Closing Speech: Farwiza Farhan

Farwiza Farhan, a passionate environmentalist and TIME 100 Next Leader, will close this year’s JILF x Jaktent with a compelling speech that ties the threads of literature and environmentalism into a unified call to action. As the founder of Yayasan HAkA and a dedicated advocate for the preservation of Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem, Farwiza embodies the spirit of resilience and hope in the fight for environmental justice.

Her closing speech will reflect on the festival’s exploration of eco-literature, marginalized voices, and radical imagination, emphasizing how storytelling can inspire collective action and foster a deeper connection to our planet. With her unique perspective as a biologist, activist, and cultural anthropologist, Farwiza will challenge audiences to envision a future where literature serves as both a mirror to our ecological crises and a beacon for transformative change.

Farwiza Farhan, is celebrated for her relentless dedication to protecting Indonesia’s natural heritage. She founded the Yayasan Hutan, Alam, dan Lingkungan Aceh (Yayasan HAkA) to safeguard the Leuser Ecosystem, one of the world’s most vital rainforests. As the 2024 Ramon Magsaysay Award laureate, her background in Marine Biology from Universiti Sains Malaysia, Environmental Management from the University of Queensland, and her ongoing Ph.D. work at Radboud University’s Department of Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies, all inform her vision for environmental justice.