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ICSF 2022
ICSF 2022
The Indonesia Civil Society Forum (ICSF) is an annual forum to discuss and support Indonesian civil society’s development. The ICSF convenes national and local civil society activists and government actors for networking, capacity development, and acknowledgement of innovations and smart practices. Building on the success of the 2018 and 2021 forums, USAID-MADANI will, in collaboration with Indonesian civil society organizations (CSOs), the Government of Indonesia, and other development partners, host the third Indonesia Civil Society Forum on March 30-31, 2022 on the theme of Advancing Inclusive Democracy in Indonesia.

Around 350 participants and resource persons will join the event from various parts of the country to share their thoughts, perspectives, experiences, and lessons learned. Participants will engage in discussions centering on the capacity needs and sustainability of Indonesian civil society at the national and sub-national level. Due to COVID-19, ICSF 2022 will be held virtually. The format will be a combination of keynote speeches, moderated panel discussions, and facilitated breakout sessions. Special design considerations and technical solutions will be used to ensure that the Forum is interactive, collaborative, and participatory.

The Forum will be divided into two half-days. The first day, March 30, will focus on The Role of Civil Society in Promoting Social Diversity and Inclusion. Participants last year noted an accelerating rise in “uncivil society” and associated challenges to freedoms of association and expression. Participants agreed that new forms of civil society organizations must emerge, led by a new generation, and using new forms of communication and social media. The first day will open with keynote speeches by Mr. Muhadjir Effendy, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, Republic of Indonesia (to be confirmed) and by Ms. Dwi Rubiyanti Kholifah, Director, Asian Muslim Action Network. The panel discussion and five breakout sessions will cover the context and key issues faced by the Indonesian social inclusion movement, including its achievements, the issues and the challenges. It will also cover the potential for greater collaboration in the effort to fight social exclusion, from both government and CSO perspectives, and best practices for civil society.

The theme of the second day, March 31, will be Inclusive Democracy and Civil Society. Since democratic and decentralization reforms began in 1998, Indonesia has enjoyed a vibrant democracy. Indonesian CSOs have both contributed to and benefitted from key democratic achievements, and there remains strong support for democracy and regional autonomy in Indonesia. However, during the past few years, a stagnation and decline in democracy has occurred, with declining scores in several key international indices. This second day will discuss what civil society and CSOs can do to contribute to putting a brake on further democratic backsliding in Indonesia. The day will begin with a keynote address by Professor Emeritus Azyumardi Azra, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta. The plenary panel discussion and breakout sessions will expand on this topic, covering challenges and opportunities in civil society’s operating space, ongoing struggles to protect human rights for marginalized groups, the resilience of democratic values and norms, and innovations in democratic governance, featuring prominent society activists and government representatives.

A final session will bring together all participants to recap highlights from the discussions and propose recommendations for action before the Forum closes.

Detailed documents can be found here:

Session Briefs for the ten Breakout Sessions in Indonesian

Breakout Session English
Group 1: Supporting Freedom of Religion and Beliefs Session brief 1 Supporting Freedom of Religion and Beliefs.pdf
Group 2: The Role of Value and Community Resilience in Supporting Diversity and Inclusion Session brief 2 The Role of Values and Community Resilience in Supporting Diversity and Inclusion.pdf
Group 3: Digitalization: Addressing Disinformation and Protecting Civic Space in Digital Media Session brief 3 Digitalization: Addressing Disinformation and Protecting Civic Space in Digital Media.pdf
Group 4: “Bringing It All Together”: Gotong Royong to Address Exclusion and Intolerance Session brief 4 “Bringing it all Together”: Gotong Royong to Address Exclusion and Intolerance.pdf
Group 5: The Power of Youth and Women Collective Action Towards an Inclusive Indonesia Session brief 5 The Power of Youth and Women Collective Action Towards an Inclusive Indonesia.pdf
Group 6: Strengthening the Resilience of Democratic Norms and Values against Democratic Backsliding Session brief 6 Strengthening the Resilience of Democratic Norms and Values against Democratic Backsliding.pdf
Group 7: Improved Protection of Human Rights for Marital Groups Session brief 7 Improved Protection of Human Rights for Marginalized Groups.pdf
Group 8: Innovations in Inclusive Democracy: Builiding New Channel and Tools for Citizen Participation Session brief 8 Innovations in Inclusive Democracy: Building New Channel and Tools for Citizen Participation.pdf
Group 9: Democracy, Anti-Corruption and Civil Society Session brief 9 Democracy, Anti-Corruption and Civil Society.pdf
Group 10: Road To Civic Society and the Democracy Summit Session brief 10 Road to Civic20 and the Democracy Summit.pdf