Dompet Dhuafa Holds 2026 Independence Congress to Strengthen Empowerment Ecosystem
Dompet Dhuafa has reaffirmed its commitment to building community self-reliance through the 2026 Dompet Dhuafa Independence Congress. The forum brought together various stakeholders to discuss strategies for strengthening sustainable community empowerment.
Under the theme ‘One Forum, One Roadmap for National Self-Reliance’, the Independence Congress served as a collaborative space for government, academics, the business community, philanthropic institutions, communities, empowerment practitioners, and beneficiaries to formulate steps towards building a more self-reliant society through the development of a national self-reliance agenda. The forum was born from the conviction that economic resilience alone is no longer sufficient amid the world’s turbulent conditions; what is now needed is sovereignty built upon human quality, strong institutions, and a productive economic ecosystem.
Attending the Independence Congress were Ahmad Juwaini, Chairman of Dompet Dhuafa; Yudi Latif, Trustee of the Dompet Dhuafa Foundation; Bambang Widjojanto, Trustee of Dompet Dhuafa; and a number of other practitioners. The congress addressed strategic issues ranging from health, social resilience, and education to economic empowerment.
The Independence Congress served as a consolidation point for one of Dompet Dhuafa’s strategic assets that has not been widely utilised collectively: its network of scholarship alumni and diaspora from various professions, institutions, and countries.
Ahmad Juwaini, Chairman of Dompet Dhuafa, said the Independence Congress has two main objectives. The first is to establish a forum that can contribute to improving the quality of independence for the Indonesian nation.
‘Firstly, we wish to create a forum that contributes to improving the quality of independence for this nation. Because we need to continue contributing to Indonesia’s development, the improvement of national life, and the enhancement of Indonesian society’s welfare,’ said Ahmad Juwaini at the opening of the Independence Congress on Saturday (29/8/2026).
The second objective is to strengthen Dompet Dhuafa’s scholarship alumni network. The alumni are widely distributed with diverse potential and competencies. Some alumni have also occupied important positions within society.
Ahmad Juwaini assessed that this condition represents potential that can be developed to provide input for national development, while simultaneously improving the quality of Dompet Dhuafa’s various programmes and activities.
‘Some of them also hold important positions in society; we might even say they have very significant capacity to contribute major input towards national development and the improvement of Dompet Dhuafa’s programme quality and other activities,’ he said.
In its implementation, the Independence Congress was divided into two sessions: Panel Discussion Session 1 on Health and Social Affairs, themed ‘Strengthening Community Well-being for Sustainable Development’, and Panel Discussion Session 2 on Education and Economy, themed ‘Empowered Education, Sovereign Economy’. The panel sessions were intended as a platform for integrating ideas and building concrete collaboration, to be formalised in follow-up cooperation commitments rather than merely ceremonial gatherings.
Dompet Dhuafa Trustee Yudi Latif stated that Indonesia’s self-reliance still faces serious challenges, ranging from education and politics to natural resource management. Additionally, one of the fundamental problems of the Indonesian nation is low trust and awareness of its own capabilities.
Agustino Zulys, Professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI), emphasised the importance of productive zakat distribution to promote educational equity and improve the quality of human resources in Indonesia.
Agustino revealed that the distribution of zakat, infaq, and sadaqah funds managed in a measurable manner has real driving power in breaking the poverty chain through education. Rigorous scholarship selection prioritises underprivileged yet high-achieving young people so they can pursue the highest academic levels.
The Dompet Dhuafa Independence Congress affirmed that self-reliance is a process built together and is expected to become a strategic space that brings together various stakeholders to develop ideas and formulate concrete steps to address the challenges of national self-reliance. Through zakat, infaq, sadaqah, and waqf managed productively, Dompet Dhuafa strives to deliver broader benefits and encourage the emergence of an empowered and sustainable society.