JAKARTA – The Gusdurian Jakarta network, in collaboration with alumni of the Training of Trainers (ToT) on Voter Resilience Against Money Politics, will host an open discussion titled “Strategies of Interfaith Youth in Combating Money Politics.” Supported by KEMITRAAN in partnership with KOPEL and Gusdurian Jakarta, the event aims to educate the younger generation on the importance of integrity in Indonesia’s electoral processes. The youth are expected to become the vanguard in combating money politics during the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Elections.
Building on the ToT sessions previously conducted in five provinces (North Sumatra, DKI Jakarta, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara, and South Sulawesi), this discussion invites interfaith youth from various Jakarta-based communities to share experiences and formulate anti-money politics campaign strategies. Participants will engage in discussions on personal resilience in facing offers of money politics and develop action plans and digital campaigns to disseminate anti-money politics messages.
This initiative is particularly important given the growing societal normalization of money politics. According to a survey by Indikator Politik Indonesia, only 8% of voters rejected money politics in the 2024 elections compared to 9.8% in the 2019 elections. Furthermore, the proportion of voters influenced by monetary incentives rose from 28% in 2019 to 35% in 2024. These alarming findings underscore the critical need for interfaith youth discussions on this issue.
Paulus Sihombing, Chair of the Youth Assembly at GKP “EBENHAEZER” Cawang and a ToT alumnus, emphasized the importance of collective awareness that clean elections are not only the government’s responsibility but also that of its citizens.
“Through interfaith collaboration, we hope to have a positive impact on increasing youth understanding of the dangers of money politics,” said Paulus.
Fitriah and M. Alif Khatami, Gusdurian Jakarta activists and ToT alumni, will also participate as speakers and facilitators. Additionally, representatives from the Jakarta Provincial Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) will share insights into challenges in overseeing money politics on the ground and provide guidance on reporting electoral violations, particularly as the upcoming regional elections approach.
The event will take place at the Movement House of Griya Gusdur, Jl. Taman Amir Hamzah No. 8, Menteng, Central Jakarta, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM WIB. Approximately 60 participants representing various interfaith communities, including persons with disabilities and followers of traditional beliefs, are expected to attend.
This discussion aims to produce digital campaign strategies to be shared by interfaith youth, promoting cleaner and more integrity-driven regional elections. Through this interfaith collaboration and education, participants will be encouraged to propagate positive anti-money politics narratives across digital platforms and their respective communities.
