The UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol) held an inter-country discussion called the 3rd Australia-Indonesia in Conversation at the UGM Campus in Yogyakarta on July 5-6, 2023.
The event took the theme “Valuing Democracy and Diversity: Equity, Leadership, and Social Justice” and was live-streamed and attended by participants from Indonesia and Australia.
“This event was specially organized to explore how policies in Indonesia and Australia significantly impact equality, leadership, and social justice within a country. We express our gratitude to all delegates, especially those from the University of Melbourne, for visiting our faculty,” said Professor Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and Student Affairs at Fisipol.
The faculty’s dean Dr. Wawan Mas’udi said this discussion aimed to gather policy stakeholders, social activists, experts, researchers, and practitioners in social-political discourse in Indonesia and Australia.
“We hope meaningful development innovations for our society will emerge from this discussion,” explained the dean.
This third discussion event commemorates the 10-year cooperation between the University of Melbourne and Universitas Gadjah Mada in various fields, including education, law, social politics, and research.
The two-day discussion was divided into six panels. On the first day, Wednesday (5/7), there were three panels, namely Panel 1: Leadership and Democratic Values: Addressing Inequality, Panel 3: Youth Driving Change: Supporting Youth and Addressing Inequality, and Panel 3: A Tale of Two Countries: Indonesia and Australia’s Experience of Incorporating a Human Rights Agenda in Business.
On the second day, Thursday (6/7), there was Panel 4: Improving Gender Equity, Panel 5: Socio-cultural Activism and Arts for Change, and Panel 6: Policies and Practice to Promote Equity, Social Justice, and Rights Recognition.
Each panel featured experts from Indonesia and Australia who shared insights and perspectives from their respective countries. This discussion inspired experts, academics, and activists to advocate for democracy and inclusivity in various policies.
“Our presence here proves that the cooperation between Australia and Indonesia has been well-established and is of great importance to continue. Especially in academic, social, and justice fields, where universities play a significant role in influencing government policies, which will ultimately impact society,” said Associate Professor at the Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne, Rachel Diprose.
Author: Tasya