OC Experience: IFSA Interim and Departments Meeting 2023 with IFSA LC UNHAS
From The Resolute Heart to The Glorious Forest!
International Night Picture. Photographed by A.Afiq Zakwan Madani (Undergraduate Student of Forestry Faculty of Universitas Hasanuddin). Location: Educational Forest of Universitas Hasanuddin.
In the middle of the year of term, Departments meetings and Interim meetings are held for officials and commissioners of IFSA to meet and discuss current issues about IFSA as the organization and the recent forestry issues. This year, the IFSA LC UNHAS application to be the Interim Host is being accepted. Moreover, it was decided to integrate Interim and Departments Meeting during the meeting preparation with IFSA board members. It was the first time Interim was held outside Europe, showing how inclusive the opportunity is. From the side of IFSA LC UNHAS itself as the newest organization in forestry faculty (we established in January 2021), this was a remarkable experience developing our capacity to delegate our voices on the International level. This was indeed also helped by the amazing track record of Universitas Hasanuddin, who gave us the privilege to apply our knowledge on a prestigious event.
The Organizing Committee. From left to right: Alvin Hidayat (Accommodation Provider), Agung Dewa Putra (Head of OC), Desby Urifaty (Media Organiser), Dita Dwiyanti (Head of Fundraising), Wening Ila Idzatilangi (Fundraising Member), Mirella Christy Rehatalanit (IFSA LC UNHAS President/Partnership Committee), Ikrar Qolby (Accommodation Provider), Lucky Valentino (Accommodation Provider), Elmita Ayusyifa (Event Organiser), Tri Nadia Asrini (Media Organiser), and Yovanka Marshanda Paotonan (Event Organiser). Photographed by A.Afiq Zakwan Madani.
There have been many changes that happened during the event from the first plan was to have the meetings and the restroom in the educational forest of Universitas Hasanuddin. The OC booked a hotel and conference room to ensure the delegation activities would not face any problems but sadly, the hotel must be canceled a day before the event. The OC then decided to rent a house that students commonly rent for studying or having a party together which is located almost 2 km from the Forestry Faculty (place for meetings). Because the location is a little bit far, we rented a car for delegates to meet daily and drove by Valentino.
The IFSA Delegates and the Forestry Faculty Board. From left to right: Wening Ila Idzatilangi, Desita Dyah D A Kusumaningrum, Isabelle Claire, Volodymyr Kravets, Syahidah, S.Hut., M.Si., Ph.D., Dr. Ir. Mujetahid, S. Hut., MP., IPU. Jean Laurence Reyes, Salvatore Ruiu and Eylül Umay Külah. Photographed by Agung Dewa Putra (Head of OC).
One by one, the delegates came, and in total, there were seven delegates, namely: Desita Dyah D A Kusumaningrum(Head of Communication Commissions: IFSA LC IPB, IPB), Eylül Umay Külah(Head of Tree-House Subcommission: IFSA LC Istanbul, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa), Jean Laurence Reyes (Social Media Commissioner: AFFS-UPLB, University of the Philippines Los Baños), Isabelle Claire(Internal Councilor: AFFS-UPLB, University of the Philippines Los Baños), Salvatore Ruiu(Southern Europe Regional Representative: AUSF Nuoro, Università di Sassari), Volodymyr Kravets(External Councilor: IFSA LC Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen), and Wening Ila Idzatilangi(Head of Cultural Competencies Sub-Commissions: IFSA LC UNHAS, Universitas Hasanuddin).
The Departments Meeting was conducted on 2-3 February 2023, consisting of the three departments: the Membership Department, Internal Department, and External Department. The meeting then continued with the Interim meeting. On the first day, the Vice Rectorate of Universitas Hasanuddin and the Vice Dean of the Forestry Faculty of Universitas Hasanuddin gave their welcoming speech. Afterward, the meeting continued until the 7th of February 2023. The meeting was about strengthening the IFSA community, resolving the current challenges, and engaging as a student in the International Forestry context.
Welcome Speeches from Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ruslin, Sp.BM (Vice Rectorate I of Universitas Hasanuddin) and Syahidah, S.Hut., M.Si., Ph.D. (Vice Dean of Forestry Faculty of Universitas Hasanuddin). Taken by Agung Dewa Putra (Head of OC).
Aside from the meetings, we did two lecture sessions in which Arida Fauziyah, S.Si., M.Sc., and Prof. Dr. Muhammad presented. Alif K.S., S.Hut. M.Si. Arida Fauziyah, S.Si., M.Sc., presented about conservation progress in Wallacea Island (6 February 2023) and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Alif K.S., S.Hut., M.Si presented about Social Forestry in Southeast Asia (7 February 2023). The Social Forestry lecture was conducted in the Forest and Society Research Group Room.
The Lecture Sessions: Top, Conservation Lecture and Bottom, Social Forestry Lecture. Photographed by Agung Dewa Putra/Left and Tri Nadia Asrini/Right.
