Sustain Ability Fest and Padmamitra+ Awards: Creating sustainable development

IO, Jakarta – Poverty and social in­equality in Jakarta can be called a “common enemy” of everyone. BPS-Statistics Indonesia has revealed that as of March 2019 3.47% of Ja­karta’s population lived in poverty, compared to 3.55% in September 2018; this figure was the lowest for all of Indonesia. The 0.08% decrease has confirmed the success of the pov­erty-fighting programs carried out by the Jakarta Government. However, this does not mean that their job is done. There are still 365.55 thousand impoverished souls in Jakarta, who need a decent standard of living.

Social welfare is a multidimension­al problem covering material, spiritu­al, and social needs, and as such, solving such an issue implies strong and empowered Potential Sources of Social Welfare (PSKS). The business world is a PSKS which is expected to be able to contribute optimally to handling social issues, through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.

As a form of appreciation for the efforts of PSKS in solving social wel­fare issues and helping reach Sus­tainable Development Goals, Jakar­ta CSR Forum, working together with the Jakarta Government gives recog­nition in a form called the “Padmam­itra+ Awards” to community organi­zations, foundations, and businesses. Jakarta CSR Forum Chairman Mahir Bayasut explained that the holding of the Padmamitra+ Award in 2019 was different than previously. Other than the organizing committee, theme, and number of categories, what was actually being contested was also changed.

“The difference of the Padmami­trPa+ Award 2019 is that previously there were only seven categories; now there are 15 categories, the purpose being to extend more appreciation to every company, organization, insti­tute or NGO,” said Mahir.

The Padmamitra+ Awards are part of the “Sustain Ability Fest 2019” series which started off with socialization, registration, and an audience with Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan. Previously, social­ization of the Padmamitra+ Awards was achieved by visiting a several companies alongside community action and donations in the form of social service to Panti Sosial Tuna Netra Bina Cahaya Bathin or “Inner Light Guiding Social Home for the Blind”, a sharing session titled “Dig­ital innovation in industrial 4.0 for sustainable future & Green mussel restoration” with PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol.

The 15 categories contested in­cluded the seven previous categories of solving issues such as poverty, homelessness, disability, remoteness, social disability or deviant behavior, disaster victims, and victims of acts of violence, exploitation and discrim­ination.

The eight new categories con­tested in the Padmamitra+ Award 2019 are programs for “Sustainable Impact”, “Saving Biodiversity and Saving the Environment”, “Stunting Eradication”, “Sustainability in the Organizational Value Chain”, “So­cial Innovation”, “Digital Innovation”, “Contributions to Sustainable Devel­opment Goals” and “Partnership for Sustainability”. Each of the fifteen categories is for private businesses, state-owned enterprises, regional state-owned enterprises, subsidiar­ies, community organizations, foun­dations, and other non-profit organi­zations.

Sustain Ability Fest 2019 jury Mery Yanuarita MM., explained the Padmamitra+ Awards was headed by Irmansyah M.Sc (Jakarta Social Services Head), assisted by Dr. Ing. Mahir Bayasut, ST., MM., Prof. dr. Fasli Jalal, Ph.d., Dr. Maria Nindita Radyati, Ph.d., Ir. Amalia Yunita, MM (Sustainability)., and Mery Yanuarita, MM (Sustainability).

Participants of the Padmami­tra+Award registered from August to September 20, 2019. Document selection was then carried out un­til September 30, 2019. In Octo­ber 2019, participants who passed screening then went on to give a presentation in front of the jury. The Announcement and Award Padma­mitra+ Awards Night will be held on November 2, 2019.

Sustain Ability Fest 2019 com­mittee head Rio Zakarias added that, “Participants with the highest administration points will be invit­ed to give a presentation to the jury based on the documents submitted. Meanwhile, the assessment weights for documents and presentation were each 50%. So far, there are more than 60 companies taking part in the Pad­mamitra+ Awards 2019.”

The Sustain Ability Fest 2019 and Padmamitra+ Award 2019 series is supported entirely by the Jakarta Social Services. This was explained by Jakarta Social Services Head Ir­mansya, M.Sc.

“As the Padmamitra+ Awards or­ganizing committee, we are proud of the Jakarta CSR Forum as partners in holding the Padmamitra events and for increasing the social welfare and accomplishing Sustainable De­velopment Goals,” said IrmanSyah.

Rio hopes that through the Pad­mamitra+ Award 2019, the public can receive education and ideas re­lated to CSR activities carried out by businesses, organizations, institutes, and NGOs which have made impacts which are sustainable.

“In the future, we will know the correct CSR activity for Jakarta bet­ter, based on residents in Jakarta, in accordance with each business, orga­nization, institute, and NGO sector, and also help the provincial govern­ment solve the issued in Jakarta, specifically poverty, social welfare, and the fulfillment of sustainable de­velopment goals,” he said. (rp)