Vietnam’s PM iPhạm Minh Chính visited Indonesia to attend the ASEAN summit meeting and led  a high level delegation to represent Vietnam at the regional summit meeting . The 42^nd ASEAN  summit which was held from May 9^th to 11^th at Labuan Bajo raised issues pertaining to the regional security, economic development ,trade and digital economy. One of the important aspects which has been highlighted in the last few years has been the realisation of the ASEAN community vision 2025 and post 2025. It is also important to highlight the fact that the Southeast Asian member countries of this regional organisation have been raising issues with the governments for post COVID recovery, promoting economic growth, intra regional trade, economic integration, and addressing issues related to geopolitical challenges. Another  important challenge has been to steer the regional organisation in embracing the digital innovations and technology, and also utilising it for promoting trade and commerce within ASEAN,  and promote digital workforce which can be productively engaged in developing the digital economy and society.

During the COVID-19  pandemic few issues which have been highlighted were  related to alternate supply chains, long term commitments of the governments towards the wellbeing of the citizens and also promoting the ecosystem related to health and medicine.One of the major strengths of ASEAN has been particularly with regard to the skilled workforce, better than average economic growth, large  natural resources and better integration at the regional level. Although, it has been seen that with the growth in digital economy there is a need for better financial infrastructure, and also promoting public private partnership to reach the targeted goals related to economic development and digital transformation. In the last few years ASEAN has also taken note of more dynamic, inclusive, resilient, adaptive ASEAN community which could respond to pandemics and natural disasters in a better way and  adapt to the new kind of geopolitical permutations and combinations evolving at the global stage. The Southeast Asian countries have also been facing challenges related to meeting the obligation under the climate change, extensive research in counter measures with regard to pandemics, better health and medical facilities and also look for a better regional cohesive organisation post 2025.

Vietnamese Prime Minister during his interactions has also talked about eliminating the bureaucratic hurdles and bringing up more better coordination between legislative and administrative branches. He also talked about a better legal framework at the regional level which can help in trade and investment, and facilitate better dispute resolution mechanisms. Given the fact that tensions in the Eurasian region particularly with reference to Russia and Ukraine as well as in South China Sea, there is need for reinventing the ASEAN mandate of consensus making and addressing issues in a more cohesive way. This was alluded perfectly in the context of international norms and maintaining international law as the core of any resolution of the conflicts related to boundary and territorial waters. One interesting thing which has been buttressed by Prime Minister Chinh was related to empowerment of youth and also engaging youth in addressing social issues so that positive changes and greater participation of the civil society is ensured. Interestingly, he also alluded to the fact that there is need for education and knowledge creation so that the Southeast Asian citizens could be seen as a learned community and also promote innovation and enterprise among the youth in Southeast  Asia. He also talked much about trade and investment facilitation, promoting inclusiveness and stressed on the fact that the ASEAN three community pillars need to be seen from the perspective of better business facilitation, promoting strategic infrastructure, better trained workforce for ensuring the 4^th industrial revolution, sustained digital transformation, green economy, and adaptation to new kind of technologies.

During his interactions he has clearly outlined the need for a futuristic approach and address the issues of mutual concern at the regional level. On the sidelines of the summit meeting, he had also interacted with the various heads of state and government with regard to promoting trade and investment. His meetings with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong was a precursor for better engagement between the two countries as both Vietnam and Singapore are celebrating 50^th year of bilateral diplomatic ties and a decade of bilateral strategic partnership. Given the fact that Singapore is one of the pioneers in Southeast Asia  in digital economy therefore  the countries can work together on promoting digital economy, green energy and also fulfilling the requirements at the global level related to net zero emissions by 2050.

During his meetings with the Philippine president Marcos there was much talk with regard to strategic partnership between the twi countries and exploring new vistas for cooperation between the two communities. Prime Minister of Vietnam offered to supply rice to Philippines at a reasonable price and thereby contributing to the food security of the Philippines. The two sides also expressed desire to work on areas such as high technology, tourism, marine economy, education, manufacturing and industrial development.  Vietnam has been making strong pitch for education and knowledge economy,  and acknowledges the fact that in order to sustain better than average growth it will have to make certain long term decisions which can help Vietnam not only to be a manufacturing but a services economy as well.

