Dialogika Podcast: Recent Episodes
Dialogika Podcast
Dialogika is a dialogue between two friends about the latest in politics, society, and feminism in Indonesia and the world. Co-hosted by creative consultant/designer Swedian Lie and entrepreneur Stephanie Tangkilisan, this podcast is our attempt at making sense of this crazy world we live in. Armed with the flimsy but earnest logic of mid-twenties millennials, we take a fresh & spirited look at current events and trending moments, and discuss its broader implications socially, politically, and theoretically.
In this episode, we discuss the recently trending news of a "miracle cure" purported by self-proclaimed microbiologist, doctor, and professor Hadi Pranoto after he appeared in a video with YouTuber Anji and made these claims of cure to COVID-19. In the 30-minute interview that has now been removed by YouTube, Hadi discusses his miracle cure as the answer to the pandemic. We talk about how dangerous these kind of misleading information can be, and especially if they come from or are backed by public figures with great followings. We also talk about the recent story of Dr. Stella Immanuel, a doctor in America who herself proclaims hydroxychloroquine as the miracle cure to COVID-19, even though research has proved otherwise. President Trump's backing of her message also sends a dangerous message to his supporters and further complicates the search for a vaccine to COVID-19. We observe and analyze the lack of strong political leadership during this time of pandemic that has led to other kinds of figures taking over the space and sending their particularly misguided message across to audiences that are more than happy to find a quick answer to the difficult situation today. It is important that we keep our head straight and focus on the facts, before we readily accept any answer as the answer to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we discuss the recent verdict that sentenced two police officers to light prison terms over the acid attack on Novel Baswedan, a chief investigator in the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), on April 11, 2017, closing the case on a story that has generated a lot of news over the years. We recap the acid attack itself and the context of which it happened, which was when Novel and his team were doing great work in catching high profile corruption officials, including the Setya Novanto e-KTP case. We share our thoughts and disappointment about the verdict and how, for us, it seems like the death knell to the KPK, especially after the recent law that greatly diminished the power of the independent body.
We're out this week, so we are repeating our lovely chat with Sakdiyah Ma'ruf—hope you enjoy our conversation!
In this episode, we have a special interview and conversation with one of Indonesia's fiercest female Muslim hijabi stand-up comedians, Sakdiyah Ma'ruf! Hailed as one of the first female Muslim comics in Indonesia (a "technicality," as she said), Sakdiyah has been doing stand-up comedy in both English and Indonesian for several years now. Her comedy touches on sensitive topics such as sexuality, Islamic fundamentalism, terrorism, and domestic violence, but she always finds a way to cut through the tension of such heavy topics without blunting her message of free speech and women's rights.
We hope you'll enjoy our conversation as much as we enjoyed having it!
In this second of a two-part episode, we picked up where we left off with Amir Jones, an African-American Indonesian-American who's living in Washington, D.C. and involved in electoral politics. We continue talking about structural racism in America and the Black Lives Matter protests as a response to the murders of black Americans like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many others — this time talking about the #DefundThePolice movement as well as racism in the criminal justice system. As media attention starts to die down, it is important we continue having these difficult but incredibly important conversations in order to make meaningful change happen for everyone.
If you haven't listened to Part 1 of this conversation, you can take a listen on our track list — it's Episode 93.
In this first of a two-part episode, we have a very special guest — Amir Jones, an African-American Indonesian-American who’s living in Washington, D.C. and involved in electoral politics. We dive right into the topics around structural racism in America with Amir, in light of the recent weeks of Black Lives Matter protests as a response to the murders of black Americans like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many others. We talk about racism in the Indonesian community and break down the elements of structural racism, such as class divide and systemic racism. We also talk about microaggressions in the context of racism and discrimination and discuss how to be actively anti-racist, especially within the circles of families and friends whom you can have the most impact on.
Join us next week for the 2nd part of our conversation with Amir, where we will continue our conversation and also talk about the #DefundThePolice movement.
In this episode, we talk to Levana Sani, co-founder and CEO of Nalagenetics, a meditech company based in Indonesia and Singapore that focuses on genetic testing for drug responses, but has now partially shifted focus to helping set up labs for COVID-19 testing. We dive into the basics of genetic testing, in particular human genotyping, which is what Nalagenetics as a company does in order to help doctors develop personalized medicine for their patients, tailored to their specific genetic profile. We talk to Levi about how her company has pivoted from genetic testing to COVID-19 testing, in particular qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) testing and comparing this particular method to the more widely known rapid testing method, which has had its critics.
We also discuss how Nalagenetics have helped private companies — specifically huge corporations that employ thousands of people — test their workforce and keep their community safe, which goes into the conversation about private and public sector responses to COVID-19 and the democratization of testing. We discuss the ethics behind testing when there are limited test kits and how we can ensure the accessibility of testing to those who really need it.
