Young Asian Liberal Democrats Conclude Jakarta Event
2007-12-02

Camelia Puji Astuti, Chairperson, Garda Bangsa and Jan Argy Tolentino, YLDA Secretary General with former Indonesian President H.E. KH Adburrahman Wahid during the workshop dialogue.

The Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia met in Jakarta, Indonesia for a four-day seminar-workshop on good governance and citizen participation. From the 23rd to 26th of November 2007, twenty-five participants coming from eight countries across the region engaged in group and plenary discussions, field visits, and dialogues with representatives from the government, political parties, and civil society groups to find common solutions to problems of corruption, lack of transparency, and democratic deficit in governance in Asia.

At the formal opening of seminar/workshop, former Indonesia President, H. E. KH Adburrahman Wahid explained: "For us to discuss good governance, we must ensure first that there is a government responsive to the needs of the people. Good and responsible governance can only emanate from the true will of the people. The ideals of good governing are all about citizen and government engaging each other for better public service." The former president then underscored that public officials should always strive to be transparent; "for the government is both a place and an institution where citizen can and should come together" and as such, "all dealings of the government must always be kept open for public scrutiny."

Mr. Rainer Heufers, Project Director of FNF Indonesia, warmly received the delegates during the welcome dinner on November 22 while Hon. Faishal Zaini, a member of the Indonesian Parliament and an YLDA alumnus exhorted the participants to take lessons from the Indonesian experience of governing and find practical use for these when they go back to their own countries.

Lead facilitator and university professor Cornelis Lay re-oriented the definition of governance and government when he proposed a normative formula "reflecting respect to the social, economic, and cultural rights of people with special emphasis on participation, rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, equity, and accountability."
Participants also heard from Miss Adinda Tenriangke Muchtar of the Indonesian Institute's Center for Public Policy Research. Emphasizing the link between citizenship and democracy, Miss Muchtar observed that "scrutinizing government transactions should be seen both as a right and responsibility of citizens. Citizenship in a democratic society implies vigilance and political awareness and these are best exemplified and exercised by the young." Referring to the case of Indonesia, she adds that while youths can participate in governance by joining political parties, other avenues of activism should also be explored.

YLDA President Rajendra Mulmi receiving the Jakarta Parliament emblem gift from a local parliamentarian.

She also cited the need for the Indonesian youths to be raise their political awareness as their level of awareness often always dictate the quality of participation by the youth in the political sphere. She then concentrated on the role of government as playing a crucial in determining the kind of democratic apertures that shall be opened for youth participation. She declares, "factors such as political system, political culture, and rules for participation in politics determine the kind of involvement and level of youth participation in Indonesian politics."

On the last day of the workshop, the participants presented papers containing their reflections about the Indonesian experience on good governance and citizen participation. Taking stock on lessons learned, they offered recommendations on how to improve good governance and citizen participation in their respective country.
Before closing the event, the participants also convened for the YLDA Annual General Meeting (AGM) to evaluate the programs implemented for 2007 and plan the activities for 2008. The new executive committee was also elected into office.

The event was made possible by the generous support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and the hospitality and assistance of YLDA-local partner PKB-Garda Bangsa of PKB in cooperation with Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan (PDIP).

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...