During his meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the discussion was primarily related to promoting economic relations, trade, and investment between the two countries. The countries would also be celebrating 50^th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties. The trade basket of the two countries comprises of fisheries, agriculture products, rice,  electronic items, and packaged food. Given the fact that Malaysia also invites Vietnamese labour  for working in Malaysia, the  terms of labour mobility were  discussed  in March last year and a  labour cooperation agreement between the two countries  was signed. On areas related to maritime cooperation, a proposal was accepted for establishment of a hotline. During Malaysia’s representation with regard to extended continental shelf to the UN Vietnam has supported this initiative and alongside Vietnam many Western countries as well as Indonesia and Philippines have also supported this representation at the global level. There has  been interaction with Laos counterpart and it was stated that the two countries would be working together in promoting trade and investment and also look for better avenues for Laos exporting its products to the outer world through the Vietnamese ports.The visit of Vietnam’s PM has been successful  as he highlighted the futuristic agenda for ASEAN.

Counting months toward the Indonesia presidential election held in February 2024, many have declared names to be candidates for Indonesia Presidential Election. Looking at the previous cycle, the momentum will be a great opportunity for Indonesians to communicate their aspirations–including demand to become more sustainable. Since this world pressing issue (sustainability) is not only imperative to the government but also business and surely influences individual day to day life, will this concern relevance for the upcoming 2024 presidential election in Indonesia to attract especially those, the youth?

How powerful are Indonesia ‘s young voters to shift Indonesia’s future to be more sustainable?

As predicted by CSIS through their survey in August 2022 (Rilis Survei Pemilih Muda dan Pemilu 2024: Dinamika dan Preferensi Sosial Politik Pasca Pandemi), youth will have the highest portion of voter population accounted for about 54% with increasing numbers of participation from election in 2014 (85.9%) to 2019 (91.3%) as per katadata.id. Which means, young voters (age: 15-39), Z generation (age 17-23) and Millennial generation (age 24-39), have huge opportunities to bargain with their demand– including to embrace and emphasize Indonesia sustainability needs since the decisions made by them today will have a profound impact on their future as well as their planet.

Indonesian youth would likely vote for a candidate having vision on environmental issues, employment, democracy and corruption.

Source: CSIS (2022)

As per the data above, although environmental issues may only have 2.3% of priority in mind as compared to other issues such as public welfare (44.4%), employment (21.3%) and corruption (15.9%), but when they were asked on whether or not it is urgent to solve climate change problem, the majority (76.9%) agreed that it is strongly urgent– showing their concern on the issue that led to their candidate choice. Therefore, leader comprehension on sustainability agenda becomes more and more important nowadays considering that the field covers three fundamental issues, namely: environment, social and economic. Unlike an unsustainable one, a candidate having a long-term sustainability mindset as demanded by young voters may have a strategy not only to try to adapt and mitigate climate change but also see opportunity in it as a good investment for its people. Not only viewing it from an environmental and social responsibility perspective but also finding its economical value as a way to adapt and compete in the market.

How comprehensive is the sustainability vision and agenda of your preferred candidate ?

Comprehension on Economic Resilience

Børge Brende and Bob Sternfel wrote in collaborative report by World Economic Forum and Mckinsey (2022) on Resilience for sustainable, inclusive growth that

“Resilience should be seen as the ability to deal with adversity, withstand shocks, and continuously adapt and accelerate as disruptions and crises arise over time.”

“Resilience has been described as the ability to recover quickly but recovery alone is not an adequate goal. Truly resilient organizations bounce back better and even thrive.”

The world’s unprecedented challenges such as Covid-19, Russia-Ukraine War, and others have given us an alarm on the importance of economic resilience. In addition to that, a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also highlights that “this economic resilience involves preventing the build-up of potential vulnerabilities, preparing to absorb shocks when they occur, and engineering a swift rebound from those shocks”.

