Written by Rojak Nurhawan

People’s Legal Aid (PHR) are those who work to accompany and reinforce the norms or customs that have occurred and been carried out for generations. Individuals who work in this field have noble intentions and aspirations to devote themselves to personal change, the surrounding environment, the village, and even the broader scope of the country. The following is a small piece of experience in the field on how PHR works. As a case study that might be common for most change activists, this short article intends to illustrate how the community and village activists who have participated in the Critical Legal Education series work at the grassroots level. One of the case studies taken is in Kiarasari Village, Sukajaya District, Bogor Regency.

Overview of the Location

Kiarasari Village, one of the villages in the Halimun Ecosystem area, is a village categorized around the forest area. Administratively, it falls within the Sukajaya District, Bogor Regency, West Java Province. The village covers an area of 1075.96 hectares (based on Participatory Mapping). It is inhabited by 9,542 people. The main livelihood of the residents is farming and agricultural labor. The population of this village is divided into two parts. Some are descendants and followers of the Kasepuhan Urug, while others are newcomers. The philosophy in the community’s life in this village is ” Tilu Sapamulu, Dua Sakarupa, Nu Hiji Eta Eta Keneh ,” which means three important aspects in enforcing rules: Custom, Religion, and State towards the well-being of this world and the hereafter for the primary goal of prosperity. Like other villages inside and around the forest, common issues that arise are infrastructure, healthcare, education, and economy. The village’s potentials include local values such as mutual cooperation and deliberation, which are the main characteristics of the village community.

Chronology of PHR’s Role in Realizing Village Renewal

In 2002, Indonesian Young Foresters (RMI) started to enter Kiarasari, introducing themselves to the community and being positioned as partners in bringing about village changes. This was done by alumni of Critical Legal Education who observed and understood the natural resources conditions and potentials of the village.

Then in 2003, there was a rejection by the community towards the unconventional practices of Perhutani. Especially the farmers cultivating 25 hectares of rice fields protested against the levies imposed by Perhutani, claiming that the rice fields were part of the Gunung Halimun Salak National Park expansion area. A year later, SEPEKAN (Forest Farmer Union) was formed to maintain solidarity among the farmers working within the forest area and as a platform for farmers to struggle in managing the area. Concrete actions were taken to rehabilitate the areas in Cibuluh Village, Kiarasari Village, and Gunung Leutik Village by integrating timber planting with undergrowth plants.

The progress of the community became more visible by pushing for the Village Head’s Decree on Simultaneous Planting in 2005. This was a result of the learning process after three consecutive years of failed harvests, partly due to unsynchronized planting and neglecting the traditional practices. Subsequently, a discussion among the village elders led to a written decree by the Village Head.

A year later, the community conducted participatory mapping as a tool for negotiating space utilization with the Local Government, and this was done voluntarily. They also pushed for the development of micro-hydro power plants to meet the lighting needs in Cibuluh Village by utilizing water for electricity. They received support from the West Java Provincial Government.

This year, PHR Kiara Sari is drafting the Village Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMDes) through participatory FGD facilitated by RMI, making it a Pilot Project in the Sukajaya District, Bogor Regency. This effort aims to promote the cultivation of nutmeg as the village’s leading commodity to secure the land of the community from plantation investors entering the village. ***