Up to this moment, there is no ideal model of measurement for the implementation of democratic economy at the local level (village). Democratic economy is still limited to philosophical, normative, subjective, intuitive, and political concepts.
The unavailability of the operational model at this base level makes people’s economy-based regional development (rural / local) too abstract, partial, and not clearly directed. Meanwhile, the model of democratic economy with micro-spatial approach that has evolved well abroad is only limited to regional scale (county / city / province) model.
Therefore, to clarify the meaning of democratic economy at operational level, the Center for Economic Democracy Studies (PSEK) UGM conducted a research entitled " Democratic Economy Incubator Model Development in Poor Villages Around Forests". Research was conducted recently in the Village of Nglanggeran, Patuk sub-district , Gunung Kidul regency.
The Head of PSEK UGM, Prof. Dr. San Afri Awang, M.Sc., stated that the aim of the research was to examine the condition, potential, problems, operational models and strategies of democratic economy incubator in poor villages around forest production, distribution, and consumption areas. The research tried to expand it through direct PSEK team’s involvement in implementating operational models.
In such ways, it is expected that the study will be useful as guidance for the realization of the democratic economy system at the local level (village). In addition, it is also for interconnection and consolidation of the stakeholders in the village of democratic economy and for blocking the penetration of capitalism and village economic domination by external power.
"Besides, it can be used as replication model for other villages in Indonesia, and it can develop a theory of (scientific) community economy, economic democracy based on empirical studies in the field," he said, Wednesday (7 / 10), at UC Resto Second Floor, during a research seminar in the context of Indonesian-based research development and internationalization of UGM Center of Studies.
The research team consists of Prof. Dr. San Afri Awang, M.Sc., Drs. Revrisond Baswir, M.B.A., Drs. Dumairy, M.A., Drs. Puthut Indroyono, Drs. Hudiyanto, Awan Santoso, SE, M.Sc., Anjar Priyono, SE, M.Sc., Dewi Kusuma Wardani, SE, Akt., and Ari Wibowo Istianto. They explained that in fact the Democratic Economy Incubator Model (Ekora) describes the common business practices of rural economy as strongly influenced by the complexity and fragmentation between elements and its business sector. In Nglanggeran Village , the base is a group of farmers, women, and youth of the village. The three elements are the main actors of model application.
"The sector that became the foundation of each includes farming and forest projects for farmers’ groups, trade, and finance for women, and ecotourism for young people," said San Afri Awang. Therefore, he continued, this model relies on strong institutional pillars of agricultural cooperation, women’s cooperation, and youth cooperation in accordance with the diversified business sectors. The interconnection among those three is formed through village cooperation of the Sentra Ekora that collectively serves and articulates the interests of those three pillars.