In this episode, we have a very special guest — a long-time friend of ours, Dr. Vania, who is a second-year clinical nutrition resident currently based in Jakarta. We wanted to talk to her about the experience doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals have as the COVID-19 outbreak started to spread in Indonesia, especially in Jakarta. We talk through the early days of the pandemic and how stressful it was for doctors and nurses, especially with the shortage in PPE (personal protective equipment) at the time. Vania shares some of her personal insights and experiences about what a lot of doctors were going through as they were trying to deal with the virus — and the sense of danger and fear many felt during this time. We also talk about some of the improvements that have happened since then, with shorter shifts and free frequent testing.
Finally, we talk about how we as a society need to not only thank our amazing medical professionals for fighting on the front lines, but also do our part in making the situation better for them — instead of just valorizing their work (and for some, their sacrifice). It is during these times that we need to be fighting for our doctors and nurses and medical professionals — just like how they are fighting for us!
Also, we want to note that these are all Vania’s personal views and do not represent the views of the hospitals or organizations she’s worked at or is currently working at.
In this episode, we talk about… nothing in particular, other than how tired we are. We have an honest and sincere conversation about the pressures of working from home coupled with the guilt that comes from not being as productive as we always say we would be, if we had more time. We share our struggles about keeping a healthy work-life balance, and how we’re trying to navigate our own unique situations with work, life, and relationships. This is a shorter episode because, like we said in the beginning, we are quite burnt out from the current circumstances right now — and that’s fine. We hope that our honest chat would encourage folks to be okay with being unproductive, to be okay with unwinding, and to do what you need to do to destress and relax in these strange and weird times. Stay safe and stay healthy at home, everyone!
Also, to our listeners all over the world who are listening, have a blessed Ramadan!
In this episode, we’re [insert number of days] into the lockdown situation in most parts of the world right now and we wanted to have a lighthearted but also sincere conversation about what living in the world is like at the moment. We share bits and pieces about our lives in quarantine, with Swedian in Jakarta undergoing large-scale social distancing and Stephanie in the Bay Area living under stay-at-home orders. We reflect on how our respective local authorities are responding to the pandemic and the impact that has across all of society and various communities — especially those who are most vulnerable and are not privileged enough to protect themselves or work from home. We discuss about the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the damaging effect of hoarding in terms of allocating resources for those who really need it.
When we come out of this pandemic, we have a choice as a species — whether we will be completely Darwinian about ourselves and see who survives, or we will support one another and make choices that may be difficult and uncomfortable, but is better for your community, your society, and the human race.
Swedian is out sick at the moment (luckily, not because of COVID-19) so in the mean time, and in light of the current situation, we want to repeat our mental health episode, to support those who might be having trouble staying mentally healthy during this pandemic. We hope to be back as soon as we can! Please stay safe and healthy at home.
In this episode, we're discussing the topic of mental health! This issue has been in the news lately because Sandi, Prabowo's running mate in the upcoming presidential elections, have said that if elected, the Prabowo-Sandi administration will dedicate greater efforts into addressing mental health in Indonesia — an issue that is seldom talked about and incredibly stigmatized in the country. We talk a lot about self-care, how to be a good friend in supporting those with mental illness and mental health issues, and discuss how to destigmatize the topic in Indonesian society and conversation. Stephanie shares a little bit about her history with mental health, and we hope this dialogue will encourage our listeners to open up about their own stories and reach out to others who may be suffering from similar situations. Neither of us are mental health professionals in any way, shape, or form, but we hope our discussion will be helpful in getting people to talk more openly and emphatically about mental health.
In this episode, we’re reacting to the latest news of 2 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia. We break down the sequence of events that led to these confirmed cases. We reiterate some of the basic knowledge about COVID-19 and back it up with scientific data from the latest reports from the WHO, in order to dispel some common misconceptions and/or misinformation about COVID-19. We also want to address the panic buying that has occurred not only in Indonesia but all over the world, since it doesn’t address the real issue and only serves to jack up prices, deplete resources, and increase paranoia and fear.
We urge our listeners to be calm and rational and practice good safe personal hygiene, and also to be empathetic to health care professionals and those who are in greater need of protection and be responsible about yourself and your actions.
In this episode, we tackle the topic of the Omnibus Law, which is a series of laws that has been drafted and are being discussed by the government to streamline some of the existing laws in order to make for better and more efficient regulation. We’re going to talk about some of the most controversial parts of the Omnibus Law that have been protested by labor unions, specifically the proposed revisions around labor laws (UU Cipta Kerja) — in particular, around pesangon or severance and minimum wage calculations. We break down what the current legal situations are in terms of severance payments and minimum wage calculations, what both sides of the argument want, and why these topics are so contentious and sensitive — because they are about people's livelihoods.
The Omnibus Law will be an ongoing topic of conversation over the next few weeks and months as the Parliament is discussing it, and we will continue to keep tabs on it. If you want us to cover any specific parts of the Omnibus Law with our ‘flimsy but earnest logic’ please let us know! Don’t hesitate to reach out over email or through social media!
