Indonesia boosts local crowd action to accelerate SDG progress

Malang, E Java (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning is strengthening local-level crowd action or collective movement through the SDG Certified Leadership Program to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Speaking in Malang, East Java, on Saturday, Manager of the Environmental Pillar at the National SDGs Secretariat Rachman Kurniawan said the program is preparing 50 leaders to spearhead local action.

According to Rachman, efforts to accelerate SDG implementation on the ground face several challenges, including limited human resource capacity, financial constraints, and tight timelines.

Nevertheless, he expressed optimism that sustainable development goals can still be achieved through collaboration and mutual cooperation led by local leaders.

“The SDG Certified Leadership Program is expected to produce leaders who can champion SDG implementation on the ground across various regions in Indonesia,” Rachman said.

He added that the program goes beyond providing theoretical knowledge, serving as a living laboratory where stakeholders collaborate on funding, concrete action, and ideas that support major national initiatives.

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“We cannot reach these targets through massive national-level programs alone. Instead, we want to complement them with actions that may seem small, but when aggregated, create a meaningful impact,” he said.

The ministry is encouraging participants to continue expanding their impact after the program ends.

To support long-term continuity, Rachman said the Ministry of National Development Planning is establishing an alumni networking platform. Through the network, alumni are expected to collaborate and promote the replication and scaling up of their initiatives through mutual cooperation.

He reaffirmed that the ministry will continue to facilitate, advocate for, and endorse these initiatives until they are fully operational, ensuring that grassroots collective action becomes an integral part of efforts to accelerate SDG achievement.