The Dean of Faculty of Social and Political Sciences of Universitas Gadjah Mada, Prof. Dr. Pratikno, and the ambassador of Norway to Indonesia and East Timor, Eivind S. Homme, agreed to establish study and research cooperation dealing with power, welfare and democracy. Along with that, signing of cooperation agreement between Political Science Department of Oslo University and Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, UGM, was done by Jenny Nornes, Administrative Head of Political Science Department, Oslo University, and Prof. Dr. Pratikno, on UGM campus, Monday (30/11).
According to Pratikno, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway also supported a cooperation in 2007, resulting in the establishment of Master Program of Human Rights and Democracy in the Faculty, and a cooperation with the Center for Southeast Asia Social Study, UGM.
“The current cooperation is related to power, welfare and democracy issues, based on our concerns over the stagnant democratization in Indonesia for the past 10 years,†Pratikno explained.
The fact showed that several social groups are still haunted by possible lack of civil and political rights when the civil and political freedom is open. At the same time, access to public resources is still dominated by oligarchic groups, dominant political clans, local aristocrats, etc. The role of the citizens is also marginalized.
This cooperation under the big theme of “Power, Welfare, and Democracy†will last for the next four years. The Faculty of Social and Political Science as the network hub involving pro-democratic groups in Indonesia, especially the academic community in higher education and NGOs, will run many programs involving academicians and activists who are highly committed in facilitating and advocating democratic institutionalization and intensification in Indonesia.
“Of course, those activities will open opportunities for enhancing wider network both in regional (Southeast Asian) and global levels,†said Pratikno.
To support that agreement, Fisipol UGM also holds the “Scandinavian Week†event in December 2009. This event aims to introduce political and social landscapes in Scandinavian countries: Norway, Sweden and Denmark, to be made a lesson for democratization in Indonesia.