In this episode, we’ll be discussing the 2019-nCoV, also known (for now) as the Novel Coronavirus, that’s been plaguing China and the rest of the world early this year. First discovered in the city of Wuhan, as of February 4th there has been more than 24,000 confirmed cases in China alone and more than 450 fatalities globally. We break down what the coronavirus is and the global reaction to the outbreak, which has led to reports of anti-Chinese racism and anti-Asian prejudice across parts of the world.
Finally, we speak briefly about the situation in Indonesia, where more than 200 Indonesian citizens from Wuhan were evacuated and currently placed under quarantine in Natuna Island, which led to protests by the local residents who did not want them there, The tensions around this issue raises an important question, not just for Indonesia but for all of us around the world: how do we deal with this outbreak in a humane and empathetic way, without succumbing to fear, paranoia, and xenophobia?
In this episode, we talk about the dramatic flooding that plagued Jakarta and its neighboring cities on New Year’s Day 2020. We give our reactions to the news of the flooding that, as of January 6, has claimed 66 lives and continues to displace hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. There have been reports saying that floodwater reached up to 6m (19 feet) tall in some homes, completely destroying it and, in the process, destroying people’s lives and livelihoods. We discuss responses to this natural disaster, in particular the Jakarta government’s response as led by Governor Anies Baswedan. Many people have criticized the governor for the lack of preparation and poor planning — as well as the significant slash in the budget allocated for flood mitigation — that has led to the city experiencing one of the worst floods in the last twenty years. Ultimately, when disasters like this strike, it is not those in power nor people like us, who are privileged and have options, that are most impacted — it is the poorest of the poor who are most vulnerable to these situations, and whose lives have been completely turned upside down because of it.
In this episode, we’ll be featuring Stephanie’s audio pieces that she did as part of her grad school studies at the Columbia School of Journalism. The pieces are titled “Unsilent Night” — which is about a decades-long sound composition against traditional Christmas music — and “A Night at Greenwood Cemetery” — which is about Stephanie’s night tour of the famous cemetery in Brooklyn, in New York City. We thought it’d be cool for you listeners to get a listen behind the scenes at what Stephanie’s been up to!
Finally, we just want to say a big thank you to all of you who have listened to our episodes, supported us, and shared our podcast to your friends and family over the years. It’s another eventful year for us — with Stephanie moving to the Bay Area and Swedian moving back home to Indonesia — but we’re always grateful and humbled to know that our stories and interviews continue to inspire listeners around the world and (hopefully!) move conversations toward a more progressive and just global perspective. We’re excited about what 2020 and beyond holds for us, and we can’t wait to share those stories with you in the near future. Until then, have a good end to your year, and we’ll see you in 2020!
In this episode, we discuss the recent Garuda smuggling scandal, which involved their president director Ari Askhara who had arranged for a vintage 1970s Harley Davidson, specialty Brompton foldable bikes, and their respective spare parts, to be smuggled into Indonesia through a Garuda plane, bypassing the appropriate taxes and the customs office. The level of corruption involved in making this operation happen implicated not only Askhara, but a lot of the directors and leaders in Garuda, prompting the new BUMN (State-Owned Enterprise) Minister Erick Thohir to fire Ari Askhara and suspend a number of Garuda directors.
We talk about the audacity and ridiculousness of this scandal — not even Garuda’s first corruption scandal — not only because of how it unfolded, but also how apparent the wealth gap is and the insensitivity towards the life of the average Indonesian is coming from someone who is in charge of a national asset and is suppose to be somewhat serving the people. We discuss the responsibilities of a state-owned enterprise, and what this all means for Erick Thohir as he is just starting his job and asserting himself in this role.
In this second of our two-part episode with Pramudya Oktavinanda, an old friend of the podcast (and our resident legal expert), we continue our conversation into some of the legal circumstances of Jokowi and his 2nd term administration. We discuss a variety of topics that are not often covered by mainstream media, such as coalition loyalty in Indonesian politics, extremism in Indonesian elections, and the fluid and flexible nature of Indonesian democracy.
If you haven’t listened to the first part of our conversation with Pram, please check it out as well!
In this first of our two-part episode, an old friend of the podcast (and our resident legal expert) Pramudya Oktavinanda is back to discuss some of the legal challenges Jokowi and his 2nd term administration will face over the next 5 years. Given the unrest last month over the old Parliament’s decision to pursue what some have called draconian legislation — RKUHP and UU KPK, among other things — we thought it is important to discuss, from an in-depth legal perspective, some of the issues behind these legislative maneuvers that would otherwise not be covered by mainstream media.
We dig real deep into these topics in our conversation with Pram, so much so that we have to have two episodes for all the content! Tune into our next episode in two weeks’ time to catch the second part.
In this episode, we talk to Barry Beagen, an architect and urban planner who is the Program Director at Kota Kita, an urban planning NGO based in Indonesia that works in governance, inclusivity, and climate change resilience. We discuss the complex and difficult (but necessary) topic of climate change mitigation and the real work that goes behind making resilient cities, particularly in heavily impacted parts of the world like Indonesia. We break down specific risks that Indonesia face, and go in-depth into Indonesia-specific situations and scenarios surrounding climate change mitigation. We really get stuck in the weeds in this episode with Barry, but we think highlighting his and Kota Kita's work is really crucial in raising awareness about what kind of progress is being made in Indonesia on fighting climate change.
In this episode, Stephanie chats with Anindya "Vivi" Restuviani, a leading feminist and social activist in Indonesia and co-director of Hollaback! Jakarta, an organization dedicated to fighting street harassment in Indonesia. Vivi was part of the recent protests that erupted over the last week in Jakarta, as thousands of students and protestors gathered to protest Parliament's decision to pursue the legislation of draconian bills such as RKUHP (Revision of the Penal Code), UU KPK (a bill that will weaken the independent Corruption Eradication Commission), and others. We talk about some of the details of these bills — including the infamous "premarital sex ban" that is part of the RKUHP — and the fears students and protestors have if these bills were passed into law. As the fight to preserve Indonesia's democracy continues, both on the streets and in government buildings, we hope this conversation can be the first of many between all of us in civic society to discuss the future of our nation.
In this episode, we commemorate the life and legacy of our former President, B.J. Habibie, who passed away on September 11, 2019, at the age of 83 years old. Considered by many as the father of Indonesian innovation and engineering, Habibie was thrust into the limelight in 1998 when he became president following the May 1998 riots and the fall of Suharto. Even though he was trained as an engineer, Habibie showed incredible leadership and political acumen to guide the country through an incredibly tense and tumultuous time, and without him we would not have the democracy we have today. We want to take this time to really remember his life, his work, and the values and principles he believed in — values and principles surrounding democracy and diversity that we, as the future generation, need to keep working for and fighting for.
Swedian is in the midst of his move back to Indonesia, so we're going to repeat an episode on a topic that's always worth having conversations on — and that's mental health!
In this episode, we're discussing the topic of mental health! This issue has been in the news lately because Sandi, Prabowo's running mate in the upcoming presidential elections, have said that if elected, the Prabowo-Sandi administration will dedicate greater efforts into addressing mental health in Indonesia — an issue that is seldom talked about and incredibly stigmatized in the country. We talk a lot about self-care, how to be a good friend in supporting those with mental illness and mental health issues, and discuss how to destigmatize the topic in Indonesian society and conversation. Stephanie shares a little bit about her history with mental health, and we hope this dialogue will encourage our listeners to open up about their own stories and reach out to others who may be suffering from similar situations. Neither of us are mental health professionals in any way, shape, or form, but we hope our discussion will be helpful in getting people to talk more openly and emphatically about mental health.
In this episode, we discuss the recent protests that broke out in Manokwari and Jayapura over the recent arrest and detention of 43 West Papuan students in Surabaya over allegations of destroying and damaging the Indonesian flag. We want to unpack the historic tensions and conflicts that has led to this point. We begin with the historic tussle in the 1950’s and 60’s over West Papua between the Dutch and the new Republic of Indonesia that eventually led to a peace agreement called the New York Agreement in 1962. This agreement gave Indonesia West Papua, but also demanded a vote to be held that will ask the West Papuans to decide if they wanted to be a part of the new Republic. This referendum, known as the infamous “Act of Free Choice,” was held on August 2, 1969, and over 1,000 men and women selected by the Indonesian military unanimously voted to join Indonesia. Many politicians, journalists, and historians acknowledged that the referendum was unfairly executed and held under immense pressure from the Indonesian military, with threats of violence and repercussion forcing those chosen to vote in favor of Indonesia. To this day, various independence movements and NGOs have advocated for a new referendum that will allow West Papuans a truly fair and just vote, much to the displeasure of the Indonesian government. All of this contributes to the tension that underpin West Papua’s complicated relationship with Indonesia.
While this story continues to break and develop, we want to urge our listeners and fellow Indonesians to address our own prejudices against West Papuans, especially since the initial incident was sparked by a hoax story circulated in social media. We have a lot of work to do to reconcile the historically unjust and unfair treatment of West Papuans in order to even begin considering a future solution, and it is our responsibility as Indonesians to ensure that the promises of our nation truly includes everyone from Sabang to Merauke.
In this episode, we talk about one of the lesser-known founding fathers of Indonesia, our first ever Prime Minister, Sutan Sjahrir!
Dubbed the ‘Smiling Diplomat,’ Sjahrir is one of our nation’s greatest intellectuals and patriots, and was a key figure in the independence movement — from his time with Mohammad Hatta in the Netherlands organizing the Indonesian youth there, to negotiating the beginning of the new Indonesian Republic with the Dutch when he was the Prime Minister, and even to the last of his days when he was unfairly imprisoned without trial under alleged conspiracy charges for disagreeing with Sukarno’s regime. Sjahrir’s life story is a truly inspiring one, and as one of the foundational individuals behind Indonesia’s parliamentary democracy, we wanted to dedicate this episode to him and his ideas — especially in light of the increasing threats from all sides to our fragile democracy.
We don't have a new episode for you this week, so we are repeating one of our most popular episodes last year — our conversation with Rocky Intan on LGBTQ identity, Pride, and true progress.
In this episode, Stephanie is still out, so Swedian talks to a longtime friend and supporter of Dialogika, Rocky Intan, who is currently getting his Masters in Public Policy at Columbia University. This conversation was originally planned for June, as it was Pride Month, and we talk about Rocky’s experience as an out gay man living in America right now, comparing it to the experience back home in Indonesia. We talk about the power & importance of Pride, not just as a celebration of one’s identity but also as a way to make visible the marginalized LGBTQ community. Rocky shares the nuances of his coming out experience, including the financial, social, and relational implications. From there we talk about how we cannot take for granted that liberals and progressives are necessarily as open-minded about the LGBTQ community as we think they are, and that if we are true progressives we need to fight for a society that is equal, open, and just for all — not just for the heteronormative.
In this episode, we chat with Wilson Leung, who is a founding member of the Progressive Lawyers’ Group (HKPLG) — a group of Hong Kong lawyers dedicated to promoting rule of law, democracy, human rights, freedom and justice — about the recent extradition bill protests in Hong Kong. Wilson breaks down the situation on the ground over the last few weeks and the build-up of tension between HK residents and the government ever since the 2014 Umbrella Movement. We discuss how the youth of HK are growing increasingly dissatisfied with the HK government and are fearing their freedom and future in light of 2047 (which is when the current ‘one country, two systems’ structure expires and HK integrates fully back to China) happening within their lifetime. Finally, we talk about how the international community can help support the fight for democracy in HK by keeping abreast of the protest news and participate in any actions around the world that support the Hong Kong people.
In this episode, we dive deep into the 2019 legislative/parliamentary election results and break down what the numbers mean. We give a quick rundown of the political parties that made it to the Parliament (the usual suspects) and explain a little about the process in which they had to make it there (spoiler alert: it involves the parliamentary threshold, and there's a lot of math). Both Jokowi's and Prabowo's main parties — PDI-P and Gerindra respectively — made it as the top two parties in the results, and we delve a little bit into what that means for Indonesian democracy and its uniquely collaborative and coalition-driven nature. We also speculate about the rumors of both Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (better known as AHY) and Sandiaga Uno, Prabowo's running mate, potentially being interested in working in Jokowi's government, and the possibilities of a potential cabinet reshuffle following the Idul Fitri holiday.
Our condolences to President Yudhoyono's family over the death of our former First Lady, Ibu Ani Yudhoyono.
In this episode, we recap the recent riots in Jakarta following the official announcement of Jokowi’s victory over Prabowo in the 2019 presidential election and break down the events and our responses to them. The KPU or General Elections Commissions officially announced last week that Jokowi has won the election by 55.5% or 85,607,362 votes, to Prabowo’s 44.5% or 68,650,239 votes — a difference of around 17 million votes. As anticipated, protesters began to gather outside the Bawaslu or Election Supervisory Body office in Central Jakarta and violent clashes occurred over the course of a few days, resulting in at least 6 deaths and hundreds injured. This all happen during the week of the anniversary of the May 1998 riots, and we share our feelings about the eerie coincidence.
We also discuss the government’s decision to slow down social media platforms like WhatsApp in order to prevent the spread of fake news, misinformation, and hoaxes — and our complicated feelings about that particular decision. Finally, we give a shout-out to all the journalists, activists, lawyers, and others who have been on the frontlines in reporting the situation on the ground and keeping people accountable!
Swedian's out with a back injury (update: not broken as Stephanie said, but still pretty bad) so while we wish him a quick and full recovery, we're replaying our episode with Olin Monteiro, in light of the recent Women's March in April. Hope you enjoy!
In this episode, Swedian talks to Olin Monteiro, an Indonesian feminist activist who’s been working in the space for 30-odd years. We talk about how she got started in feminism, from her college years when she was exposed to the fight against sexual violence and the older generation of feminists, to her current relationship with the younger generation of feminists in groups such as the Jakarta Feminist Discussion Group. We discuss extensively how this issue of sexual violence has developed over the last few decades and the growing number of organizations that have emerged alongside the growing movement. We also talk about this “missing history” of women’s history in Indonesia, in particular how important women were to the progressive and liberal fights against authoritarian powers, from the Dutch colonizers to the New Order, as well as the amazing stories of women throughout Indonesian history who have always been fighting the patriarchy.
Finally, Olin shares her hopes for the new generation of Indonesian feminists to continue educating themselves about the rich history and culture of women’s rights and activism in this beloved country of ours. #thefutureisfemale
In this episode, we talk about our feelings after the 2019 presidential and legislative elections and share our unique experiences voting for the first time abroad. We discuss the huge turnout (80%) of voters, Jokowi's healthy lead of +10% over Prabowo at the time of recording and the increasingly certain result of Jokowi winning the popular vote & retaining the presidency, as well as the legislative election results. In light of recent events, we also discuss the tragic deaths of election workers who died due to fatigue and over-exhaustion following Election Day, which was the world's largest single-day round of elections. We implore that the KPU or General Elections Commission review their current protocol and improve the situation so that such a tragedy never happen again in the future.
Finally, we share a bit of exciting personal news: Stephanie's documentary, "Trouble Finds You," premiered over the weekend and has garnered a lot of positive responses and great press coverage!!
In this episode — the last one before Indonesia's presidential and legislative elections on April 17 — we discuss the fourth round of presidential debates, which is the last one between Jokowi and Prabowo. We talk about how both candidates performed, in particular unpacking their distinctly different visions of Indonesia's role regionally and globally. We look back at the last few months and this election cycle, reflecting on how much has changed since the 2014 presidential elections.
Finally, we urge our listeners, whether you're in Indonesia or abroad like us, to get informed — not only on the presidential election but also the legislative election — and get ready to vote. For most Indonesians abroad, you'll likely be voting on the Saturday before the elections, on April 13th. For Indonesians in Indonesia, you'll be voting on Wednesday, April 17th. Get out and vote!
In this episode, Stephanie’s out with an emergency root canal so we have invited Andhyta Firselly Utami, better known as Afu, to come and chat about the vice-presidential debates. Afu and her husband Wikan are the brains behind Frame & Sentences, a YouTube series that breaks down important social and political issues (we’ve also interviewed them in our 35th episode), and she’s also a researcher and policy expert currently based in Indonesia. We break down the debate performances of Jokowi’s running mate Ma’ruf Amin and Prabowo’s running mate Sandiaga Uno and talk about how both candidates spoke to issues around education, health, human resources, social issues, and culture — focusing in particular on Indonesia’s human capital and the many problems surrounding its development.
We also discuss what it means for young Indonesians of all background to become interested in what’s going on in the political space — and how can we leverage the conversation to be one that is inclusive, welcoming, and empathetic, by using moral psychology and really listening to each other. The elections (both presidential and legislative) are less than a month away, and these are all important and good food for thought as we consider our nation’s future.
In this episode, we're discussing the topic of mental health! This issue has been in the news lately because Sandi, Prabowo's running mate in the upcoming presidential elections, have said that if elected, the Prabowo-Sandi administration will dedicate greater efforts into addressing mental health in Indonesia — an issue that is seldom talked about and incredibly stigmatized in the country. We talk a lot about self-care, how to be a good friend in supporting those with mental illness and mental health issues, and discuss how to destigmatize the topic in Indonesian society and conversation. Stephanie shares a little bit about her history with mental health, and we hope this dialogue will encourage our listeners to open up about their own stories and reach out to others who may be suffering from similar situations. Neither of us are mental health professionals in any way, shape, or form, but we hope our discussion will be helpful in getting people to talk more openly and emphatically about mental health.
In this episode, we discuss the second round of presidential debates between candidates Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Prabowo Subianto, this time just on their own, without their vice presidential running mates. This round of debates talked about infrastructure, the environment, energy, and other industry & economic issues. We dug into a few of these topics, such as the Jokowi administration's record on infrastructure, his somewhat misleading comments on the environment & forest fires, as well as a deep dive into land usage & certification (courtesy of Stephanie's old job). We give out our assessments of both candidates' performance and commend Jokowi for having the calm and confidence to speak about and really showcase his administration's successes in these issues. Let's hope the next round of debates will be as substantive as this one... fingers crossed! Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we catch up on the latest on this news about Ahok's engagement and upcoming wedding with his new girlfriend, Puput Nastiti Devi, a former policewoman, bodyguard, and aide to Ahok's ex-wife Veronica Tan (with whom he filed for divorce in April 2018). We discuss how Ahok's narrative has taken over the coverage of this story — and the ramifications of that to the lives of both Puput and Veronica, as well as Ahok's own post-prison future. We also talk about how both women have been marginalized in their own narratives in the public eye, and how the media has covered this news in a very patriarchal and patronizing way. We break all of this down with our good ol' "flimsy but earnest logic" and wrap up by saying that we should always strive to understand these kinds of stories from a critical feminist angle, because there are a lot of difficult issues — of gender inequality, of power dynamics, of marginalized women, etc. — that are deeply embedded in these narratives, even if on the surface they're look like gossip.
In this first episode of 2019, we're back — and ready with our hot takes!
We discuss the first round of presidential debates between candidates Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto, with their respective running mates Ma'ruf Amin and Sandiaga Uno. This first round of debates tackled issues of human rights, corruption, the law, and terrorism — but you wouldn't have guessed it from the reactions of most viewers, including us, who thought the debate was lackluster, gimmicky, and dramatic for the wrong reasons. We chat about how Sandi was probably the big winner of the night and how Ma'ruf Amin needs to improve his debating skills before he can match Sandi and Prabowo and do Jokowi justice.
