Jakarta – The global energy transition, which is driving unprecedented demand for critical minerals, is having a disproportionate impact on local communities. While the extractive industry generates employment opportunities and economic growth, communities living around mining areas are left to bear mounting pressures on their living spaces, water sources, and fishing grounds.
In response to these challenges, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) International Secretariat launched its global guidance, “Engaging Communities in a Changing Extractive Sector Toolkit.” The launch took place through an international webinar series on Wednesday (24 June 2026), bringing together implementing countries participating in the Ford Foundation-supported Just Transition initiative, including Indonesia, Ghana, and Colombia.
Representing Indonesia, Meliana Lumbantoruan, Deputy Director of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia, shared practical lessons from community engagement in North Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi—one of Indonesia’s largest nickel-producing regions.
Rejecting Elitism: From Lengthy Reports to WhatsApp Messages
In her presentation, Meliana highlighted how international organizations and governments often overwhelm the public with rigid and highly technical reports. She stressed that transparency has little meaning if the information cannot be understood by the communities most directly affected by policy decisions.
“We came to one of the epicenters of the energy transition with one guiding principle: listen first. We did not come to lecture communities, but to co-produce knowledge together with them,” Meliana explained before the global panel and hundreds of webinar participants.
To bridge this information gap, PWYP Indonesia introduced its Data Storytelling methodology, consisting of five practical steps:
Simplify. Transform thousands of lines of open EITI data—such as corporate obligations and subnational government revenues—into one clear and compelling message.
Visualize and Build Emotional Connection. Link statistics with the faces of affected communities, photographs of project sites, and realities on the ground.
Frame the Story. Use a simple narrative structure centered on community experiences: “What was it like before? What is happening now? What are we demanding?”
Meet Communities Through Their Preferred Communication Channels. Move beyond lengthy 100-page PDF reports by converting complex information into short visual stories that can be easily shared through WhatsApp groups and community social media platforms.
Train Local Connectors. Equip key actors within villages with the skills to independently produce and disseminate data stories within their own communities.
Building More Inclusive Spaces for Dialogue
The panel session, moderated by Sebastian Sahla (EITI), also featured Douglas Ferkah from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ellembelle, Ghana. The discussion highlighted the importance of involving subnational stakeholders in Multi-Stakeholder Groups (MSGs) to better respond to the challenges of the energy transition.
For PWYP Indonesia, the experience in North Morowali demonstrates that when communities are equipped with data presented in accessible and understandable ways, they are able to formulate more precise demands regarding environmental impacts, the right to information, and meaningful participation. As a result, local stakeholders have begun advocating for the establishment of a permanent EITI dialogue platform at the regional level.
As an implementing partner in Indonesia, PWYP Indonesia hopes that the global toolkit launched by the EITI will become more than just another guidance document. Instead, it should be actively adopted by implementing countries to ensure that the voices of grassroots communities serve as the primary compass for governing a just energy transition.