Ambon (Antara Maluku) - Mika Ganobal (36), an Aru Islands district government civil servant in Maluku, is among the five finalists nominated for the Nelson Mandela-Graca Machel Innovation Awards 2014 for his "SaveAruIslands" movement to preserve the cultural forests.
He organized the youth, local people, women, government officers, and indigenous people to raise their voices against the government`s plan to clear out nearly 500 thousand hectares of forest area to make way for the sugar industry.
"The nominees are determined through a voting process involving thousands of people from across the world. The five finalists were from India, Switzerland, Egypt, Liberia, and Indonesia," Mika noted here on Wednesday.
He said he had never envisaged being nominated as one of the finalists for this international award.
According to him, each nominee has done commendable work to promote positive social change within their community.
During the campaign against the government policy, he used non-violent methods, including the social media such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and other means to connect to activists in other cities from the small island of Aru.
His network expanded, and thousands of people from across the world voiced their support for his "SaveAruIslands" movement, as he visited hundreds of villages to campaign among the people to not give away their land and forest for industrial use.
Mika used the media film "Chico Mendes" and other short films about sugarcane to promote his movement among the people around the world to join the cause.
"This is a source of motivation for all people in Aru Islands district to protect and save our land and forest from destruction," Mika added.
He also expressed hope that this award will help to motivate all Indonesian people elsewhere to fight against forest fires and destruction.
