Profile Niel Makinuddin Alumni Fahutan 1985

Niel Makinuddin is senior manager for provincial Governance TNC East Kalimantan Terrestrial Program. He joined TNC since 2006. He is responsible to secure support to TNC conservation program from various key stakeholders at province of East Kalimantan and districts of Berau and East Kutai. Prior to joining TNC, Mr. Makinuddin has twenty years professional experience in managing environmental and human rights NGOs and 5 years facilitating dispute and reaching agreement in the areas of natural resource management in Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. 

Mr. Makinuddin has been one of founder of first environmental and human rights NGO in East Kalimantan in mid-1980s and has strong influence to the growth of civil society organization two decades afterwards. Mr. Makinuddin has wide range of roles and responsibilities including core member of National Certification Council, Board Member of TIFA foundation, resource persons for strengthening civil society organization, and public figure for environment and good governance in East Kalimantan. Mr Makinuddin has been serving as facilitator for training to improve local government capacity in managing natural resources and working with communities, including those in the terrestrial and coastal areas.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC), an international conservation organization based in Arlington USA, Program Manager  on Forest, Governance and Partnership (January 2006 – present). Responsible to manage various stakeholders’ interest on natural resources management and mobilize buy-in from key local partners for conservation in Kalimantan. Some of strategic activities include lobby senior official, facilitate conflict resolution on natural resources management between communities and companies, land use management options, managing key and endemic species of Kalimantan, and enhance institutional framework involving various stakeholders.

Mitra Pesisir East Kalimantan Program (Coastal Resource Management Project II / CRMP II – USAID), Field Program Manager (October 2003 – September 2005). Primarily responsible person for program integration and achievement of co-management of CRMP II Kaltim with local partners and stakeholders. This includes achieving ownership of BMP recommendation, Replication at Adang and Apar at Kabupaten Pasir, and Berau Marine Protected Area (MPA) recognition, operationalizing and strengthening of Bay Management Council, developing necessary local (kabupaten/kota/province) laws/regulation/policies supporting integrated coastal management. During almost two years, Mitra Pesisir is able to influence the generation of support and contribution – in kind and cash – from various stakeholders in the amount of nearly 12 billion rupiahs.

Coastal Resource Management Project (a Coastal Resource Center/University of Rhode Island project, sponsored by USAID),  East Kalimantan, Senior Policy Advisor (April 2002 – 2003).  Responsible for assisting CRMP in outreaching and institutionalizing Integrated Coastal Management for Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Balikpapan City, District of Penajam Paser Utara, Kutai Kartanegara, and province of East Kalimantan, lobby and manage relationship with various stakeholders, facilitate development planing and conflict resolution, and coach various civil society organization to promote good natural resource and environmental governance. 

Coastal Resource Management Project (a Coastal Resource Center/University of Rhode Island project, sponsored by USAID), East Kalimantan, Policy and Program Consultant (September 2001 – March 2002). Responsible for assisting CRMP in outreaching and institutionalizing Integrated Coastal Management for Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Balikpapan City, District of Penajam Paser Utara, Kutai Kartanegara, and province of East Kalimantan, lobby and manage relationship with various stakeholders, facilitate development planing and conflict resolution, and coach various civil society organization to promote good natural resource and environmental governance. 

Certification Review Council (DPS = Dewan Pertimbangan Sertifikasi).  DPS in an independent body and one of fundamental element of certification for sustainable forest management in Indonesia, Bogor/Jakarta, Core Member (July 2001 – June 2004). Responsible to facilitate complaints – raised by various stakeholders – and to resolve disputes over certification results and processes nationwide.

