Date: September 4-6, 2009.
Place: Wijaya Hotel, Kaliurang, Yogyakarta, Duta Wacana Christian University, Ombudsman Institution
Participants: 28 Students (10 female, 17 male)
Theme: “Observing Models of People Participation and Public Policy Transparency”.
Goals: Sharpening student’s insight with the surrounding public policies and what kind of participation matched to do in side with people.
Participants learn Social Stratification, Analysis of Civil Society Participation, The Role of Christian Institutions among Society in Indonesia and Their Participation on any Public Policies.
Rev. Yeanne Tadu delivers theological basic on Civil Society context that everybody has a task to speak out prophetical mission during her/his life with each social life background in the effort of promoting justice and social welfare. Social approach may be used to spread God’s words among society, especially touching the heterogeneous society of Indonesia. Empowering society has a purpose that they will not take for granted on the Bible clause that everyone must obey the state authorities, because no authorities exists without God’s permission, and the existing authorities have been put there by God as written in Romans 13.
Empowering society is meant that people have capability to assess whether the authorities come from God or not by observing the output and product of any public policies for the sake of justice and social welfare. Being capable with such issue analyses, people may contribute and participate actively in governmental affairs. Tri Wahyu K.H, the director of Indonesia Court Monitoring, delivers Introduction of Civil Society and the Role of Non-governmental Organization giving people advocacy. He worms out of participants’ ideas on the term of participation and asks what kind of participation that the participants have been done before. In general, they know well the termination of participation however; it is very difficult for them to say what kind of participations they have done, as they never get advocacy how to participate actively in one organization or criticism on a certain public policy.
Observing this condition, Tri Wahyu K.H says that it is a correct decision for them to be Stube HEMAT participants that will empower them to known what should be done to response the social dynamic in which they are living, especially in the topic of Civil Society. Actually, the state constitution (UUD’45, article 28 C, verse 2) has assured of people’s involvement in the framework of developing society, nation and the country.
State law no. 10, article 53, 2004 also assures that people have right to give suggestions orally or in written during the preparation of a certain regulation that will be issued by government. The characteristic of Civil Society may be identified from (1) the independency of people whenever they oppose against the government, (2) free public sphere and, (3) people capability to bound government domination. His criticism when monitoring the court running in Indonesia is that so far energy is spent out in designing regulation but less effort in the implementation.
Panel Discussion
Panel discussion is held in Duta Wacana Christian University. It is a series of training inviting some sources in the same time to get different point of view in some topic to be discussed together. The sources are Prof. Dr. Warsito Utomo delivering The Role of Christians in the Context of Civil Society, Drs. Wimmie Handiwidjojo, M.T delivering Church in the midst of Advanced Information Technology, Dra. Murti Lestari, M.Si, delivering Economy Analysis and People Social Welfare, and Ir. Nick T Wiratmoko, M.Si delivering People Advocacy to Gain Civil Society. Thirty-nine participants attend this panel, as it is open for Stube HEMAT networking organizations. Prof. Dr. Warsito Utomo cites that there is still asynchronous movement among Civil Society activators in Indonesia in the context of plurality Indonesia. Intellectual Christians have a task to participate actively to strengthen the concept of Civil Society in the basis of Christian faith as new creation and good understanding on the relationship between God and the authority by having high plurality concept. Alternative thought and breakthrough are demanded to penetrate the rigidity and stagnancy of the government regulations.
The characteristic of Civil Society is autonomous that should be possessed by church responding the advanced of information technology, Drs. Wimmie Handiwijojo, M.T states. Church services to its members may be changed in the performances as the demand of technology era and the changes of people life’s pattern even the evangelical activities. Church has big responsibility to preserve the quality of Christianity values among its members against the assault of modern era. Church has to be brave to make use technology to present God so the advanced technology does will lead to positive construction instead of destruction of moral and attitude. It is not only a big challenge but also chances.
Dra. Murti Lestari, M.T observes that social welfare may be one of indicators to support Civil Society. Social welfare can be easily defined as ability to afford life’s necessities however; social welfare may include capability in expressing one self and having many choices of social and economy. Indonesia macro economy is quite good but not for the micro. Indonesia is facing low efficiency and competitive power. It is dangerous situation since inefficient nation will be the loser in open market. Policy, institution, bureaucracy, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, and people’ ways of life as the superstructure must be reviewed overall. There are the bases to grow sense of Civil Society among people to be able participating actively in the running of the government.
As the practitioner, Ir. Nick T. Wiratmoko, M.Si adds that advocacy is not an instant and easy work. It needs patience and spirit to encourage people to gain their rights. Often it takes risk against stagnancy condition and irk comfortable zone. Making decision to take part in certain issue or policy needs not only bravery and intellectual capability but also preparation to accept consequences. Nick challenges the students with this fact.
Visiting Ombudsman Institution
Ombudsman is an independence institution to accept any complaints on the service, system and efficiency of private institutions when they serve public. There are two kinds of ombudsman, that is, state ombudsman concerning on governmental institutions and private ombudsman concerning on state institutions. Students are divided into two groups to visit the two Ombudsman institutions.
Any people can come here and share their difficulties working with private or governmental institution without any charge and they will be protected from any threat. So far not so many people know the ombudsman institution and ask the service, so the Chief of Ombudsman, Mr. Barkah and Mr. Suriyono accept the student’ visit well and ask them to socialize this institution among their community and even the society so more and more people will be aware that they are not alone to solve problems related with institution service. The two ombudsman is lied close each other, having address in 1 A and 1 B on the same street of Tentara Zeni Pelajar, Yogyakarta.
Having exposure to Ombudsman Institution, students come back to Wijaya Hotel continuing their in-door training. Haryati Panca Putri, SH, the director of Law Advocacy YAPHI Surakarta delivers her topic about The Role of Christian Law Advocacy Institution in Public Policies. As the practitioner, she reveals that conflict cannot be avoided when we want to give law advocacy to clients. The problems are for example goal conflict, time, legacy, financial budget, interest differences, weakness of public communication, and capacity to make decision. Further, many facts tells that many public policies are unfair and not in side with people, weakness of policy socialization, weakness of law supremacy, complex implementation and more victims are common people not the authority. “Since students, you should learn more outside campus the reality of law implementation and law advocacy to victims. You can join any Law Advocacy Institution that can be accessed to know the real fact and its management,” she adds. Haryati Panca Putri shares her institution experiences in handling law cases such as Cement “Gresik” and Bantaran case that aggrieving people. Often victims will keep silent after getting compensation without any critical thought whether the compensation is reasonably right or not. It is the time to give advocacy by empowering victims to gain what they should deserve to get. She reminds that each of us has a role to play and it should be played well when we want to have any changes.