New leadership initiative carries on legacy of late Indonesian environmental activist

Jakarta — Six hundred and forty-eight days had passed since Nur Hidayati, known affectionately as Yaya or Mbak Yaya, passed away from cancer. Rukka Sombolinggi, the secretary-general of Indonesia's largest Indigenous organization, AMAN, meticulously accounted for each of those days. "It makes me sad," she lamented during the inauguration of the Yaya Leadership Initiative in Jakarta on August 14, which marked what would have been Yaya's 53rd birthday.

However, witnessing the initiative's launch in Yaya's honor provided Rukka with a renewed perspective on her legacy. "Even though she is no longer with us, her ideas, actions, and contributions remain valuable and can continue to inspire us," she remarked.

The Yaya Leadership Initiative, or YLI, is an alliance of environmental, Indigenous, agrarian, fisher, human rights, and other movements. Its purpose is to cultivate a new generation of community leaders, primarily women, young people, Indigenous peoples, and grassroots change agents. The initiative, spearheaded by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), the nation's leading green NGO, collaborates with various organizations, including the Indigenous alliance AMAN, the Consortium for Agrarian Reform (KPA), and the Indonesian Union of Traditional Fisherfolk (KNTI).

The YLI is grounded in four core principles that Yaya championed throughout her life: solidarity, equality, environmentalism, and diversity. Nevertheless, its advocates argue that the YLI is more than just a way to honor the memory of one of Indonesia's most renowned environmental leaders; they view it as an endeavor to perpetuate a distinct vision for a more just and sustainable future. This story was initially published on Mongabay.