The public plays a crucial role in the upcoming 2024 elections. Making informed choices is essential to determine Indonesia’s future. However, is the public well-informed about what is needed and what prospective policymakers offer?
Furthermore, the readiness of the public to deal with differences of opinion and misinformation is a concern.
A panel of academics and political experts from the UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences discussed the ins and outs of the 2024 elections in a talk titled “Smart Voters for Future Indonesian Leaders” on Tuesday (September 19).
“We know that the biggest challenge facing our democracy in the future is to involve as many individuals, as many elements of society as possible in this system. Inclusive citizenship is the foremost agenda; in various parts of the world, we know that democracy is regressing,” said the Dean of the UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Dr. Wawan Mas’udi.
“One of the root causes of why democracy is declining is that more and more parts of society are excluded from the dominant political and social system. Indonesia should not be like this.”
Democracy is fundamentally a process in which the people exercise their power by electing and entrusting individuals to govern. According to Rizal Mallarangeng, a UGM alumnus and founder of the Freedom Institute, economic development plays a crucial role in the dynamics of democracy.
“We cannot expect democracy without improving the welfare of society. This has happened in Africa and Latin America. Economic development has been successful in Indonesia over the past 25 years,” Mallarangeng explained.
“We want to continue this progress; how can the next generation make Indonesia even more advanced?”
One of the critical factors in promoting democracy is the media. Media has played a vital role in political dynamics for centuries as a means of communication and message delivery. In this era of digital technology development, many political discussions occur through social media.
This has raised concerns about the influence of digital media, particularly given the ease of spreading misinformation. Education about the use of digital media should be provided before children are allowed to use gadgets, but this urgency is questioned.
This issue was highlighted by Ismail Fahmi, founder of Media Kernels Indonesia.
“Nowadays, many young children are given immediate access to digital media. However, when you look at it, there should be education and basic competencies related to digital literacy from elementary school, junior high school, and high school,” Fahmi said.
“So, before being allowed to use social media, there should be materials that need to be mastered, and it should be part of the curriculum.”
He added that Scandinavian countries have already implemented this to make their societies immune to information warfare. Therefore, digital literacy will significantly impact the political agenda.
Dr. Hermin Indah Wahyuni, a communication science professor, stated that social communication patterns still need to be nurtured.
“There are many rationalities that need to be applied. Sometimes, the pattern of resonance, or the number of people discussing one topic with another, is the same,” Dr. Wahyuni expressed.
“So, issues that should be addressed and discussed seriously are treated the same as trending and pop issues, and so on. This is our collective homework.”
This seminar, which also marked the opening of the UGM Faculty of Social and Political Science’s 68th anniversary, addressed important topics in preparation for the 2024 elections. Through this event, the public is expected to become informed voters when casting their ballots.
Author: Tasya