BOGOR, Indonesia (July 9, 2018) – The Wildlife Conservation Society is delighted to congratulate Dr. Willy Marthy, Sumatra Manager for the WCS Indonesia Program, on his graduation from the IDEAS advanced leadership program.

IDEAS (Innovative, Dynamic, Education and Action for Sustainability) - Indonesia Program is a unique collaboration between United for Diversity and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The program uses a new social technology called the 'U Theory,' developed by MIT’s Professor Otto Scharmer, which facilitates multi-stakeholder groups to collectively experience deeper levels of learning to make systemic interventions [firstly through personal inner transformation and subsequently applying the Process to group decision making, and co-evolving actions that create significant results both within one's organizations and communities].

Willy has worked for WCS for over four years strengthening the management in four key Sumatran protected areas covering >3 million hectares of biodiversity-rich rainforest. He has been at the forefront of several key changes to these and other protected areas in Indonesia, which includes the adoption of a state-of-the-art adaptive management system that has resulted in greatly improved anti-poaching patrols.

Willy said of the program: “U Theory’s a method for dissecting systemic problems and is therefore highly relevant for tackling conservation challenges in Indonesia. This is why I encouraged my group to focus on Way Kambas National Park in Sumatra for our group project.” 

Willy’s graduation is shared with 31 esteemed Indonesian leaders from government, private sector and civil society, which includes CEOs, Presidents, Country Directors, Chairwomen, Parliamentarians and Vice-Governor’s.

WCS would also like to congratulate another member of the IDEA’s 6 graduates, Ibu Chusnunia, who has just been elected as Vice-Governor for the Sumatran province of Lampung, where WCS has been working for for more than 20 years in the national parks of Bukit Barisan Selatan and Way Kambas. These parks are key Sumatran tiger, rhino and elephant strongholds.

Dr. Noviar Andayani, the WCS Indonesia Country Director, who graduated with the IDEAS’s 3 cohort, said, “WCS believes strongly in investing in its staff knowing that they are both the present champions and continued hope for successfully protecting Indonesia’s rich, wonderful and unique biodiversity.”

The WCS Indonesia Program works through layered conservation efforts to safeguard wildlife, from wildlife protection in its habitat to technical support in enforcing environmental law.