POV Community Discusses Mental Health and Indigenous Wisdom Amidst the Ecological Crisis

 

In celebration of Earth Day, POV Community successfully hosted Webinar II themed "Mental Health & Indigenous Identity: Healing Through Culture" on Saturday, April 26, 2025. Held virtually via Zoom and streamed live on YouTube, the event gathered dozens of participants from across Indonesia, including Sumatra, Bali, and Eastern Indonesia.

The webinar was opened by Lucia Damanik, founder of POV Community, who emphasized that the platform was created to amplify Indigenous voices, advocate for environmental sustainability, and promote culturally-based mental health. Lucia highlighted the importance of reconnecting with cultural roots and Indigenous wisdom in facing today’s social and ecological crises.

The first session featured Kiki Nasution, founder of Sabda Bumi, who shared his transformative journey living alongside Indigenous communities in Baduy, Mentawai, and the Iban people of West Kalimantan. He introduced the concept of bio-cultural diversity—the deep interconnection between culture, language, and environment—as essential for maintaining ecosystem balance and human well-being. Kiki invited participants to reflect on how disconnection from nature has contributed to the modern mental health crisis.

The second session was led by Dhede from the Indonesian Mental Health Association (Perhimpunan Jiwa Sehat), who addressed the ongoing human rights challenges faced by persons with psychosocial disabilities in Indonesia. Dhede advocated for a shift from the traditional charity or medical models toward a social model that recognizes persons with mental health conditions as active subjects with full rights to autonomy, education, employment, and social participation.

In the third session, Khatarina Ginting, founder of Potret Karakter, highlighted the vital role of cultural approaches in strengthening the mental health of Indigenous communities. She emphasized that culture is not merely a heritage but a living source of healing, enabling emotional resilience, overcoming collective trauma, and reinforcing identity through local wisdom, art, and language.

The webinar concluded with an interactive discussion, as participants eagerly shared reflections on the need for community-based mental health systems and development paradigms that respect Indigenous values.

In her closing remarks, Lucia Damanik reiterated that mental health, cultural identity, and environmental sustainability are three interconnected pillars essential for building a just and sustainable future. She reaffirmed POV Community’s commitment to creating empowering spaces for Indigenous communities and advocating for culturally-rooted mental health rights.

Through this webinar, POV Community hopes to raise greater public awareness on the critical role of Indigenous wisdom in environmental conservation and mental health recovery, while strengthening cross-community solidarity for a more humane and sustainable world.