PGP on the Move: Networks and Sustainability along Indonesia’s Coasts

Three months across three research regions offer insights into civil society initiatives for marine and coastal conservation.

Over the past three months, the PGP research team “(G)localizing Sustainability Action: The Role of Online and Offline Networks in Indonesia” has been working across the Indonesian archipelago. They kicked-off with background talks and a workshop in Jakarta alongside partners from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Foundation for Digital Innovation and Literacy (Yayasan LiDi), with whom the team is conducting a study on how civil society organizes to mobilize collective action in the context of marine and coastal conservation.

Across the research regions Manado, Lombok, and Bali, they participants engaged with civil society organizations, local communities, journalists, state actors, and religious leaders. These conversations provided insights into key issues such as land reclamation, tourism expansion, and ecosystem degradation, as well as how civil society mobilizes collective action around these topics. They have helped the team build a comparative picture of sustainability action along Indonesia’s coastline.

Beyond hands on experience in research, use of methods, partnerships, and cooperation, the journey itself was a lesson in adaptability. Moving across three regions in three months showed what flexibility really means. The team is extremely thankful for the local research partners in the three regions, whose respective networks and contextual knowledge were essential in helping navigate local dynamics and build trust with interview partners, even in short time.

The journey also brought many memorable cultural encounters. A highlight was arriving in Bali just in time for Nyepi, the Day of Silence. The night before, the team watched the Ogoh-ogoh parade fill the streets, before spending the following day working quietly as the island came to a standstill.

Now back in Jakarta, the team is looking forward to the closing workshop, where it will share and reflect on preliminary findings together with the partners before returning to Bonn to further develop and deepen the insights.