Reflections From My Visit to Indonesia

Over seven decades, Ford has supported Indonesian community partners and leaders who have a deep-seated commitment to social justice. During my recent visit to our office in Jakarta, I met with grantees and leaders across the region who are pioneering natural resources and climate justice strategies, strengthening civic space, and furthering impact investing. Thank you to Ford’s regional director, Alex Irwan, and the entire Indonesia office for their warm welcome and leadership.

A group of professional staff members gathers around a long wooden conference table under a vaulted wooden ceiling in the Jakarta office. This high-quality photograph captures an engaging, collaborative moment, humanizing our global team and work.

Putting Communities at the Center of Decision-Making

Central to our work in Indonesia is the Natural Resources and Climate Justice (NRCJ) program. I had the opportunity to hear from our grantee partners about how they are facilitating a holistic energy transition that puts people first and respects the balance between environmental sustainability and socioeconomic equity in Indonesia and across the Global South.

A high-quality photo of professional staff members seated around a conference table in Jakarta, listening to a woman in glasses and a black blazer speak. This action-oriented, journalistic photo captures an engaging meeting that humanizes our global team.

A high-quality group portrait of 11 professional staff members standing together behind a conference table in Jakarta, Indonesia. This journalistic photograph captures a moment of regional office collaboration , humanizing the foundation's global team and its institutional work.

It was a privilege to listen and learn from Indonesian women leaders about the challenges they face in their work and the pathways for change.

A woman with glasses and a red patterned wrap gestures while speaking at a long conference table. Other professional women listen and take notes during a meeting. This high-quality photo humanizes our global team and highlights collaborative dialogue in a regional setting.

A high-quality group portrait of ten professional staff members standing together in front of three large, framed black-and-white art prints. This journalistic photograph humanizes the global team, capturing a moment of regional office collaboration during a visit to Jakarta, Indonesia.

Defining a Just Energy Transition

At the Sunyi Cafe, which creates inclusive opportunities for people with disabilities in the food and beverage sector, I spoke with partners about aligning climate goals with equitable economic development, the $21.4 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership, and the necessity of centering justice and democratic governance in the transition.

Professional leaders standing in an office lobby, listening to a colleague speak. This action-oriented, journalistic photograph captures an engaging, collaborative moment, humanizing our global team and work during a regional office visit to Jakarta, Indonesia.

Professional leaders engaged in a collaborative meeting around a wooden conference table. A woman in a grey hijab speaks while others listen closely. This action-oriented, journalistic photograph humanizes our global team during a regional office visit to Jakarta, Indonesia.

Shifting the Landscape of Climate Finance

I spoke with our partners from Nusantara Fund, IPAS Fund, and TERA Fund. They are creating new mechanisms for climate financing and mobilizing capital directly to communities.

A large, diverse group of over 15 people stands and poses together in front of a black exhibition wall displaying various photographs under the hashtag #LOCALPRACTICESFORGLOBALCOMMONS. This high-quality photo humanizes the foundation's collaborative community engagement in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Women speaking into a microphone during an indoor regional event. Other attendees listen and smile in the background, creating an engaging, journalistic scene that humanizes the foundation's global community work in Jakarta, Indonesia.

I also sat down with experts working across the public and private sectors to discuss how Orange Bonds and impact investing can bridge Indonesia’s SDG financing gap by mobilizing large amounts of capital and developing mechanisms of distribution to reach communities directly. This work has become a blueprint for other countries.

Ten professional leaders standing together in front of a dark wood-paneled wall. This journalistic photograph humanizes our global team, capturing a moment of institutional collaboration during a regional office visit to Jakarta, Indonesia.

Left to right, Heather Gerken, Noorain Khan, and
Alexander Irwan seated at a dark conference table during a regional meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia. A man in a batik shirt speaks while two colleagues smile alongside him. This journalistic image highlights institutional collaboration and humanizes our global team.

Bridging Divides

I had the opportunity to experience parts of Indonesia’s rich culture and history. The team and I enjoyed an incredible lunch prepared by Javara Culture and Lakoat Kujawas social enterprise from the Indigenous community of Mollo in South Central Timor. This lunch not only showcased traditional Indonesian food practices but revealed how cuisine can serve as a powerful narrative for food sovereignty, climate justice, and cultural preservation.

Professional leaders and staff members seated along a long, decorated banquet table in a bright room. Attendees applaud a young man speaking into a microphone at the head of the table, capturing a moment of community, gratitude, and collaboration.

Group portrait of over 15 professional staff members and regional partners posing together in a bright, modern room. This journalistic photograph captures a moment of global partnership and collaboration during an institutional visit to Jakarta, Indonesia.

I spent an evening visiting the Istiqlal Mosque and Jakarta Cathedral, connected by the “Tunnel of Friendship,” to experience how physical space can reinforce national values of tolerance and build connections between religious communities.

Government Partnership Meetings

The Ford Foundation has a longstanding partnership with the Indonesian government, as well as past and present officials.

During my visit to Jakarta, I had the opportunity to speak with Ilham Habibie, Dr. Dewi Fortuna Anwar, and Nadia Habibie about the legacy of democratic reforms initiated by the late President B. J. Habibie, widely regarded as the Father of Democracy.

I spoke with Alissa Wahid, the daughter of President Abdurrahman Wahid, on her work with faith-based grassroots movements in Indonesia to defend human rights and democracy.

I met with Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explore how we can further align our collaborative efforts with government priorities on climate justice and Indonesia’s leadership at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

I met with the minister of forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, to discuss Ford’s support for accelerating the recognition of Customary Forests, a critical social justice and climate intervention nationally and globally. During this meeting, we discussed Ford’s support of community-centric forestry models, securing Indigenous communities’ land rights, reducing deforestation, and fostering stronger green economies.