Behind Indonesia as the third-largest forest land in the world, there are substantial problems of corruption and abuse in its forestry sector. Based on data from Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), there have been more than 27 corruption cases related to forestry since the institution was founded in 2004. Unfortunately, this is inversely proportional to the unwelcome socialization from the government and entrepreneurs.

Starting from eagerness to raise awareness about Indonesia’s forestry, Kummara Game Consultant with KPK designed Jaga Hutanku Online Facilitated Game Based-Learning (OFGBL) program. This program also collaborates with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), an international company from Germany federal government.

Aiming for government institutions, corporations, and civil society organizations in forestry, the purpose of this program is to present interactive media that can provide a comprehensive image of forestry problems, such as corruption and abuse of authority. Also, the other problems related to the integrity of forestry actors that cause forest destruction in Indonesia.

The game itself will divide participants into 4 teams with different roles; corporation, community, government, and law enforcer. Each team will try to get the objective done based on their action card per round – there are teams who have to do reforestation, on the other side they also teams who seeking profit by exploiting forest resources. Based on the actions, participants will explore how their actions give an impact on the existed forest. “We can see whether all the objectives can be achieved,” said Jaga Hutanku project manager, Brendan Satria. “In fact, all participants could lose because they could not achieve all the objections, due to the destruction of the forest.”

Initiated in March and finished in June 2020, this four-month program involves a number of parties, from  Samarinda Environment and Forestry Training Center (LHK), Forest Management Unit (KPH), until Civil Society Organization in that capital city of East Kalimantan. “Development-wise, it could be said one of intense project, all of the discussion to the playtest,” he explained.

Apart from being used in Samarinda Environment and Forestry Training Center in their learning session, Jaga Hutanku board game was also featured at GIZ workshop with Anti-Corruption Learning Center (ACLC) KPK and Kummara in December 2020. The result from the activity is an action plan that encourages people together, protecting Indonesian forests.

Source data: KPK and U4 Anti Corruption Research Centre (2020) &  KPK official release (2019)