Jariah Movement: Rehabilitation Movement Based on the Religious Leadership

National movements in order to rehabilitate critical lands in Indonesia have been done since the last 10 years. Ministry of Forestry formally proclaimed the national movement on Forest and Land Rehabilitation (GN-RHL) in 2003-2005. Then, during the period of the next Ministry of Forestry, they launched a new slogan. It is planting when child, harvesting when adult. Present time, president also targets one million tree movement to accelerate the rehabilitation efforts.

Regardless of the plus minus those movements, we need to admit that the national movement on rehabilitation has to be improved by continuing to involve all communities in Indonesia. Formality (that closed to government) sometimes becomes a barrier for local communities to participate because of money and formality power. For instance: the community will be involved by government in the initial movement. Due to limited budget, no action after. For that, we need to involve more power (other powers) of the community.

Since immemorial time the Indonesian community have local informal leadership. The leader comes from the culture (traditional leaders), the community (community leaders) and the religious (religious leadership). Those leaders constitute leadership that is also highly respected by their local community. Unlike the government, to those leaders, the community does not consider the formality power and dependence on money. Therefore, it would be nice if the national movements on forest and land rehabilitation that have been announced by the government also requested support to local informal leaders. Government must be good at approaching those leaders. So that, they will breakdown the national movement into local movements. These small movements are very possible to have the high value of self reliance and sense of responsibility. It is possible it could be a new cultural in the community.

One idea about the rehabilitation movement based on the religious leadership is Jariah Movement: One Person, One Tree. Jariah comes from Arabic language. It means as action that expects the result not only in the world (relation between human being), but also continue to be profitable rewards when the related person has died. For instance: one person plant one fruit tree. After the person has died, if some local people still can harvest and take advantages from the tree, then the person still continue take profitable rewards from the god. The reward will be very important in the day after.

The religious leadership could ask their community to plant one tree per person. Strong beliefs acquired from the lessons of the religious leader make the followers will follow and run it independently. In fact, not just one tree. Because of the reward will be obtained directly proportional to the trees. We wish that they will be able to plant tree as much as possible and also have high value of self reliance and sense of responsibility. In order to consider the loss of biodiversity, each location can choose one or some local species that are endangered or useful species to resist erosion for planting.