The Green Governors’ Conference, 2010

Irwandy & Arnie

Banda Aceh 18th - 20th May, 2010.

GCF’s members also come from some states of the United States of America (California, Illinois, and Wisconsin) where advanced industry is thriving massively while the people begin to pay attention to the efforts to preserve tropical forests to slow down the effects of climate change. They are about to design a financial incentive system trough Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) for every carbon unit saved by the forests.

Those provinces and states constitute the main members of the GCF which was established in California in November 2008. From then on the GCF has held two consecutive taskforce meetings, the first in Brazil and the second in California. And now it is Aceh’s turn to host the third taskforce meeting: GCF Taskforce Meeting from 18 to 21 May 2010. All sub-governments of GCF’s permanent members attend the taskforce meeting which will also be attended by other governors who act as observers. (read more from the Governors’ Conference website)

Oh, yes, and Iron Arnie himself will be there straight from Beverly Hills and the California Governor’s Residence with “True Lies” and “Terminator 3 or 4” on his mind, saving forests while balancing California’s debts. “It’s my job” he would say curtly in one of his films. One hopes the security provided for Irwandy Yusuf’s famous guest is adequate and to Arnold’s taste. (Jakarta’s Polda, will no doubt oblige with the security arrangements from its huge HQ in Banda Aceh). Both Governors love driving around in their military style Hummers. And I guess they’ll get around for a motor-bike spin into the forest.  They are both into bikes. When they are together Arnold towers above Irwandy, who is short by anyone’s standards and probably has to shout to be heard up there. They seem to be good buddies, though. But Irwandy did it. He took the cake when he declared a moratorium on logging and announced “Aceh Green” and that Green prioritized development would be the new politics of Aceh for the future of his people and as a gesture of peace to the world in its worry over climate change and diminishing biodiversity, wild life and natural habitat etc....

Irwandy has pledged jealously to conserve and protect Aceh’s remaining heritage of Tropical Forests and has classed them as “Eternal Forests”.

Aceh has the largest remaining expanse of tropical rain forest left in Indonesia, which are also among the most ancient tropical forests in the world. The responsibility of Aceh is large indeed. Irwandy will need help from wherever he can find it in the world.

We wish him success in this noble task and pray that some positive things will come out of the deliberations, debates and speeches. The composition of the Governors is interesting. Three Governors of North American States, with four Governors from Brazil and four governors of Indonesian Provinces, hosted by Irwandy of the Special Autonomous Province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam. The Governors of three Provinces of Kalimantan (Borneo) and Papua are all from Provinces where the tropical rainforests are being levelled to make way for massive plantations of oil palm. Corporate Land grabbing is endemic. Indonesia’s forests are the fastest disappearing on the planet.  The remaining forests are burned. The land is diminished. The ranks of oil palm plantations advance like an invading army.

Irwandy, (centre) sitting with Abu Ibrahim Woyla Rahmatullah, who died nearly a year ago at the age of 109. Abu was adamant about Palm oil plantations. Enough! He also gave an apocalyptic warning of divine consequences if Leuser is touched.  Gunung Leuser is a quasi mystic and sacred mountain and long extinct volcano which is the centrepiece of the Majestic Leuser Ecosystem. The Pride of South East Asia.