Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry commemorated Christmas 2025 through a modest reflection and solidarity event held at the Dr. Soedjarwo Auditorium, Manggala Wanabakti Building, Jakarta, on Thursday, January 15, 2026. The event gathered approximately 500 participants, including ministry employees, family members, partners, and invited guests.
The celebration adopted the national Christmas theme set by Communion of Churches in Indonesia and Indonesian Bishops Conference, “God Is Present to Save the Family,” with a sub-theme introduced by the ministry, “The Peace of Christmas Strengthens Families, Restores the Earth, and Nurtures Hope.”
The sub-theme emphasized the responsibility of forestry professionals to maintain harmony between humans and nature. The ministry highlighted forest and land rehabilitation, tree planting, and sustainable forest management as concrete expressions of restoring the Earth, while social care and solidarity with disaster-affected communities were presented as efforts to nurture hope.
As part of the Christmas program, the ministry implemented a series of social and environmental initiatives. These included humanitarian assistance for disaster-affected communities in Sumatra through regional forestry units, nationwide tree-planting activities by central and regional offices, social services for children at the “Karena Doa” Orphanage in Depok, and an educational outreach program titled “Christian Foresters Teaching Marginalized Children.”
The event also featured a Christmas worship and reflection session, encouraging participants to reaffirm their role as stewards of creation. During the reflection agenda, the organizing committee raised funds to support disaster recovery efforts in Sumatra. All donations collected, including proceeds from the sale of non-timber forest products exhibited at Manggala Wanabakti, were allocated entirely for community recovery.
Participants were also invited to write expressions of gratitude and hope, which were placed on a symbolic “Tree of Hope.” As a tangible commitment to environmental care, each participant pledged to plant tree seedlings, with a total of 300 seedlings distributed as Christmas souvenirs.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Forestry, representatives of religious institutions, partner organizations, and invited stakeholders attended the event, reflecting shared commitment to social solidarity, faith-based values, and ecological stewardship.
Through this reflection and solidarity program, the Ministry of Forestry reaffirmed its dedication to integrating spiritual values, humanitarian action, and environmental responsibility, positioning Christmas as a moment to strengthen families, restore ecosystems, and build hope for society and future generations. (*)
