SCIENCE FILM FESTIVAL 2023: UNITED NATIONS (UN) DECADE ON ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION

SCIENCE FILM FESTIVAL 2023: UNITED NATIONS (UN) DECADE ON ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION

The 14th edition of SFF in Surabaya was held offline from 2nd-9th of November 2023. On this occasion, Wisma Jerman collaborated with Institut Francais Indonesia (IFI) Surabaya, FISIP (Faculty of Social and Political Sciences) Universitas Airlangga and UK Petra Library as venue partners. The invited students were highly enthusiastic about watching a selection of science films from various countries like ‘The Village Illuminator’, ‘Secrets of The Forest’, ‘Checker Tobi’ and ‘Earth to Luna’ and actively participating in several simple experiments directly.

In 2023, the Science Film Festival (SFF) is official supporting partner of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The theme is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world. The UN Decade runs from 2021 through 2030, which is also the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals and the timeline scientists have identified as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change. Ecosystem restoration means assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact.

The event was attended by 2.224 students from twenty schools in Surabaya, Gresik and Sidoarjo from various levels of education. The participating schools in this event included Yayasan Darut Ta’lim Annawawi Surabaya, SDN Dr. Soetomo I/323 Surabaya, SMP Muhammadiyah 2 Taman Sidoarjo, SD Bumi Sholawat Sidoarjo, SMP Muhammadiyah 12 Gresik, SDN Kaliasin V/284 Surabaya, SDK Kristus Radja Surabaya, SD Alkhairiyah Surabaya, ALIT Foundation, SDN Kutisari Surabaya, SMA IPH East Surabaya, SMA Santa Maria Surabaya, IIS SMP Progressive Bumi Sholawat Sidoarjo, SDI Al Azhar 11 Surabaya Barat, Mawar Sharon Christian School as well as the PASCH schools, SMAN 5 and SMAN 15 Surabaya.

Through the 2023 Science Film Festival, participants were invited to understand the importance of a sustainable use of resources such as the ecosystem approach for integrated management of land, water and living creature resources, as well as the need to increase efforts to overcome desertification, land degradation, erosion and drought, loss of biodiversity and water scarcity. These things are seen as major environmental, economic, and social challenges for the realization of sustainable development globally.