Kitong Bisa Foundation (KBF) received an invitation from the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) to participate as a recommender in the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on the Study of Community Social Empowerment in Eastern Indonesia.
At the forum, KBF was one of 17 NGOs and organizations specially invited by the Deputy for Community Empowerment, Population, and Manpower at BAPPENAS. This involvement provided a platform for civil society organizations to share their perspectives, experiences, and recommendations based on empowerment practices implemented in Eastern Indonesia.
As an organization involved in various community empowerment initiatives, KBF CEO Mochamad Afif Dzulqifli emphasized the importance of the community empowerment paradigm in Eastern Indonesia, especially in Papua, which is different from areas in Java.
‘This doesn’t mean that the farthest reaches of Indonesia are considered the last, and that the community is faced with a top-down approach, from the center to the regions. The paradigm of building Eastern Indonesia needs to be changed to a developing Eastern Indonesia, giving the people of Eastern Indonesia the opportunity to develop their own regions,’ he said.
In this context, community empowerment is not simply focused on program implementation. It requires a process that strengthens community capacity, opens access to various opportunities, and encourages active community involvement in determining the direction of development in their communities.
KBF’s involvement in this FGD also provided an opportunity to share lessons learned from community assistance experiences in Papua and other parts of Eastern Indonesia. These experiences are expected to inform the development of studies and policy recommendations that are more contextual, inclusive, and relevant to community needs.
KBF believes that sustainable development requires placing communities at the heart of the change process, not merely as beneficiaries. By providing space for communities to engage, develop their potential, and play a role in development, various empowerment initiatives are expected to create broader and more sustainable impacts.
Through participation in this forum, Kitong Bisa Foundation remains committed to contributing to encouraging development that supports local potential and strengthens the role of communities in creating a more inclusive and empowered future for Eastern Indonesia.