We also provide a quick update on the release of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known as Ahok (although he now prefers to be called by his proper name or BTP instead of his Chinese-Indonesian moniker), after nearly two years in prison because of blasphemy charges. The former governor of Jakarta is expected to be released without much fanfare and is unlikely to participate in Indonesian politics or anything involving the presidential elections. There have been reports that BTP will be speaking in various engagements outside the country after his release.
In this episode, we answer some frequently asked questions about Dialogika, such as why are we so serious in our conversations and topics, why do we speak in English (and the baggage that is privilege which comes with that), and the perennial favorite, are we a couple in real life (the answer to that is a definite no). We also talk about some of our favorite podcast personally (aside from the classics such as Radiolab and This American Life), such as Gimlet Media’s The Horror of Dolores Roach and the New York Times’ The Daily, as well as sports podcasts like BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily and Jetty Media’s Game of Our Lives, and culture podcasts like Griefcast. We actually had to cut out a bunch of our other favorite podcasts from this week’s episode due to time; please check them out on our website: http://dialogika.id/faq-2018/
In this episode, Swedian's still out because of the U.S. midterm elections, but we're excited to share with you Stephanie's conversation with a rising figure in youth politics in Indonesia, Michael Victor Sianipar. Michael is a former aide to Ahok during his time as governor of Jakarta, and Michael's currently a member of PSI or the Indonesian Solidarity Party, one of the newest political parties in Indonesia with a huge youth following.
This is actually the second of a two-part conversation between Stephanie and Michael; in this second episode, Stephanie talks to Michael about about women in politics, specifically female political candidates and the challenges they face in a still predominantly patriarchal environment. They talk about the non-negotiables that create the foundation for political values and beliefs, with Michael sharing PSI’s core values of fighting for diversity and inclusion as well as fighting against corruption. Finally, we wrap up this amazing two-part series with Michael’s highlights and hopes for himself and the future of Indonesian politics.
In this episode, Swedian's still out because of the US midterm elections, but we're excited to share with you Stephanie's conversation with a rising figure in youth politics in Indonesia, Michael Victor Sianipar. Michael is a former aide to Ahok during his time as governor of Jakarta, and Michael's currently a member of PSI or the Indonesian Solidarity Party, one of the newest political parties in Indonesia with a huge youth following.
This is actually the first of a two-part conversation between Stephanie and Michael; in this first episode, Stephanie talks to Michael about his experience working with Ahok, from the early days of Ahok’s governorship to his prison sentence. They also talk about Michael’s current role as a regional leader in Jakarta local politics through PSI, and Michael also talks about how he got into politics in the first place.
Stay tuned for the second episode of the conversation coming out at the end of the month!
We don’t have a new episode this week as we’re both tied up with work, so we have a repeat of our 40th episode, Going Beyond #MeToo in 2018 — our first episode of 2018 — where we discuss the #MeToo movement and our initial reactions to it. This issue of sexual harassment and sexual assault has been in the news for most of 2017 and 2018, and recently again with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony against Brett Kavanaugh in the midst of his Supreme Court nomination — accusing him of sexual assault — as well as Grab Indonesia’s mishandling of a sexual harassment case between a customer and a driver. We at Dialogika believe the women, we believe Dr. Ford, and we believe in continuing the fight against the patriarchal landscape which still suppresses and oppresses women everywhere today.
We’ll be back in two weeks’ time with a brand new episode, so stay tuned!
In this episode, we start off 2018 with a conversation about a topic that has been in the news for the last 3 months or so — the #MeToo movement. We will be talking about our own unique experiences and reactions to the #MeToo movement, and critically discuss both the strengths and weaknesses of #MeToo. We discuss some of the things men can do when the women in their lives confide in them about issues of harassment and assault, as well as things not to do.
We also look into why there hasn’t been a similar #MeToo moment in Asia, including in Indonesia — perhaps, in part, because of the conservative and deeply patriarchal societies that exist across the continent, and the substantial backlash (including victim-blaming) that happens whenever someone comes out with their #MeToo story. That said, we are hopeful that Indonesia (and the rest of Asia) will perhaps have something like a #MeToo movement in the future — better yet, a movement where no one would ever need to say “me too” again. That’s our hope for Indonesia in 2018, and we’re excited to continue the conversation and fight!
In this week’s episode, we talk with frequent guest of the podcast Kerri Na Basaria about the exhibit Ulos, Hangoluan, & Tondi — an exhibition that features a collection of rare and old ulos, the iconic textile of the Batak people of North Sumatra. Kerri has planned and organized this exhibit that’s being held in the Textile Museum in Jakarta for the last few months, and we chat with her about the significance and meaning of ulos in the lives of the Bataknese, including its ceremonial and protective qualities. We also discuss the socio-economic circumstances that surround the production and sale of ulos such as the lives of the weavers, their aspirations and needs, and how they’re financially exploited by middlemen and other figures in power. Finally, we discuss the rich & diverse heritage and history of ulos as emblematic of the highest aspirations of Indonesian identity — one that genuinely celebrates its diverse cultures and backgrounds and recognizes the melting pot that makes up our unique shared history and society.
