Key Issues
In the past 3 years, Indonesia is dealing with several
key issues related to the lives of children, women, indigenous peoples, the
poor and the marginalized.
- Children’s and Women’s Rights
Protection of children’s and women’s rights in
Indonesia had not shown any significant progress, as evidenced by still many
cases of violation of the rights of children and women, as well as the absence
of special treatment for cases that occur. Cases of child trafficking, sexual
exploitation, under age working children, the low literacy skills of children,
the destruction of ecosystems and the loss of children's playgrounds are things
that are faced by children in Indonesia.
Government, in
these cases, is moving very slowly, and there is no significant progress so
far. The issues of children and women are not priority issues addressed by the
government. Meeting the needs of children, for example, was seen as the
fulfillment of basic needs such as providing primary and secondary education by
indicators of quantity, while the quality achieved is low. According to the
World's Most Literate Nations, Central Connecticut State University in 2016,
Indonesia literacy is ranked 60th out of 61 countries studied. This is one
proof that the priority of education as a fundamental right of children had not
received adequate attention.
The issues of
children and women, although is deemed important by the NGO, not a popular
issue to be proposed in terms of financing program. Funders appear to be more
interested on issues that affect their activities directly and promptly, while
programs related to children and women requirefurther assistance and longer
time. The results are sometimes unpredictable. NGOs are struggling with so many
needs of assistance, while the resources are very limited.
- Indigenous People, The Poor and The Marginalized
The recognition
of rights of indigenous people, the poor, and the marginalized to manage the
environment in which they live is still very weak. Environmental damage caused
by human activities and natural disasters were handled poorly and fragmented.
It was just as poor people in Indonesia who have lost access to their land,
violations of their rights generally did not end well in court. Indigenous
peoples and the poor are increasingly marginalized and their rights are
deprived especially by big investors/ private companies and country.
However, in
December 2016, there is a progress whereas the Government of Indonesiaset the
first 9 Indigenous Forests in Indonesia as one of the steps to give rights of
indigenous peoples to manage their own environment. Other schemes are also
available such as the Forest Village, Community Forest and some other things,
which are all included in the Social Forestry schemes that can be accessed by
Indigenous Peoples and local communities. But bolder steps are required,
because of the target of about 12.7 million hectares (2015-2019) targeted by
the Government of Indonesia, only 494.876 hectares of Social Forestry land
including Indigenous Forest provided in 2016 (Indonesian Budget Center, January
2017). Entitlement of rights and access to manage natural resources for
Indigenous Peoples and local communities are mostly living around the forest,
are still very low, and impacted to the low level of social welfare, including
the children and women.
NGOs on the
issue of indigenous peoples and the poor, work hard enough, especially to
encourage the government to expedite the implementation of establishment of Social
Forestry area, which was supposed to provide a solution to Indigenous Peoples
and local communities to be sovereign over the wealth of their own natural
resources, with due regard to the principles of conservation and sustainable
development.
- Political Issues
The third issue
which is an issue that has an enormous impact on people's lives is related to
political issues in the form of maneuvers carried out by the government's
opposition political figures potentially divide society with racial issues, and
to encourage intolerance in society. In this case, all affected parties and
radicals who use religious issues seem to be intensified lately, with vulgar campaigns.
For Indonesia, which has a high diversity in culture, ethnicity, religion, race
and various economy classes, this is clearly a danger that threatens the unity
of Indonesia.
The Indonesian
government has tried to pursue diplomatic efforts and strategies to minimize
the negative impact of unhealthy political competition; however, the opposition
is also strong with its visible maneuvering strategies. Society is divided into
some opposing groupscurrentlyon which this can potentially be a national
conflict, especially before the presidential election in 2019.
The political
issue is a very important issue today in Indonesia. Improvements in all sectors
that are currently carried out by the Government of Indonesia and quite a
positive impact for marginalized communities can be reversed.
- Indonesia National Partner's Meeting 2015 Updates
In the National
Partner's Meeting which was held on 24-29 April 2015, resulted an agreement
that a network of young people - SMN (SuaraMuda Nusantara, the Indonesian Youth
Voice) needs to be strengthened and clarified. The tdh-G partners (7
organizations) in Indonesia agreed and committed to keep mentoring the 14 youth
groups, to bring this network to the next level. Activities conducted were
varied. They were activities related with education issues, ecological child
rights, child sexual exploitation, child labor, advocacy of indigenous peoples
and some other issues. Young peoplemovement is an issue that is considered
strategic by the partners, especially for bridging the knowledge gap and
actions between generations.
SMN network is a
youth network that is strong and independent and scattered in the region of
Sumatra and Java. In January 2017, approximately around 300 children and young
people directly involved in this network, with considerably significant and
strong influence to the communities around them. One of the things that also
appeared to be issues of discussion in the NPM 2015 was about tdh-G partners
condition who mentored the youth groups who often do not have a complementary
program with SMN program. It caused the mentoring activities could not be held
regularly. It is considered as one of the weaknesses of networking that the
strengthening of the networkcould not occur if the groups have weak
organizational based.
This paper presented in terre des hommes Regional Partner's Meeting, 19-25 March 2017 in Siem Reap, Cambodia
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