The committed candidate ought to have more awareness of a resilient economy, as she/he will think of long-term economic resilience– knowing the world’s transition to invest in more sustainable economic practices. At G20 Indonesia 2022 for example, we can see the shifting of more demanding environmentally sustainable business in Indonesia when Andre Soeltyo as CEO of GoTo Group highlights their business transformation in the news published by Jakarta Post.

“At  the same time, we have always believed that progress must go hand-in-hand with building a sustainable future. To this end, GoTo has committed to transition 100 percent of our driver partners’ fleet to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030 with the support of our joint-venture company, Electrum. This effort supports the Indonesian government’s target to reach 31.89 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, which is to be achieved in part by transition to EVs. This conversion also benefits Gojek driver-partners by way of lowering their running and maintenance cost by up to 30 percent.”

Thus, young voters may question a candidate who tends to invest in the opposite direction, if doing so is for the benefit of them. Or to question, whether or not the action is intended for the greatest good of her/his people?

Comprehension on Social Justice and Equity

How can social justice and equity be built?  Nowadays, surrounded by uncertainty and complex challenges, as mindful voters, choosing a resilient presidential candidate who knows how social resilience is interlinked with business and economic influencing growth is a must. Learning from Covid-19, the pandemic has created a bigger gap on inequality. According to SMERU’s research, data shows that Indonesia’s poverty rate increased during the pandemic– from 9.2% (2019) to 10.19% (2020). In result, the poor have sold their assets and reduced their expenditure in order to build mechanisms to meet their daily needs. A just and equal sustainable economy, therefore, should create an inclusive economic growth.

”Growth is sustainable insofar as it supports the health and repair of the natural environment; it is inclusive when it meaningfully improves the livelihood of wider population segments.”

(Børge Brende and Bob Sternfel, McKinsey)

As such, a candidate having a more sustainable agenda would know how to address inequality by preventing and preparing policy safeguard for Indonesian.

Comprehension on Environmental Challenges

Will Indonesia keep its growth with the fact of its natural resource depletion?  Known as the country with the world’s most biodiversity, Indonesia is also facing environmental depletion. What we cannot deny is that decades ago, (and until now) we still relied mostly on exploiting our natural resources to feed our people and fuel the development of our country.

“We realize that the degradation of environmental quality has [reached a] critical level. We need to develop a proper policy and strategy starting from now. It’s time for us from now on to consider the carrying capacity [of our resources].” Bambang Brodjonegoro, Indonesia’s minister for national development planning With a total labor force of 138,119,194 (2021)– about 28% employment comes from the Agricultural sector. This number has gradually fallen to about 40% from about 68% in 1976 (Jakarta Post). Due to destructive, illegal and uncontrolled resources extraction practices happened. Taking UNCCD research as an example, despite an abundance of coastal resources, more than 53% of coastal families are living below the poverty line. This finding was also approved by ADB’s report saying that degraded land in Indonesia is about 78 million hectares, consists of slightly degraded (48 million ha), degraded (23 million ha), and highly degraded (7 million ha). Many coastal regions are already over-exploited, their mangrove forests are degraded, and the fish catch has exceeded sustainable levels.

In fact, environmental challenges have affected people’s livelihoods, public health, and the country’s sustainable development. Without a presidential candidate having a clear plan in addressing these issues, not only will it cost the country’s development but also the commitment as a responsible global citizen in global sustainability efforts.

A call to Action

The upcoming 2024 presidential election in Indonesia presents a crucial opportunity for youth to prioritize presidential candidates whose agenda emphasize sustainability vision–to contribute and benefit from a more sustainable Indonesia. Embracing sustainability will lead them to resilience more in social justice and equity, in the economy, and in overcoming environmental challenges.

Sustainability tourism has grown in popularity among travelers in recent years. Several nations have begun promoting their hidden gems to attract travelers from all over the world. Similarly, Thailand is known for its beautiful natural destinations, diverse regional cultures, and distinct, delicious cuisine. Government policy and the Thai Ecotourism And Adventure Travel Association (TEATA), a responsible proxy, promote sustainable tourism practices. Furthermore, they promote regional and international cooperation to advocate environmentally responsible tourism in Thailand and the ASEAN region (TEATA, 2019).

