Premiere of 'Asa Gajah Sumatra di Padang Sugihans' Living in Harmony Program in Oki, South Sumatra
Belantara Foundation, Rumah Sriksetra, and Forest Wildlife Society held a screening and discussion of the documentary film ‘Asa Gajah Sumatra di Padang Sugihan’ located at the Faculty of Social Sciences building of UIN Raden Fatah Palembang on Sunday (25/09/22). This activity takes place from 14.00 to 17.00 WIB. Apart from film screenings, on this occasion, Belantara also held a live discussion room with the speakers, namely Dr. Dolly Priatna Executive Director of Belantara Foundation, Syamsuardi Chair of Forest Wildlife Society, Taufik Wijaya Chair of Rumah Sriksetra, and Dr. Yenrizal Lecturer of Social Sciences at UIN Raden Fatah Palembang.
The documentary film 'Asa Gajah Sumatra di Padang Sugihan' was made by Rumah Sriksetra which tells about how humans should strive for living in harmony with nature and wildlife, especially with sumatran elephants. This documentary film was also made as factual documentation regarding the human-elephant conflict mitigation program, namely the 'Living in Harmony' program located in Ogan Komering Ilir, South Sumatra.
Living in Harmony is a human-elephant conflict mitigation program initiated by Belantara Foundation in collaboration with Rumah Siksetra, Forest Wildlife Society, and supported by Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund and APP Sinar Mas. This program aims to prepare village communities around elephant habitats to mitigate conflicts between elephant encounters in their residential areas and plantations. Through this program, we also provide education to raise awareness about elephant conservation to the younger generation, which are students in seven elementary schools.
“A number of community leaders, teachers, and students from several villages in Air Sugihan, which is directly living contiguously to the Sugihan-Simpang Heran enclave, apparently understand sumatran elephants. They understood that the Sumatran elephant must be protected. They are willing to share their living space with the Sumatran elephants," said Dolly Priatna, Executive Director of the Belantara Foundation.
This hope is certainly good news, and it is important to maintain it so that the Sumatran elephants in Sugihan - Simpang Heran continue to live in harmony with the humans around them. Therefore the next effort is to expand this awareness to the people of Air Sugihan and involve various parties, including universities in South Sumatra, as laboratories for science and education.
"We support various activities related to environmental issues, including the sumatran elephant whose life is currently under threat. Apart from my interest in environmental communication, FISIP UIN Raden Fatah Palembang is also committed to various efforts or actions to save the environment. Save the Earth," said Dr. Yenrizal, Deputy Dean I of Social Sciences at UIN Raden Fatah Palembang.
“Universities have a very important role in efforts to save the sumatran elephant. The screening and discussion of a documentary film about the presence of sumatran elephants at Air Sugihan at the Faculty of Social Sciences at UIN Raden Fatah Palembang, is a form of extraordinary support. It is a breath of fresh air for the future of the sumatran elephant. We believe that researchers, lecturers, and students from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at UIN Raden Fatah Palembang can contribute their knowledge, energy, and time to save the sumatran elephant which is in a constant state of urgency," said Syamsuardi from the Forest Wildlife Society.
