New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is working on a collaboration with UGM to enhance sustainable economic development and open more livelihood opportunities to the community especially in the area of eastern Indonesia through Community, Resilience, and Economic Development (CaRED) program.
This program has been running for five years and it has been capable to produce several significant contributions to the local community, either in the field of renewable energy, economic empowerment of local communities, and prevention of human rights crises and conflict resolution.
“I appreciate the whole team for their dedication and hard work in doing research and building network in the field,” said the Ambassador of New Zealand for Indonesia, H.E. Dr. Jonathan Austin, on Thursday (13/2) di UGM.
During his visit to UGM, he was a speaker at the closing seminar on the CaRED program and a public lecture on the description of bilateral collaboration between Indonesia and New Zealand.
In the opening of the seminar, he mentioned the various achievements that have been accomplished throughout this program, including the installation of disaster early warning devices in the three locations, peacebuilding training for dozens of young people in Papua, and the formation of institutions that support the better level of income in a rural community.
He stated that the grant was a form of commitment and concern for the New Zealand government in the world of research and education, particularly towards national development in Indonesia.
“Our dedication is to help Indonesia reaching out success," he said.
In addition to the various achievements, he also revealed that there are many lessons from the collaborative process that has taken place. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the completed program, as input for planning in the future.
"Thank you for the partnership that has been built. I hope this legacy can be continued for years to come, "Jonathan said.
Grants from the New Zealand government through the CaRED program were given to 13 research teams to work on community development projects and research-based assistance in various locations in eastern Indonesia.
The purpose of the CaRED itself is to contribute to sustainable development in Indonesia, including in the field of human resources and the capacity to face challenges in development.
To support this program, collaboration was also established with national and international partners including universities, local communities, local governments, NGOs, and the industrial sector.
"This program has had a huge impact on the community and the various components involved. This is a good example on how to build good cooperation between the government and universities," said the Deputy Rector of UGM in the Field of Cooperation and Alumni, Prof. Dr. Paripurna, S.H., M.Hum., LL.M.
On this opportunity, UGM also held an exhibition of CaRED program grantees who will present the results, outputs, and lessons learned from this community-based research to stakeholders, institutions, and the general public.
Reporter: Gloria
Photo courtesy: Firsto
Translator: Natasa