On January 11th, 2023, the Center for World Studies (CWTS) UGM held the first volume of its Sarasehan* of Democracy bringing “Cross Order Democracy Discourse” topic at Fisipol UGM’s BRI Works Amphitheater. The event featured several experts as guest speakers, including Major General TNI (Purn) IGK Manila, Head of PSPD UGM Dr. Riza Noer Arfani, and Bagas Damarjati, who represented the UGM students.
Discussions commenced with a presentation from Major General TNI (Purn) IGK Manila, who emphasized the important role played by academics and universities in shaping the ideal narrative of democracy. The Major General suggested that academia’s strength are well suited for provisioning advice to politicians, rather than engaging in the practical aspects of politics
Dr. Riza Noer Arfani was the next to speak. During his presentation, Dr. Riza conveyed that because Indonesia’s democracy remains relatively new there are bound to be challenging periods. Therefore, Indonesia requires its academicians and universities to engage in the democratic process by shaping a vision of ideal democratic practices in Indonesia.
The discussion then progressed to the importance of Indonesia’s students in helping to construct democracy’s narrative in Indonesia. Bagas Damarjati stressed the importance of this to democracy, noting that more could be done to accommodate the aspirations of Indonesia’s students.
Following guest speakers, a question and answer session was held to generate further discussion. Guided by PSPD UGM Researcher Mario Aden Bayu Valendo, this session provided an opportunity for the audience to share their own ideas and ask questions of the guest speakers. While the event was held offline, it was also broadcast online via Instagram Live. To view the recording, please visit the Center for World Studies’ Instagram account @CTWSUGM.
* Sarasehan (in Bahasa) is a semi-formal type of discussion between experts and audiences upon certain issues.
