Living with the Community

KOMPAS/SHARON PATRICIA

Anticorruption Civil Society Coalition activists show documents at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building in South Jakarta on Jan. 23, after reporting Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly to the KPK on suspicion of inhibiting and interrogating investigations related to bribery cases implicating a former legislative candidate from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Harun Masiku. (23/1/2020).

The Kompas research and development poll at the end of February reinforced the perception that civil society, especially non-governmental organizations (NGOs), was important but did not always represent the public voice.

NGOs are important for overseeing governance. However, as reported in this newspaper, issues being voiced have been considered not fully representative of the interests of the community. Therefore, civil society or mass organizations, besides having to strengthen the narrative of their issues to make them more relevant to the public, also need to evaluate the movement to be in line with current challenges (Kompas, 6/3/2020).

As of October 2019, there were 427,813 mass organizations in the country. Law No. 17/2013 divides mass organizations into two groups, those considered legal entities and those that are not. Legal entity organizations are foundations and associations. Non-legal entity organizations are required to register with the Home Affairs Ministry or local governments.

The majority of organizations are part of the former group, more than 400,000 organizations. Legal entity organizations are registered with the Law and Human Rights Ministry. There are also 71 foreign mass organizations registered with the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The rest are non-legal entity organizations, most of which are registered with regency or city governments.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Protesters hold pictures of a number of figures who were victims of human rights violations while commemorating International Human Rights Day in Jakarta on Oct. 12, 2019 (12/10/2019). The settling of cases of past human rights violations is one the ongoing tasks of the current government. The public has high hopes that the resolution of human rights issues will be resolved through the court.

In accordance with Law No. 17/2013, mass organizations are established and formed by the community voluntarily, according to shared aspirations, desires, needs, interests, activities and goals, to participate in development for the achievement of the objectives of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia based on Pancasila. Mass organizations work to channel the aspirations of the community, community empowerment and social services, as well as to maintain the life of the society, nation and state.

The findings of the Kompas research and development poll are not much different from the Edelman Trust Barometer survey which found the level of public confidence in mass organizations in 2018 was 67 percent, an increase from 64 percent in 2017. The Indonesian Survey Institute and Indonesia Corruption Watch also found that the level of public trust in mass organizations stood at 62 percent. Community trust in religious organizations is higher than in non-religious organizations.

Now, action like that has lost some of its resonance to action on social media.

The level of public trust in mass organizations depends on the type of activity and media coverage. As the media now faces challenges working for the public interest because of the disruption of social media and other means of communication, mass organizations are in limbo. For example, mass organization advocacy in the streets, which was often covered by mass media, was once effective at grabbing the attention of the government and the community. Now, action like that has lost some of its resonance to action on social media.

The community has changed. Mass organizations that are born of and live in society must also change. The more intensely they live with the community, the more they can know the changes that occur. Moreover, the demands of each generation are different. Without returning to the community, issues being raised are not only not in accordance with public needs but mass organizations may also be abandoned.