Many Lumad or Indigenous communities have adopted the “agribusiness mentality,” that is, producing crops for the market and compromising food security, according to Erwin Rayos of Agroeco Philippines and Samdhana Institute’s technical consultant on agroecology.

In the indigenous communities that Samdhana is partnering with, most of the farmers are mainly producing hybrid corn varieties and cash crops, although there are still root crops and vegetables for domestic consumption.

From 30 June to 4 July 2023, Samdhana and AnimHa Menoken Team brought a series of Menoken events to South Papua, as part of a campaign called Noken, from Papua for the Archipelago. Through this movement, our aim is to connect Indigenous Peoples in the Merauke region with their counterparts elsewhere in Indonesia.

From production to processing, Indigenous women play a significant role in providing food for their families on a daily basis. However, when climate change impacts affect marine resources and disrupt agriculture, they are particularly susceptible.

From 23–31 May 2023, Samdhana set off on a Menoken journey in collaboration with RSBI Kupang and Juventude Inovativo. Travelling from Kupang in Indonesia to Timor Loro Sae in Timor-Leste, this event aimed to connect youth groups from communities in both nations, by sharing knowledge and finding common ground.

In November 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdowns, the Samdhana Institute set off on an ambitious mission to reconnect with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) who had been left isolated by the global pandemic.

Working Towards Climate Change Mitigation and Nature's Protection

Monday, August 21, 2023, in Gobleg Village, Bali, Indonesia was the opening day of the third Jamboree Nusantara and the second Southeast Asia Region Summit for Young Leaders.

From 21-24 February 2023, the International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP) Global Conference was held in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. The theme of this year’s event was ‘Shifting Power: Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, Leadership and Self-determination’.

From 20-22 March 2023, a total of 10 Samdhana staff joined an internal staff skills workshop on communications technology in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The hands-on training session aimed to build their knowledge and develop their skills in data management, data presentation and data sharing, while also helping them to maintain better data security standards.

Throughout 2022, Samdhana continued to support the efforts of Masyarakat Adat (indigenous people) to secure government recognition of ulayat rights in Sarmi Regency. Community members and local organizations were involved in various activities, starting with a menoken with the local government, indigenous communities, and other stakeholders.

In 2022, another highlight was the Fellows meeting at Prana Dewi Resort in Bali. After some hiatus, Fellows were able to meet in person again. Twenty-two Samdhana Fellows joined, and an additional four went online. Set in the open space of Prana Dewi, with fresh air and beautiful scenery, it created a friendly and laid-back atmosphere.