University educates the poor on elections<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Gadjah Mada University launched a political education program on
\nTuesday for poor urban people in a bid to prevent them from being
\nmanipulated and abused by political parties.<\/p>\n
The program is to educate low-income people to become
\n"critical voters" in the 2004 legislative and presidential
\nelections, said the deputy dean of the university's School of
\nPolitical and Social Sciences, Pratikno.<\/p>\n
"This year we will focus on providing political education to
\nthe poor urban community in a bid to strengthen the position of
\nthis particular group of society in the upcoming elections," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Pratikno, who led the launch ceremony, said the program was
\npart of his school's planned five-year political education
\nactivities for the 2004-2009 period.<\/p>\n
He said that starting next year, the program would target
\nexecutives and legislators in order to encourage them to behave
\nmore professionally, increase the check-and-balance mechanism of
\ntheir organizations and promote good governance.<\/p>\n
Program coordinator Ari Dwipayana said the program was urgent
\nand deserved the support of relevant agencies, especially ahead
\nof the 2004 polls, while at the same time both the government and
\nthe General Elections Commission (KPU) were yet to adequately
\ndisseminate information on the elections.<\/p>\n
A lack of such information could result in serious problems
\nduring the elections, such as a large number of invalid votes
\nthat in turn would disrupt the overall electoral process, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Dwipayana said the program also aimed at preventing abuse of
\nthe political rights of voters, including vote-buying, thuggery
\nand ballot manipulation during the elections.<\/p>\n
"The program is relevant to encourage voters to take early
\naction, so they will be able to avoid violence ahead, during and
\nafter the elections.<\/p>\n
"It is also to organize voters in their efforts to create
\nconflict resolution, so that any political conflict and rivalry
\nwill not have negative social impacts," he said.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the same event, program field coordinator Arie
\nSudjito said the poor urban community had been chosen because
\nsociologically it was considered a foot-loose community that did
\nnot have a strong sociocultural base.<\/p>\n
As such, he said, the urban poor are vulnerable to any
\nforceful action and intimidation by other community members of
\nhigher levels, including government officials and those claiming
\nto be indigenous people.<\/p>\n
"And because they are also economically marginalized, this
\nparticular group of community is also vulnerable to money
\npolitics," Sudjito said.<\/p>\n
He said that 10 urban areas in Yogyakarta had been selected
\nfor the program. They are Terban, Cokrodirjan, Tungkak,
\nKeparakan, Pasar Kembang, Gajah Wong, Gendingan, Jogoyudan,
\nBadran and Kricak.<\/p>\n
The areas were selected after the program's organizer received
\ninput from local activists and non-governmental organizations
\ndealing with urban community affairs, he said.<\/p>\n
Another university academic, Eric Hiariej, who is also
\ninvolved in the program, said the political education program
\nwould be carried out through workshops involving some 40 student
\nvolunteers.<\/p>\n
During the workshops, participants will be assisted to
\nestablish an agenda of action, he said.<\/p>\n
Eric said that the program would be evaluated when it finished
\nin May so that a similar program could be implemented for the
\npresidential election in July.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/university-educates-the-poor-on-elections-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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