Development assistance provided by Norway is intended to be rights-based and grounded in the best available knowledge. This principled approach is challenging to implement in practice, including in settings where academic and other civic freedoms are under pressure. Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) is one the largest intervention areas for Norwegian development assistance. Yet NICFI partner countries have faced political turbulence and societal upheaval in recent years.
Aims
- Discuss how Norwegian forest and climate assistance can remain human rights-based
- Explore how the forest and climate assistance can draw on the best available knowledge
- Debate how principled versus pragmatic Norway should be on questions of academic freedom and civic space in its forest and climate assistance
Session 1, 0900-10.00: Academic Freedom and Civic Space in Indonesia
- Introduction: Aksel Tømte, NCHR (moderator)
- Academic freedom in Indonesia – Herlambang Wiratraman, UGM
- Experiences of a Norwegian researcher – Arild Angelsen, NMBU
- Experiences of a foreign researcher – David Gaveau
- Civic space for environmental advocacy in Indonesia – Bivitri Susanti, Jentera Law School
Session 2 : Norway’s Role in Providing Development Assistance
- Introduction: Ensuring development assistance is based on knowledge and human rights – Aled Williams, CMI (moderator)
- Norway as a donor for research and civil society – Øyvind Dahl, Head of Section, NORAD
- A perspective from Indonesian civil society – Kiki Taufik, Greenpeace Indonesia
- Values versus pragmatism in Norwegian development assistance – Jon Lomøy, Langsikt and former Norad Director
Coffee will be served from 08:45.
