PDIP East Java Holds RedTalks Forum to Hear Youth Aspirations

Said Abdullah, Chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) for East Java, stated that today’s youth have vastly different experiences compared to the baby boomer generation. He noted that Generations Y, Z, and early Alpha now live in ‘two worlds’: the real world and the digital realm. He explained that digital access has become a bridge for young people to reach a wider world, follow various events, and gain more complex experiences than previous generations. According to him, this condition makes today’s youth more critical in viewing various issues because they have the opportunity to compare situations in different regions. Therefore, a more dialogical communication pattern is needed to build relationships with the younger generation. ‘On that basis, the PDIP East Java Regional Leadership Council has held the RedTalks forum for the past two years. We package RedTalks as our way of listening to the voices of young people. For us, the voice of youth is the voice of idealism; they are not yet bound by various interests,’ he said. The second year of RedTalks will be held on Saturday, 25 July 2026, at the Malang Creative Center. The discussion will focus on the theme that Indonesia belongs to everyone, not just a handful of political or economic elites. The forum will explore young people’s imagination about Indonesia’s future, its challenges, and critiques of intergenerational behaviour. The dialogue will feature several youth figures, including Dr. Selvi Asna Prestianawati, a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Brawijaya University; Dr. Suko Widodo, a lecturer at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Airlangga University; and comedians Abdel Achrian and Dewangga. The forum will also include young activists such as Kafitan Aidil Fitra Sukirman from the Brawijaya University Student Executive Board, Aryo Bimo Soebagio, Deputy Coordinator of the Malang Raya Student Executive Boards, Mochamad Ali Firdaus from the Malang City branch of the Indonesian National Student Movement, and Benny Miftahul Arifin, Chairman of the Malang City branch of the Indonesian Islamic Student Movement. Said Abdullah concluded by inviting all young people in Greater Malang to discuss and express their ideas on education, academic freedom, the future of the economy, and creative spaces. The event will be live-streamed on detik.com to allow those unable to attend in person to participate and voice their aspirations, questions, or rebuttals online.