After the meetings, IFSA LC UNHAS and IFSA delegates to an excursion from 8 – 14 February 2023. The excursion consisted of the Campus Tour, Educational Forest of Universitas Hasanuddin, Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park, Rammang-Rammang, Balla’ Lompoa, Fort Rotterdam, Museum of Makassar, Bosowa Beach, and Panakkukang Mall (Cinema Time). The theme for the excursion was “Bugis Wallacea Trip”, which we thought we could bring experience and knowledge to all delegates about the ecology and culture in South Sulawesi.
The Wallacea Trip was in the Educational Forest of Universitas Hasanuddin, Bantimurung Bulusaraung, and Rammang-Rammang. Basically, those three places are still in one vegetation region, and the difference was not that much. In the educational forest, OC and Delegates had a short walk into the pine block forest and arboretum. In the afternoon, we watched a demonstration of making palm sugar from Arenga pinnata. We continued our fun activity at night with International Night. The next day, we continued our trip to Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park to see butterflies and a karst cave that is still alive. At that time, the waterfall in Bantimurung Bulusaraung beautifully dropped the waters, so we decided to take many pictures there. We also visited the cave and entered there with the help of guidance. The tour guide explained that the cave was the place of the first person coming to Bantimurung, who was later announced as a king. The guide showed us the place where the king had meetings, prayed, and slept. The places he showed had several changes due to the activity of the still-alive karst. After having a break for lunch, we continued our trip to Rammang-Rammang. Rammang-Rammang is the name of the village, meaning ‘haze.’ This village will be covered by haze at night till morning because karst hills surround the location. We visited a cave, walked around the town, and saw ecological vegetation in the marginal area.
The Excursions: Top Left to Down (Educational Forest, Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park, Rammang-Rammang . Top Right to Down (Fort Rotterdam, Balla’ Lompoa, and Museum of Makassar). Photographed by Agung Dewa Putra.
Our Bugis Culture Trip Route consisted of Balla Lompoa, Fort Rotterdam, the Museum of Makassar City, Bosowa Beach, and Souvenirs Shop. Balla Lompoa in English is “Big House” which is a palace of the Gowa Kingdom. Nowadays, the kingdom system still happens but doesn’t have autonomy recognition as Indonesia is a republic country. It has become an educational site or regulated museum, with historical photos, swords, and old books. We continued our trip to Fort Rotterdam which was built using karst stone from Maros Regency, the same place as the Rammang-Rammang hills. This fort was used for trade of Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, built under the construction of Dutch admiral Cornelis Speelman. “Rotterdam”was the place where Cornelis Speelman was born. We had a luncheon outside the fort and continued our trip to Cornelis Speelman’s ex-residence. After the luncheon, we changed our location to the Museum of Makassar. This museum has many photos of the king, general, and lieutenant who governed this city, and even musical instruments that we could play with. After that, we went to a souvenir shop to buy some souvenirs and held a small party at night as a delegate returned to Italy.
The Excursions: Top Left to Right: Toraja Trip and Picture at Center Point of Indonesia. Below: Photo in Bosowa Beach.
We had a lot of idle time in the next few days, so we went to the cinema to watch a movie titled “A Man Called Otto”and went to Center Point of Indonesia before every delegate returned home). Moreover, a delegate extended their days in South Sulawesi and went to Toraja to learn more about Toraja Death Ritual Culture and Burial Places in Toraja.
As an OC, this event will always be in our memory. We strengthened our friendship and deepened both our and the delegates’ understanding of forestry issues from many perspectives. As future professional foresters, the meeting was a very impactful step for us to shape our minds to create sustainable decisions for our forest together. This experience has told us a lot about managing individual life and organization stuff. Our responsibility gave us prima energy for being able to work anytime, efficiently, and always be in positive vibes.
We also would like to thank the International Forestry Students’ Association Board members for the trust in giving us a chance to hold this event. IFSA Hugs from Wallacea Islands forever!
Lastly, I would like to end this article by giving big credit to OC members
OC Members (alphabetically): Agung Dewa Putra, Alvin Hidayat, Desby Urifaty, Dita Dwiyanti, Emita Ayusyifa, Ikrar Qolby, Lucky Valentino, Mirella Christy Rehatalanit, Tri Nadia Asrini, Wening Ila Idzatilangi, and Yovanka Marshanda Paotonan.
More information can be found below.
Watch the Welcoming Video of the Departments Meeting and Interim 2023
*(Scripted by Wening Ila Idzatilangi and Video Editing by Tri Nadia Asrini).
Check the updated information of the Departments Meeting and Interim 2023*: here
*(Copyrighted to Desby Urifaty and Lucky Valentino: Media Organiser and Accommodation Provider of the Organizing Committee).
Follow Tik Tok IFSA LC UNHAS: here
Interim Schedule: here
Authors: Wening Ila Idzatilangi
