Andi Alfian, a graduate of the Master’s Program in Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies (CRCS) at UGM’s Graduate School (SPs UGM), has been selected as a recipient of the 2024 Indonesian Young Leaders Program (IYLP) INSPIRASI scholarship.
This scholarship grants him the opportunity to study for one semester at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade funds the scholarship as part of its international development cooperation with Indonesia.
Alfian will participate in a sustainable development course (SDC), which is divided into two phases as part of the scholarship. The first phase was a two-week residential learning program in June 2024 in Kupang.
The second phase will be held entirely in New Zealand for 12 weeks, from September through December.
Alfian, as he is commonly called, shared that through the program, he will learn research skills using a participatory approach and explore ways to achieve development goals through cross-issue perspectives, such as human rights, gender, social inclusion, and environmental impacts.
This aligns with his advocacy work for Indigenous communities through the Youth Teaching School (SEKAM) he founded.
Alfian recounted that he and his friend established SEKAM, an organization that serves as a space for knowledge exchange between young people and Indigenous communities, particularly regarding ancestral religious practices and ecological awareness.
“One of our main programs is ‘Anak Muda Mengajar’ (Youth Teaching), designed to connect urban youth with Indigenous communities in rural areas,” Alfian explained during an interview on Tuesday (Sep. 17).
Through this program, Alfian noted that youth from across Indonesia come to teach basic literacy skills, such as reading, writing, and math, to Indigenous children while learning about Indigenous knowledge directly from community elders.
The youth teaching program has been running for three consecutive years since 2022 in the Bara and Cindakko Indigenous communities in South Sulawesi and the Huaulu Indigenous community in Seram Island, Maluku, this year.
Alfian hopes the program bridges the knowledge exchange between urban youth, who gain an understanding of living in harmony with nature, and Indigenous children, who receive basic literacy education.
The New Zealand government, through Union Aid, offers the IYLP scholarship as an opportunity for young Indonesians actively participating in sustainable development movements to study sustainable development in New Zealand.
Alfian acknowledged that his selection for the scholarship is closely tied to his active involvement in community development programs for Indigenous communities in Eastern Indonesia, particularly on the islands of Sulawesi and Maluku through SEKAM.
“I was selected because I represent Indigenous issues, specifically those related to ancestral religion and development,” said Alfian, a 2023 graduate of UGM’s CRCS program.
In addition to focusing on sustainable development between Indonesia and New Zealand, Alfian mentioned that the youth exchange scholarship program provides access to knowledge on policies, practices, and institutions relevant to development in New Zealand.
This exchange scholarship also includes introducing Māori development approaches and the Treaty of Waitangi.
“Participants will have the opportunity to stay at a Marae, a meeting place for Māori communities, and visit various government and non-government organizations, such as the Human Rights Commission and the New Zealand Parliament,” he added.
Before departing for New Zealand, Alfian participated in an English language skills course provided by Union Aid for academic and professional purposes.
The course aims to support scholarship recipients in effectively communicating in an international environment, including writing research reports and program proposals.
After completing the second phase of the SDC in Auckland, New Zealand, Alfian will return to Indonesia to carry out a participatory action project in his community.
Union Aid, BaKTI, and the INSPIRASI alumni team will support this project.
“We will return to Indonesia to implement the project we have designed during the scholarship program. In this phase, we will apply the lessons learned in New Zealand to development actions in Indonesia,” concluded Alfian.
Author: Bolivia
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif