Initiative Forum 2024: Humanitarian Challenges and Collective Kindness for Sustainable Resilience

Marking 25 years of addressing humanitarian issues, Human Initiative recognizes that such challenges remain deeply intertwined with every generation and civilization. As a global humanitarian organization, Human Initiative promotes collaboration among humanitarian actors to collectively address these enduring issues. Reflecting on a quarter-century journey, Human Initiative reaffirmed its commitment to global humanitarian collaboration by hosting the Initiative Forum on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at the Birawa Room, Bidakara Hotel, Jakarta. Themed Collective Kindness, the forum brought together humanitarian actors from various sectors, aiming to foster strong collaborations in tackling increasingly complex global challenges.

The Global Humanitarian Overview 2024 reports that approximately 300 million people worldwide require aid due to conflicts, climate crises, and global economic impacts. In Indonesia, challenges persist, with data from the 2022 National Socioeconomic Survey (Susenas) and the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) indicating that 4 million children still lack access to proper education, while 25.22 million people live below the poverty line, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). Through the Initiative Forum, Human Initiative called on all humanitarian stakeholders to address these issues with a collaborative spirit.

“The Initiative Forum, with the theme Collective Kindness, is not only a celebration of 25 years of humanitarian efforts by Human Initiative but also an invitation to build optimism for the future through cross-sector collaboration,” said Tomy Hendrajati, President of Human Initiative, in his opening remarks. He reflected on the organization’s journey, emphasizing the need for continuous efforts toward sustainable dignity, even amidst resource limitations and uncertain external conditions.

“Uplifting humanity is closely tied to strengthening the Ecosystem of Humanitarian and Development Movements,” Tomy added. “This involves not only delivering humanitarian aid but also advocating for the enforcement of International Humanitarian Law, enhancing organizational capacity and governance, and fostering local leadership. The involvement of all stakeholders is key to creating a better humanitarian and development ecosystem to uphold human dignity.”

Strengthening the Humanitarian Ecosystem Through Collective Kindness

The Initiative Forum serves as a platform for Human Initiative to showcase Collective Kindness, a concept aimed at reinforcing the humanitarian ecosystem through cross-sector collaboration. This initiative aspires to optimize public involvement in responding to current and future humanitarian challenges. With over 500 participants attending both online and in person, the forum brought together stakeholders from various sectors, including government, NGOs, academia, and communities.

“At Human Initiative, we are deeply grateful and honored to collaborate and gain the trust of many parties,” Tomy continued. “From government institutions, private sectors, NGOs, communities, media, academics, volunteers, to philanthropic individuals, our collaborations are living proof that together, we can create significant change.”

Forum Highlights and Awards

As a platform for exchanging ideas, the Initiative Forum featured four main sessions: Initiative Exposure, Initiative Insight, Initiative Award, and Initiative Connect. These sessions provided spaces for sharing, recognition, and partnership to amplify the impact of humanitarian collaboration.

During the event, Human Initiative launched the Local Champion Award and the Humanity Award to honor outstanding collaborative efforts in addressing humanitarian issues. The forum was attended by key figures, including Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar, Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment of the Republic of Indonesia, as a national humanitarian advocate, and H.E. Vincent Raymond Ochilet from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), representing global humanitarian leadership.