PT. KEM (Kelian Equatorial Mining, a Rio Tinto subsidiary operating in East Kalimantan), East Kalimantan, Facilitator & Mediator (May 2001 – December 2004). Responsible to facilitate and/ or mediate conflict, consultation processes and reaching agreement between wide range of stakheolders including Adat leaders, representative of civil society, Bupati, DPRD, Ministry of Energy and Mineral, Minsistry of Forestry, BAPEDALDA, ITB, Rio Tinto, and KEM.  The objective is to provide for responsible mine closure which incorporates sustainable solutions in consultation with various stakeholders through series of workshop. There are four workshop and/ or meeting in a year to identifiy needs, problems, and other strategic issues related to mine closure and regional development.    PT KEM is the largest gold mine in Indonesia operating in remote area of West Kutai, East Kalimantan and they will close down their operation in August 2004. This will be a precedent ever in mining closure for Indonesia.

Natural Resource Management Program of United States Agency for International Development (NRM- USAID), Jakarta, local governance specialist (26 February – 24 March, 2001). Responsible for designing USAID future program on natural management program till 2004.   Responsible for assessing challenges and opportunities of natural resource management and governance in the era of regional autonomy. 

East Kalimantan Alliance for Monitoring Natural Resource Policy (Aliansi Pemantau Kebijakan Sumberdaya Alam – APKSA Kaltim), Samarinda, Coordinator (April 1999 – August 2001).  Responsible for coordinating a multistakeholders forum to  critically discuss issues and raising public opinion concerning public policies on natural resources especially in East Kalimantan.  Facilitate training for DPRD at Kutai Kartanegara on issues including public consultation mechanism, public relations, conflict resolution and legal drafting. 

Institute for Environment and People Empowerment (PLASMA), Samarinda, Executive Director (November 1998 – October 2001)., Resonsible for directing PLASMA in investigating indigenous system of land ownership and strengthening indigenous people organization and initiatives on natural resource management. PLASMA  has been active to facilitate a non-violance conflict resolution related to natural resource use and management in East Kalimantan.  PLASMA is one of the first grassroot and the oldest  NGO working on the issue of decentralization and natural resource policy.

National Policy Working group – Consortium for Supporting Community-Based Forest Management (KpSHK), Bogor, Coordinator  (February 1997 – July 1999).  A forum consist of 42 NGOs nation-wide working on the issue of promoting sustainable community-based forest management in Indonesia.  .

Sutainable Forest Management Project (SFMP-GTZ), Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Facilitator (September 1998).  Responsible for facilitating Conflict Management and training for trainer of Participatory Boundary Demarcation.

Cornell University, Department of Rural Sociology, Ithaca, NY, Intern (June-July 1994). Responsible for conducting research on natural resources management and policy issues in Indonesia at Cornell's South East Asia Library.

Kalimantan Upland Farming System Development Project (KUF-GTZ), Samarinda, consultant  (October 1993).  Responsible for developing models and suggestion for Alley Cropping and Agroforestry demonstration plots building on Dayak and Javanese agricultural tradition in sub-district of Barongtongkok, East Kalimantan.

WWF.  Advisor on WWF and Ministry  of  Forestry policy formation, East Kalimantan, researcher (1992). Compiled and analysed data on social, economic,  and ecological aspects of natural resource utilization in area of Kayan Mentarang Nature Reserve.

Rattan  Research,  East  Kalimantan.  Working with Stephanie T. Fried from Cornell University on a Fulbright-Hayes Ph.D Fellowship, East Kalimantan,  Research  Associate, (1991). Responsible for conducting research on  the social  and  economic aspects of rattan production  in  East Kalimantan.   Explored  the  nature of  the  integration  of traditional  rattan  production with  shifting  agriculture, Dayak  systems  of forest garden and land  ownership,  local knowledge  of  medicinal  plants  and  forest   utilization.  Responsible  for  collecting  data on  oral  history,  plant specimens,  social structure, and techniques of  forest  and shifting cultivation systems, learning language and culture, recognizing  problems  facing Bentian Dayaks  (health,  land ownership, education, etc.).

 Mr. Makinuddin graduated from School of Forestry, Mulawarman University in Samarinda, East Kalimantan. He received MA from Terry Stanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.