We are pleased to share that Sadar Ginting, DrPH, PhD, Co-Founder & Executive Director of DEEP EnGender, contributed to the Symposium on Strengthening Evidence on the Outcomes of Locally Led Adaptation (LLA), hosted by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), held on June 3–4 in Bangkok, Thailand. The symposium brought together researchers, practitioners, and organizations committed to advancing knowledge and evidence on community-led responses to environmental and climate-related challenges.

Drawing on DEEP EnGender’s engagement with Indigenous Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) communities. Sadar Ginting, DrPH, PhD, contribution explored how local communities understand and respond to environmental change through their own knowledge systems, food practices, and relationships with forests and rivers. The work highlighted the importance of recognizing Indigenous knowledge and lived experiences as valuable foundations for adaptation planning and environmental governance.

The contribution also examined the challenges faced by Suku Anak Dalam communities, including reduced access to forests, changes in traditional food systems, and the impacts of land conversion on community livelihoods. At the same time, it emphasized the resilience of Indigenous communities in maintaining ecological knowledge and adapting to changing environmental conditions while preserving their cultural identity and connection to the land.

Through this symposium, DEEP EnGender contributed perspectives from Indonesia to broader international discussions on locally led adaptation, environmental justice, and community-based knowledge production. The event provided an important opportunity to share lessons from the field while learning from diverse adaptation practices across different regions and contexts.

Sadar Ginting, DrPH, PhD, participation reflects DEEP EnGender’s ongoing commitment to advancing research and advocacy that center Indigenous perspectives, ecological justice, and locally grounded solutions to environmental change. We look forward to continuing these conversations and strengthening collaborative efforts toward more inclusive and sustainable futures.

DEEP EnGender participated in the AIFIS–MSU Conference on Indonesian Studies 2026, “Making Knowledge, Making History: Producing the Indonesian Past, Present and Future” (26–30 May 2026), organized by the American Institute for Indonesian Studies (AIFIS) and Michigan State University. The conference brought together scholars, researchers, and practitioners to examine how knowledge about Indonesia is produced, contested, and transformed across different social, political, and historical contexts.

Within this space of critical dialogue, Daniel Jeremia Natanael Nababan (Researcher, DEEP EnGender) presented a paper examining the representation of Indigenous women in news coverage of the ecological conflict between the Pandumaan–Sipituhuta communities and PT Toba Pulp Lestari (PT TPL) in North Sumatra. The research explored how environmental conflicts are not only struggles over land and natural resources, but also sites where gendered inequalities are produced, maintained, and challenged.

Drawing on media framing analysis, the study highlighted how Indigenous women continue to experience multiple forms of exclusion, including marginalization, subordination, increased burdens of care and livelihood, violence, and stereotyping. At the same time, the research demonstrated how Indigenous women have actively participated in defending customary forests, sustaining community livelihoods, and shaping collective resistance, despite their contributions often remaining underrepresented in dominant media narratives.

Across conference sessions and discussions, recurring questions emerged regarding whose knowledge is recognized, whose experiences are made visible, and whose voices continue to be marginalized within public discourse. These conversations resonate strongly with DEEP EnGender’s commitment to advancing research and advocacy that center Indigenous perspectives, gender justice, and community-based knowledge in addressing environmental challenges.

Insights from this conference will contribute to DEEP EnGender’s ongoing research, organizational learning, and public-facing knowledge production. Participation in AIFIS–MSU 2026 further strengthens our commitment to supporting more inclusive forms of knowledge that recognize the experiences, agency, and leadership of communities at the forefront of ecological and social transformation.

On May 28, 2026, our Founder and Chairperson, Dr. Anna Christi Suwardi, represented DEEP EnGender at the 15th International Conference on Public Organization (ICONPO 2026), held at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest, Hungary. The conference brought together scholars, researchers, and practitioners from diverse backgrounds to exchange perspectives on technology, green energy, and environmental sustainability.

During the conference, Dr. Suwardi presented her paper titled “Environmental Sustainability for Whom?” Drawing from Indonesia’s ecological realities, the presentation challenged technocratic approaches to environmental governance and emphasized that ecological restoration is not only about ecosystems, but also about repairing relationships between people, land, knowledge, and governance.

The presentation explored Indigenous stewardship and community-based knowledge as important foundations for addressing Indonesia’s structural ecological challenges. It highlighted how sustainability is deeply connected to questions of justice, recognition, care, and the lived experiences of communities who continue to protect and sustain their environments.

The conference brought together more than 70 international presenters from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, creating opportunities for meaningful exchange on environmental governance, sustainability, and social transformation. Through discussions with fellow participants, Dr. Suwardi reflected on the importance of placing local knowledge and community voices at the center of environmental solutions.

We are proud to share that Dr. Anna Christi Suwardi was awarded Best Presenter at ICONPO 2026, recognizing the significance and impact of her presentation among an international audience.

Participation in ICONPO 2026 strengthens DEEP EnGender’s commitment to advancing research and dialogue on ecological justice, Indigenous perspectives, and community-based knowledge systems. We believe that meaningful environmental futures can only be built when sustainability is approached not merely as a technical challenge, but as a collective responsibility grounded in justice, relationships, and care.