THIS BOOK began as a document—which at the time we called a booklet—prepared in the hope that it would spark healthy debate in society. The work took place, and specifically had to be completed by, a gathering of several civil society organizations in Yogyakarta in late August 2023. The reason behind the decision to create it was clear: we need more actors, including politicians, candidates for legislative bodies, candidates for regional head positions, and anyone else who can play a role in shaping the direction of development in ways that are open to ideas beyond business as usual. The problems we face as part of humanity have reached a level that threatens our very existence on this planet. We were fortunate to find a kindred spirit in the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), which was interested in publishing it as a book. The word “book,” as a format, is worth emphasizing. The document we produced at the time was physically the size of a magazine. Turning it into a book of the usual size—half the size of a magazine—required new work on the design and layout. We decided not merely to adjust it; we wanted it to look and feel new. That was not the only thing we did, of course. We added several topics to broaden the perspective, including two stories about good practices. As we did when we first worked on the original manuscript, we still believe that the stories in this book could very well be found in other publications. But they are included here in an entirely different context: what they contain, along with the other stories added, is an urgent call to put the brakes on the relentless pursuit of economic growth through the dominance of natural resource extraction and exploitation. For years, the effects of that dominance have contributed to emissions on a substantial scale (in 2021, we were among the ten largest emitters). We have also degraded our natural resources, depleted our unique biodiversity, and caused pollution that is among the worst in some areas—not only in this country, but across the globe. In short, we have become one of the key actors behind the triple planetary crisis, a phenomenon identified by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the basis of assessment reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
About the Authors
This book was written by authors with diverse backgrounds: Purwanto Setiadi, Aghnia Fasza, Kurie Suditomo, Leoni Sihombing, Mardiyah Chamim, Nur Alfiyah, Poernomo Gontha Ridho, Prasidono Listiaji, Stefanus Felix Lamuri, and Ulet Ifansasti. They collaborated to present a holistic perspective on the restorative economy, bringing together diverse disciplines and practices that support environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
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