Young Asian Liberals Train Skills, Craft Political Campaigns
2005-05-16

See Yogyakarta Event Documentation.

Newsmakers: YLDA was featured in 12 Indonesian publications

Indonesia?s renowned university town, Yogyakarta is no stranger to the comings and goings of young people searching for knowledge and interaction. What better place for twenty four young liberals from all over Asia to converge and discuss the dynamics of effective campaigning?

On May 11-16, 2005, it was indeed in Yogya where the Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia (YLDA) held its Running A Successful Political Campaign workshop and special general assembly. The event was hosted by the youth division of the Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa of Indonesia (PKB-Youth), one of the eleven member organizations of YLDA, and supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF).

(L-R) Mr. Halim Mahfud with the moderators Mr. Rajendra Mulmi and Dr. Ronald Meinardus

Participants were given an introduction to Indonesian politics by no less than former President Abdurrahman Wahid in a forum that was also attended by local youth and women advocacy groups. In his address, the former president told the young liberals that the future of Asian leadership belonged to them and that the YLDA-PKB Youth event was a perfect opportunity to learn from and cooperate with each other. Participants were doubly inspired by the speech (delivered through proxy) of the Chairman of the PKB, Hon. Mr. Muhaimin Iskandar, M. Si, where it was mentioned that everyone in the incumbent PKB leadership is below forty years old. Dr. Rainer Adam, Resident Representative of FNF Jakarta, further expounded on the ins and outs of Indonesian election campaigns through a clever documentary, which included footage he took from riding the back of a motorcycle.

Yogyakarta Vice Mayor Dr. Sunyoto greets YLDA Program Officer Anne Elica?o

In the workshop proper, participants learned the fundamentals of strategic campaign planning. For this, they were divided into working groups to tackle case studies where campaigning is required in local, regional, and international levels. They benefited from discussions with Mr. Halim Mahfud of the Standard Chartered Bank of Jakarta on translating commercial public relations principles to politics, Ms. Yenny Wahid, Director of the Wahid Institute, on the campaign practices of PKB, and Mr. Godart Van Gendt on the International Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth (IFLRY) ?Check Your Rights!? campaign. Selected participants presented their own experiences on issue-based and politically-based campaigns. The workshop was moderated by Dr. Ronald Meinardus, FNF Manila Resident Representative, and Mr. Rajendra Mulmi, YLDA Secretary General.

Ms. Yenny Wahid shares campaign techniques

Participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan represented their respective YLDA member organizations in the special general assembly where the Future Youth Group (Pakistan) was granted full membership. Representatives from Hong Kong, Thailand, and IFLRY stood as observers in the assembly.

A leg of the event was devoted to experiencing the richness of local culture. Participants visited one of the seven wonders of the world- the magnificent Borobudur, savored traditional Indonesian food at a dinner hosted by the Sultan of Yogyakarta at his Kraton palace, and shopped for local handicrafts and batik at Malioboro.

Running A Successful Political Campaign is the first YLDA workshop for the year. Since 2002, YLDA has brought together young liberals from Asia for political skills training workshops and to strengthen liberalism and democracy in the region.

Click here to view our Yogyakarta Gallery.

The Young Liberals at ancient Borubudur

Garda Bangsa Garda Bangsa was formed in 1998 following the successful political reform spearheaded by students and other campus activists to depose the tyrannical regime of President Suharto. The organization was founded by Abdurram Wahid, a former adviser of President Suharto who resigned following an escalation in government corruption and political management by the administration. He championed "Responsible Openness" within the government system and proposed the establishment of a Reform Committee in order to mitigate poor governance within the administration. His calls were left unheeded and so he eventually withdrew support for the government and joined the efforts advocating for reform in the government. Read more...