Mochamad Zamroni: International Visitor Leadership Program on Sustainable Development and Environment Protection, 2008

Moch. Zamroni in Wyoming, USA

Moch. Zamroni introduces CG Caryn McClelland to students before the Lorax film screening as part of the Earth Day Commemoration in Surabaya

Mochamad Zamroni or Roni is a well known figure in Surabaya, especially among young environmental activists. Through his NGO “Tunas Hijau” (“Green Buds” www.tunashijau.org) of which he is the president, this 31-year old young man has been tirelessly campaigning for environmental issues. His active contribution to society led to his receipt of several awards from local, national, and international organizations. In 2004, Tunas Hijau, under Roni’s leadership, was awarded a “Surabaya Academy Award” a prestigious honor given by Surabaya citizens to individuals or organizations for their outstanding contribution to Surabaya society. During the same year, members of Tunas Hijau were chosen to represent Indonesia in the International Children’s Conference on the Environment in the USA. Later in 2008, Tunas Hijau successfully held an Asia Pacific Interfaith Youth Camp on Climate Change in Surabaya, participated in by more than 125 youths from 11 different Asia Pacific countries.
 
Looking at his leadership and commitment on these issues, in June 2008 the U.S. State Department through the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya invited Mochamad Zamroni to participate in the International Visitor Leadership Program on Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection. During his three-week stay in the U.S. Roni was given a chance to meet and exchange ideas with government officials and fellow NGO leaders, as well as visit national parks and see some environmental projects in several different states.
 
What did you find most interesting during your participation in the International Visitor Leadership Program in the U.S.?

I found my trip to Miami, Florida the most interesting part out of the whole trip. In Miami, I learned about the Pier2Pier program, a program initiated by an American teacher who started a project on sustainable environmental ideas along with some students. This program continues to develop and has been adopted by many schools in the U.S. and other countries. This program inspires me to develop more eco-schools in my area.

What are some of the challenges you face in your environmental activities?

More schools are interested in applying eco-school programs. However, creating an eco-school cannot be done through a one-time workshop or activity. It has to be done continuously, and making this happen is not always easy because it requires active participation from all stakeholders. This is why we try to conduct different programs in different schools everyday to keep the students’ excitement up.

How do you get young people involved in this very important issue?

We have to stop seeing young people as the objects of our good intentions. Instead, my organization sees students and young people as “agents of change.” We also create a “fun and friendly” atmosphere when we create programs for young people. For example, my organization Tunas Hijau invented a giant-size remake of the good old “Snakes and Ladders” children board game to educate children and adults about the importance of protecting the ozone layer. This game has been adopted by the UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) in their Ozon Action Multimedia Collection to educate children around the world. This game has also been translated into English, Spanish, and French.
 
Since returning from the U.S, Roni continues his contribution to environmental protection. Recently, Tunas Hijau held various programs involving schools in Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Gresik, and Malang as part of their commemoration of Earth Day. The programs included workshops on environmental issues, a mural competition, planting trees, training for recycling programs and a joint program with the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya to hold “The Lorax” film screening and book launch led by the Consul General, Caryn McClelland for elementary school students in Surabaya on April 21, 2009. The Lorax tells the story of Once-ler, an industrious man who discovers a pristine forest of Truffula trees and develops a path to riches by turning them into Thneeds, a product no one can do without.  Unfortunately, the process involves chopping down the Truffula trees, which brings out the Lorax, who speaks for the trees since they cannot talk.

Roni and his partners are examples of young Indonesian heroes who have been instrumental in teaching young people ways to become environmentally conscious. The U.S. Mission in Indonesia is looking forward to supporting more young Indonesian heroes in the future.

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