local government, and representatives from sustainable palm oil plantations.

Apex-NVI is o�ering an opportunity to tap into consulting and facilitation services that will enable renewable energy project developers to improve their capabilities, and access �nances or funding for projects. All business support, mentoring, training, networking and investment facilitation services are provided free of charge. The project runs until the end of this year, capping o� with an investor forum in December.

Right now, we are building an information database that provides a pro�le on potential participants from renewable energy development projects and sustainable palm oil plantations. More networking events are in the pipeline. For additional project information, go to http://www.new-ventures.or.id/kalteng.php .

Valuable Insights from VIPP Training

Energising Renewable Energy Entrepreneurs

Simon Bell, senior consultant from PT Apex Consulting Simon Bell, senior consultant from PT Apex Consulting Group weighs in on business opportunities for renewable Group weighs in on business opportunities for renewable energy in Central Kalimantan.energy in Central Kalimantan.

YTS sta� enjoy the fun and exciting process of learning the VIPP methodYTS sta� enjoy the fun and exciting process of learning the VIPP method

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Recently, YTS has been investigating the nature and distribution of the informal gold mining activities taking place across Indonesia. In particular, we have closely examined the situation in the province of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) where small-scale gold mining has recently spread from the island of Lombok to the neighbouring island of Sumbawa. Mercury use is the standard method of gold recovery, leading to hundreds of tonnes of emissions each year in this province alone. This exposure is endangering community health in many areas.

Our project in Central Kalimantan has been very successful at preventing mercury emissions using recycling technology. In West Sumbawa however, we are going a step further, and seeking to eliminate the need to use mercury in the gold recovery process, by introducing gravity techniques that use no mercury.

Reaching Out to Lombok and Sumbawa

Since May, we have demonstrated this environmentally friendly method to miners in a wide variety of locations. Ore-processors have been especially impressed by the e�cacy of the Filipino method, that uses no mercury yet can recover more gold. And to ensure that more widespread adoption of the method can take place, we have also established a mercury-free processing shed on the outskirts of the town of Taliwang.

YTS will return to Sumbawa in October and November to raise more awareness about the dangers of mercury; conduct more mercury-free demonstrations; and work on regulatory issues. Together with our project partners (the Blacksmith Institute, the Danish Geological Survey, and the Benguet Miners Federation) we will be holding a multi-stakeholder workshop to bring together miners and government and commence a dialogue on how to have more sustainable community mining without causing serious environmental pollution.

Top Right: The mercury-free facility established by YTS

Bottom Left: A Filipino miner trains an Indonesian miner

Bottom Right: Head trainer, Leoncio Na-oy, prepares to recover the gold using Borax

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WWF Tests Planning Module for Sustainable Village Development

At the end of June, YTS, along with 10 other NGOs from Central Kalimantan took part in a week-long trial organised by WWF to test a module for sustainable village planning in the village of Tumbang Runen, along the Katingan River. The module incorporates a participatory approach and is designed for government sta� use. Observers spent two days in the village.

Understanding the Indonesian Mining Sector

The Overseas Development Institute based in London recently contracted YTS to conduct a multi-faceted study on the Indonesian mining sector. The primary aim is to gain an understanding of the interactions between large scale mining companies and small scale operators, and to examine the range of bene�ts that large scale miners bring to local communities where they operate. The �rst part of the study is desk-based, but the second part will look in detail at three �eld situations. AusAID is funding this study in order to decide how best to support development of the industry in Indonesia.

Better Operational Standards for Coal Miners

On 23 April, YTS participated in the consultation organised by the Bettercoal Initiative. This initiative is working on labour, environmental and social standards for coal suppliers to the European market. The aim is to ensure that the operational standards of coal mining companies adhere to international standards to ensure that their operations have no negative impacts on local stakeholders and the environment.

News�ash

Agenda

Published by:Yayasan Tambuhak SintaJl. Rajawali VII, Srikandi III No. 100 Bukit Tunggal, Palangka Raya 73112Kalimantan Tengah - IndonesiaTelp. +62 (0536) 3237184Fax. +62 (0536) 3229187Email: tambuhaksinta@gmail.comWebsite: www.tambuhaksinta.com

Bank Accounts:Yayasan Tambuhak SintaBNI 1946Palangka Raya BranchCentral KalimantanINDONESIANumber 0114981608Swift: BNINIDJA

Kabar ItahKabar Itah is the quarterly newsletter of Yayasan Tambuhak Sinta (YTS), an a�liate of PT. Kalimantan Surya Kencana (KSK), a mineral exploration company.

July:Kahayan:

Horticulture Training I in Kahayan Hulu Utara

Aquaculture Training II in Damang Batu

Credit Union Training in Kahayan Hulu Utara and Miri Manasa

Bukit Batu:

Initial Visit from Technical Expert on Chicken Feed Production Training

August:Kahayan:

Horticulture Training in Kahayan Hulu Utara and Miri Manasa

Training on Rubber Cultivation I in Damang Batu

Aquaculture Training I in Kahayan Hulu Utara

Governance Project:

Training on Government Budgeting

Bukit Batu:

Training on Chicken Feed Production I

Training:

Shared Learning about Civil Society Organizations

September:Kahayan:

Training on Rubber Cultivation II in Damang Batu

Aquaculture Training II in Kahayan Hulu Utara

Horticulture Training II in Miri Manasa

Governance Project:

Project Evaluation

Bukit Batu:

Training on Chicken Feed Production II

Training:

Shared Learning about Civil Society Organizations

Training on Facilitation Skill Development

GEMM 2013 was an exploration of the challenges facing the mining sector in addressing socio-economic concerns. The organizers from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada used an innovative approach to stimulate creative dialogue and discussion: each thematic session started out with a video simulation of a typical interaction between a mining company and a community directly impacted by the mine’s operations, at key stages in a project’s development.

There were scenarios covering exploration, mine construction, and mine operations. Small groups discussed issues raised in each video and then shared their insights with the larger group in plenary sessions.

Nearly 150 people took part in the three-day event. Most were from the Americas, but there were a few from Asia and Africa as

Fresh Insights into the Dilemma of Mineral Development

well. Companies, indigenous people, civil society organisa-tions, academia, consultants and government were well-represented.

There were notable di�erences in circumstances between the continents, but in all situations there are some common principles running through the di�erent manifestations of con�ict and dissatisfaction: The principle one is the inability of companies to engage well with and communicate clearly with local communities, leading to all kinds of misunderstandings and inappropriate behaviour.

The third day involved a potpourri of presentations and drama: a theatrical piece involving role-playing by participants was staged at the end of the session, and proved quite entertaining.

Ending the GEMM 2013 conference on a high note, Marcello Veiga, aided by Jessica Bratty, Ending the GEMM 2013 conference on a high note, Marcello Veiga, aided by Jessica Bratty, sings a plaintive ballad for hard-working miners.sings a plaintive ballad for hard-working miners.