The Charms of Isaan Life (Northeast Thailand) was one of TEATA’s green itineraries designed to promote socio-ecological tourism. “Loei province” is one of the provinces in the northeastern region that has been chosen to participate in this wonderful initiative with the program’s inspirational theme, “The Essential Beauty Unveiled” (TEATA, 2019).The peaceful and humble city of “Loei” is located in northeast Thailand. Visitors can find people there who are very accommodating, courteous, and ecstatic. Loei has become a popular destination for eco-tourists due to its exceptional mountainous landscape, pristine waterfalls, and lush forests. There are many fascinating cultures to learn about and many attractions to visit, but as an ecotourism destination, Thanthamfarm Cafe & Workshop is distinguished by its commitment to sustainability.

The founder and its principle concept

Thanthamfarm Cafe & Workshop was founded by Ms. Thanakanyapatch Thingkhot, a local millennial who was born and raised in Loei. After she finished her under graduation, she noticed the opportunities for sustainable growth. Therefore, she has devised initiatives to revitalize and add value to her family’s farm. She put her efforts into learning how to start up the business until the farm was successfully opened in April 2019. Thanthamfarm is located in Ban Pak Mak, Muangloei District, in the province of Loei. The farm size is approximately 3.2 hectares. Furthermore, the location is encircled by green trees and mountains and is bisected by the River Loei. Thanthamfarm Cafe & Workshop is an excellent example of an eco-agrotourism that adopted an integrated farming system from the sufficiency economy philosophy of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (King Rama IX) into its principle business practices. The owner also engages in advocating environmentally and socially responsible products and services. The farm and local farmers produce organic ingredients used for the café and workshop activities that aim to bend to nature, reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation and sourcing procedures. Most importantly, with these strong efforts of Ms. Thanakanyapatch, the establishment of the farm helps bolster the local economy and tighten the local community in many positive ways.

Highlight activities at the Thanthamfarm Cafe & Workshop

Thanthamfarm Cafe & Workshop’s highlight activities include planting, cooking classes, farm-to-table dining,  relaxing by a beautiful sandy river, Free-range duck farming, Organic farming and promoting the agriculture sector, which includes open observational sites, food processing, and value creation of agricultural products. The farm emphasizes a natural approach, promoting the use of local organic ingredients, outdoor activities, and low-waste practices. For instance, the farm’s prima activity is teaching guests how to make DIY pizzas with its handmade traditional clay ovens. With the help of these activities also bring the community together through workshops and other activities to support sustainability. The farm allows people to learn by doing to experience it with their hands. These activities enable visitors to reconnect with nature. It also allows every generation to spend quality time with their families and strengthen their bonds. In addition, Thanthamfarm offers tailored programs for observational study activities for both children and adults as well as public and private sectors. They allow visitors to select the type of activity and study area which they wish to participate. The activities encompass upstream, midstream, and downstream areas. Examples include seed planting, making herb-salted duck eggs with pandan leaves and white clay filler, making healthy vegetable spring rolls, and making DIY pizzas with local ingredients.

The future vision

Thanthamfarm Cafe & Workshop also works with other environmentally friendly local businesses outside the area to spread their word and reach more people. The farm also shows how different sustainable practices are used in the area by working with other local businesses that share their commitment to sustainability. They also build relationships, form local farmers’ networks, and become the leader in sustainable café and workshops in Loei province.

Her future vision is to develop and expand a “Wellness Ecotourism and Farm stay” business in Loei, Thailand. She wishes to transform our daily food into medication, Consuming sustenance to maintain and protect the body’s immunity. On top of that, she would like to turn it into a farm stay where people cannot only experience nature but also learn how organic vegetables are beneficial to the body, how to eat better than before, and how to bring more local herbs to cook with because she wants people of all ages to have easier access to nature. Moreover, she believes that it will attract visitors who share common values and establish a solid brand reputation as a sustainable business with the aid of this concept. Despite this, she will continue to implement sustainable business practices, assist the local community, and strive to be the destination for all generations in Loei province who wish to reconnect with nature and learn about the region’s gorgeous culture.

Those interested in visiting the Thanthamfarm Cafe & Workshop. You can find them at https://www.facebook.com/thanthamfarm on social media.