In 2007, Babakan Siliwangi city forest in Bandung came under threat of privatisation from a local corporation, PT EGI, which proposed hotel and commercial development. In the period 2012–2013, the anti-corporatist, environmentalist group Backsilmove emerged to fight a successful campaign to save the forest for public use. Employing the ‘cognitive praxis’ approach pioneered by [Eyerman and Jamison (1991. Social movements: a cognitive approach. University Park, PA: Penn State University Press)] to understand the work of social movements, this article explores the tactics and ideology used by young city forest activists in Bandung as they sought to educate and mobilise local residents. Through in-depth interviews and fieldwork from 2014 to 2015 with young activists from Backsilmove it became evident that, as a manifestation of cognitive praxis, certain repertoires of protest were mobilised to inculcate environmental values in the public about protecting the forest from commercialisation. Repertoires included: (a) a ‘long march’ to attract public interest; (b) an enacted pantomime to draw attention to the profit-seeking capitalist alliance between the city government and the private sector; (c) production and free distribution of a scientific research publication outlining the impact of destructive development of the city forest. These protest repertoires had been acquired by the activists through previous structured training and actions with Greenpeace.

This paper traces the onto-genesis of a specific environmental campaign in Indonesia. A highly effective struggle to save the local city forest was instigated by young activists in Bandung who had previously been involved with Greenpeace Indonesia. The data comes from interviews, a focus group and ethnographic fieldwork. The paper illustrates the point that when youth get involved in a highly structured environmental protest movement like Greenpeace, the skills, network resources and confidence they gain there can later be deployed to great advantage in a local conservation campaign. That phenomenon can be understood using the notion of radical habitus derived from the theoretical work of Pierre Bourdieu. Keywords: youth, activism, radical habitus, Greenpeace

It has been widely recognized that environmental activists’ agency is shaped by their knowledge, childhood upbringing, exposure to environmental campaigns and projects. Deploying the sociological concept of “heterodoxy”, this study aims to explore young activists’ counter-beliefs against the dominant discourse of neoliberal urban development, which intrinsically motivated them to develop alternative environmental education for primary school students in Bandung City, Indonesia. By employing in-depth interviews that focus on significant life experiences, the present study reveals that activists’ nonconforming beliefs were formed through their childhood experiences with nature, their objections to today’s environmentally-unfriendly development, and the failure of formal education to foster children’s interest in the environment. From the activists’ point of view, the development of Bandung City in Indonesia has become more neoliberal, with less regard for environmental conservation.

The prevalence of urban spiritualism is on the rise among residents of major cities.One observable manifestation of urban spiritualism is the growing number ofdiverse social recitation gatherings. The present research looks into four distinctprofiles of assemblies that have emerged in the urban areas of Yogyakarta andSurakarta. The four assemblies comprise Muslim United and Teras Dakwah. InSurakarta, it is worth noting the presence of two prominent organisations, namelyMajelis Ar-Raudhah, established by Habib Novel Alaydrus, and Majelis BusytanulAsyiqin, founded by Habib Syech Assegaf. This study elucidates the techniquesemployed by the aforementioned four assemblies to disseminate moderatereligious knowledge within urban circles, as well as their respective reactions tothe evolving spiritual dynamics observed within urban communities. The presentstudy employs a qualitative methodology, specifically a field study approach. Thefindings of this study suggest a shift in the dominance of religious authority amongrenowned ustadz and habaib figures. By endorsing the dissemination of widelyrecognised da’wah conducted by these prominent individuals, it contributesto the enhancement of religious literacy among urban populations. The studyfindings also interpret the santrinisation and piety activities observed in urbancommunities as a tangible expression of the veracity of religious teachings.

Oil, gas, and other minerals contribute significantly to the growth of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, however their development always affects the environment. The GCC countries are therefore taking measures to ensure economic growth, job availability, social equality, and natural resource management by incorporating environmental considerations into economic policy and aspiring for green growth at the national and regional levels. With this in mind, this chapter explores various sustainability initiatives for environmental conservation in the GCC. This chapter focuses primarily on the national efforts of each of the GCC states to prevent and control hazards and to reduce the effects of environmental challenges (such as air pollution, climate change, oil spills, and declining quality of coastal and marine environments).

Double Exposure and Fractal City: Cultural Disengagement and Disembodied Belonging due to Outdoor Thermal Changes