Sustainable With Our Own Way

 Ica Wulansari

Today, ‘sustainable’ is a magical word in  global agenda. Thus, this terminology is familiarized by many countries as it usually mentioned on their development plan. SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) has replaced MDGs (Millenium Development Goals) which stresses economic growth with nature preservation and social justice. Principally, MDGs has given a strong fundamental step to continue the higher level of development.

The priorities of MDGs agenda are to reduce poverty level, education for all (especially for girls), and reduce maternal mortality. Furthermore, these priorities are ideal ways to continue the development with high economic growth and ensure the sustainability. In fact, there are serious income gap between developed countries, developing countries and under-developed countries. Then, it would be hard to reduce the poverty line in developing countries and under-developed countries.

Modernization is development paradigm that support accelerated economic growth. Modernization is the continuity of industrialization revolution with sophisticated way. Economic growth is fully endorsed by capitalist that capital is mainly contributed to development.

According to modernization`s view, economic activities without capitalization is inappropriate to create economic growth. Economic growth will flow naturally through foreign direct investment. Foreign direct investment is the reality of operation some transnational or multinational companies. This investment has provided jobs for labours and it directly creates a positive stimulus for social condition.

The consequences of modernization are local economic activities or small scale enterprises is unpopular due to the different standard of the way capitalist work. For instance, Indonesia has local economic activity it is called ‘koperasi’. For middle class to lower class, ‘koperasi’ is suitable for their needs. Unfortunalety, Koperasi is unpopular than banking system. The philosophy of local economic activity is to support each other so that they can live together in harmony. For instance, Javenese Philosophy believes that ‘mangan ora mangan sing penting ngumpul’ (either having meals or not, gathered is more important).

For a decade, there is enormous bubble economy happened in developing countries including Indonesia. We can argue that economic growth has positive side, such as infrastructure of education, jobs, road, business et cetera. Physically, economic growth can easily be observed by the rising of middle class people. Middle class people who have been rising in economic need more comfortable that has changed their lifestyle. In addition, to support middle class` lifestyle, capitalist offer the ease of facilities to create modern and comfort life. Middle class and upper class people have comfortable life requiring huge energy. Then, the new lifestyle has serious impact of high demand of fuel, energy, electricity and produce more waste.

After exploiting the nature, then the discourse arise that we have to be wise using the enery, fuel, and electricity through sustainable way. Sustainable development offers a new perspective on how to deal with this situation. Nevertheless, as modern societies, we cannot produce zero waste or zero pollution. How about changing our lifestyle? Radically, it is absolutely impossible.

Traditional people or indigenous people have implemented sustainability in their life. Their food is from nature, they do not need fuel that much for their lifes. As a result,  they produce organic waste, but less produce anorganic waste. Ironically, majority`s view that they are underdeveloped and low living standard.

Indigeous people respect the myth, which is believe to be irrational for modern people. From one side, the perspective is true, but for the other side, there is a hidden philosophy regarding to nature. The myth was created to appreciate nature as their homeland where they live and their generation will continue their live. For example, prohibited forest it is called ‘Leuweung Larangan’ in Kampung Naga society. Kampung Naga is located in Tasikmalaya that inherited believe that ‘Leuweung Larangan’ is not allow to be traced by anyone including the community member. It is aimed to preserve forest from destruction.

Local wisdom was inherited by the ancestors. Poor attention of local wisdom due to theories that logically proven. Thus, local wisdom is significantly different from theory. Local wisdom believe mythology. Unfortunately, after ecosystem disruption, all of us start realizing that local wisdom has the truth.

Ethics has become a part of the science and knowledge. At the same time, why local wisdom cannot be part of the science or knowledge. Meanwhile, local wisdom has low attention by local scientist, media and decission maker. As a result, we have difficulty to collect the documentation of local wisdom.

Sustainable development with global perspective is universal standard that is exactly match to our need. Sustainable with our own way based on local wisdom. Furthermore, local wisdom which is efficient and suitable with situation today. First of all, we have to collect all kind of local wisdom then we have to classify them based on how to preserve forest, water, and early warning system naturally. After that, we may study and analyse what is the most significant value of local wisdom which is in line with sustainability. Then, it would be our ethic that should be believe commonly or perhaps universally. The question is: Is there any political will to preserve our local wisdom? We have a choice to do sustainable necessity.