IRI  (Indonesia's Interfaith Rainforest Initiative) and PJMI (the Indonesian Muslim Journalist Association) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support tropical forest protection and climate action.

Jakarta (Indonesia Windows) - Indonesia's Interfaith Rainforest Initiative (IRI) and the Indonesian Muslim Journalist Association (PJMI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support tropical forest protection and climate action.

The signing of the MoU took place on Sunday at Kisuci (Cikeas River Climate Community) base camp in Sentul, Bogor district, West Java province.

The agreement marks a joint commitment between the organization and the association to raise public awareness and advocate for policies that support the conservation of tropical forests.

IRI Indonesia, well known as an organization that focuses on the protection of tropical forests and indigenous peoples' rights, will provide training and workshops to PJMI journalists on environmental issues and climate change.

Meanwhile, PJMI, which is a forum for Muslim journalists in Indonesia, will play an active role in producing and disseminating news, articles, and educational content through various media platforms.

"We believe that the media has a key role in building awareness and encouraging real action to protect tropical forests," said Dr. Hayu Prabowo, National Facilitator of IRI Indonesia.

Through this collaboration, he continued, IRI Indonesia wants to strengthen the environmental narrative based on justice and sustainability.

The chairman of PJMI, Ismail Lutan, also emphasized the importance of the involvement of journalists in environmental issues.

"As muslim journalists, we have a moral responsibility to voice humanitarian issues and ecological justice. This partnership will strengthen our commitment to reporting on tropical forest conservation efforts," he said.

The scope of this cooperation includes several important aspects, including:

First, training and education for journalists on tropical forest conservation, climate change, and the role of indigenous people.

Second, the production and distribution of informative and educational media content through various platforms, both online and offline.

Third, public policy advocacy to encourage stricter regulations in the protection of tropical forests and climate change mitigation efforts.

IRI Indonesia and PJMI also plan to form a joint working team that will coordinate program implementation, periodic evaluations, and ensure the sustainability of this initiative.

Indonesia's tropical forests, which are one of the lungs of the world, continue to face serious threats due to deforestation and industrial expansion.

Based on the latest data, Indonesia lost more than 115,000 hectares of primary forest in 2023, mostly due to illegal logging, oil palm plantations, and forest fires.

With this partnership, the two organizations hope to contribute to reversing the trend of environmental damage and encouraging more pro-environmental policies.

"We hope that this collaboration can inspire more parties, including religious communities and other journalists, to be involved in forest conservation efforts and climate action," Hayu said.

Reporting by Indonesia Window