Dear readers,
Last Friday, CIPS was awarded the Templeton Freedom Award for our Affordable Food for the Poor project!
The Templeton Freedom Award is a global annual award to recognize think tank contributions in public policies that promote prosperity, innovation, and human fulfillment. The award is named after the late investor and philanthropist, Sir John Templeton.
Now we stand alongside a truly global cohort of impactful think tanks from Lithuania, Egypt, the United States, Mexico, and the Philippines who have won in previous years.
For this achievement, we must thank the Templeton Religion Trust and the Atlas Network!
The entire CIPS team streamed into the virtual award announcement ceremony. Our Events and Partnerships Officer, Dira, has perfectly recorded this moment.
We won because of our work in advocating for open-market policies in Indonesia’s food trade.
But it does not mean we stop here.
The struggles of Indonesia’s farmers are very real. Many work hard in very hot and highly humid conditions. Yet, continue to struggle to lift themselves out of poverty.
We’re now committed more than ever to support farmers through advocating policies that can improve productivity and incomes. This can only be done through open markets and technological advancement that frees up opportunities for Indonesia’s farmers.
CIPS is gaining even more acknowledgment beyond the issues of food and agriculture.
Over the weekend, the Indonesian Government signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). During the press conference, Indonesia’s lead trade negotiator cited CIPS in his presentation. He also acknowledged our Senior Fellow, Dr. Donna Gultom, as one of the key facilitators in the negotiation of this agreement during her time in the Ministry of Trade.
Through RCEP, Indonesia is now part of the world’s largest trading bloc. Against a global backdrop that sees more countries regressing into trade protectionism, CIPS intends to be a consistent voice for policies that value open trade and enable more economic opportunities to reach everyday Indonesians.
We hope you will continue to join alongside us!
Salam hangat,
Rainer Heufers
Executive Director
Don't forget to check out and download our policy papers here. Through these papers, we present evidence-based arguments to recommend policy changes that focus on building prosperity and better livelihoods for low-income Indonesians.
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