Ridwan Kamil Becomes Speaker Of "Roma Roundtable 2022" In Italy

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil gave a souvenir to the Mayor of Assisi, Stefania Proietti, Saturday (21/5/2022). (ANTARA/HO-Humas West Java Regional Government)

JAKARTA - The Governor of West Java (Jabar) Ridwan Kamil was a speaker at the "The Assisi and Rome Roundtable 2022" event in Assisi, Italy.

Ridwan Kamil attended the event organized by the Global Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on various global issues.

"I traveled all the way to Assisi to gain a better understanding of what global concerns are. The goal is that when I return to Indonesia, I will have a better perspective of overcoming many distractions," said Ridwan Kamil in a press statement quoted by Antara, Monday, 23 May.

Shared understanding, said Ridwan Kamil, is very important for leaders who have to make decisions every day. Good understanding of data will result in good decisions. While bad data will result in bad decisions.

"Currently there are at least three distractions that are happening, global warming, digital disruption, and post-pandemic conditions. To deal with them, global understanding is needed to the grassroots," he said.

One of those distractions is global warming. In many activities, the world's citizens produce too much carbon. The right steps must be taken, starting with yourself.

“Currently I am promoting to reduce carbon. I'm the only governor who uses an electric car because I have to campaign, I have to do what I say," he said.

Another action is West Java's support to initiate the development of various energy-friendly infrastructures. In the near future, West Java will be home to the largest solar, wind and geothermal power plants in Southeast Asia.

"We produce the largest solar panel floating on water in Southeast Asia. We are building the largest geothermal to replace fossil fuels. Together with at least 100 regional heads in Indonesia, we are also committed to realizing transformation steps to renewable energy," said the Chairman of the Association of Oil and Gas Producer Regions and The Renewable Energy.

The second distraction is digital disruption. Digitization has put millions of people out of work, but with digitization it has also created 120 million new jobs.

"Digitalization is also effective in supporting leaders to make decisions for citizens. Through digitalization, we create a digital rural concept to create a digital inclusive economy. In West Java, we have been feeding fish and livestock using mobile phones. We are already at that point in digital transformation , " he said.

Another major distraction is the post-pandemic. In West Java, Ridwan Kamil said that at least 14,000 people had been lost due to COVID-19.

However, with control efforts, it was recorded that approximately 200 thousand people were exposed to COVID-19 from 50 million West Java residents.

“You can imagine I have to manage 50 million people. I have to convince millions of people to get vaccinated, but this is also a blessing because God gave me the opportunity to be a leader during this pandemic crisis," he said.

This year, he said, Indonesia, which has nearly 300 million people, will host the G-20 meeting. The forum of 20 countries that control half the world's economy is very important, so that all parties have a better common understanding.

“We invite everyone here to be part of the dialogue, especially in the midst of the war between Ukraine and Russia. Hopefully peace can end this war," he said.

At least 50 representatives of the state, private sector, and artists attended the event which took place on Saturday (21/5) local time to reach a common understanding.

This year, the big theme is Cooperative Globalization-Navigating the Unknown Together, Toward Peaceful, Global Existance.

Another speaker, Italian Minister of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility Enrico Giovannini said that it was not an easy matter to change the world. Moreover, now is happening with the dramatic situation in Ukraine, as tensions increase around the world.

Even though it is difficult, he said, it does not mean there is no way. This condition is an opportunity to show a new way of thinking to be able to make changes.

"Real leaders, such as the Governor of West Java in Indonesia who hosted the G-20, also apply the principle of sustainability. This is a good asset to forge many concrete steps with various countries for a better world," said Enrico Giovannini.