We don’t have a new episode this week as Swedian is out on a personal affair, so we have a repeat of our 38th episode, Working with Waria, where Stephanie talks with Dr. Sandeep Nanwani about his experience working with the waria community in Indonesia.
We’ll be back in two weeks’ time with a brand new episode, so stay tuned!
In this episode, Stephanie chats with Dr. Sandeep Nanwani, a young Indonesian doctor who is currently getting his Master's degree in Global Health Delivery at Harvard Medical School, about his work with the "waria" community — translated imperfectly as transgender women. Sandeep has been working with this community primarily by providing access to health care for them and other marginalized and invisible voices in the streets of Indonesia. We talked about how in order to understand the waria and their stories, you have to also understand both the social and the economic circumstances that impact their everyday lives, from their daily poverty to the informal economics of sex work & street busking that has come to define them.
We also chatted about Sandeep's own journey into becoming a doctor and what led him to his current focus on researching cases of extreme mental illnesses among the homeless in Indonesia. Finally, we talked about how politically things have gotten more difficult for the "waria" as well as the wider LGBT community. We're excited to share Sandeep's story and the stories of the waria.
In this week's episode, we take on a lighter topic (by our standards) and discuss Crazy Rich Asians! We debate opposing perspectives about the movie — one that is critical of its limited and narrow representation of Asian-American (and, by extension, Asian) identity versus one that celebrates its empowering story, which features an all-Asian cast (with strong female characters) telling a distinctly Asian story. In our conversation, we acknowledge all these strengths and weaknesses of the movie, in particular framing it in the context of other stories that have sought to increase representation, such as Black Panther. In the end, we recognize the movie for what it is: a fun romantic comedy that is a first step (and not the final step) towards greater and more nuanced representation of non-white stories in Hollywood.
Note: we also talk about what happened with our previous episode, which we re-uploaded under a different title. The short story is we've received feedback that the original episode was too offensive for general Indonesian sensibilities given its strong language. In the interest of keeping the important conversation going, we've taken out the profanity and re-uploaded the episode.
In this episode, we share our strong feelings about Jokowi's pick for his vice-president, Ma'ruf Amin, a 75-year-old conservative Muslim cleric who's known to espouse extremist and intolerant views when it comes to minorities, in particular the LGBT community as well as other ethnic and religious minorities. We discuss the problematic issues behind this decision, which we believe Jokowi and his coalition made in order to appease and appeal to the far-right Islamic base — an effort that in our opinion will severely alienate young progressive voters and potentially push them to the side of Prabowo and his vice-presidential pick, the current vice-governor of Jakarta, Sandiaga Uno. Our former guests Rocky Intan, Afu Utami, and Febriana Firdaus share their thoughts and reactions to the news, while we also talk about the potential for non-voting and/or protest votes affecting next year's presidential elections. Jokowi's pick has given a lot of Indonesian progressives a really tough decision to make in April 2019.
In this episode, Stephanie’s finally back (and with #hottakes) as we talk about the looming deadline for political parties in Indonesia to register their presidential and vice-presidential candidates for next year’s election. What made the news recently is that former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, better known as SBY, has come out and endorsed Prabowo, becoming a part of his coalition and competing against Jokowi’s coalition, which is led by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri. We’ll unpack all the political drama and personal history that has spanned decades — certainly within our lifetimes — as we discuss the ramifications of SBY’s decision.
We’ll also talk about electability surveys and discuss Jokowi’s pro-people populism vs. Prabowo’s Islamic-conversative populism. Finally, as two Indonesians currently living abroad, we want to encourage all Indonesians — abroad or not — to remember to register to vote for next year’s election, which will be on 17 April 2019; and, of course, to vote on the day itself!
For Indonesians abroad, the deadline for registering to vote abroad is coming up soon! Here in America it’s the 14th of August; please check your local Indonesian embassy or the Panitia Pemilihan Luar Negeri (PPLN) for more information — PLEASE REGISTER!
In this episode, Stephanie is still out, so Swedian talks to a longtime friend and supporter of Dialogika, Rocky Intan, who is currently getting his Masters in Public Policy at Columbia University. This conversation was originally planned for June, as it was Pride Month, and we talk about Rocky’s experience as an out gay man living in America right now, comparing it to the experience back home in Indonesia. We talk about the power & importance of Pride, not just as a celebration of one’s identity but also as a way to make visible the marginalized LGBTQ community. Rocky shares the nuances of his coming out experience, including the financial, social, and relational implications. From there we talk about how we cannot take for granted that liberals and progressives are necessarily as open-minded about the LGBTQ community as we think they are, and that if we are true progressives we need to fight for a society that is equal, open, and just for all — not just for the heteronormative.
Note: this podcast was recorded on Monday, 9th July 2018, before the semifinals between France & Belgium and England & Croatia
In this episode, Stephanie’s out (and has nothing to contribute) as Swedian and former guest of the podcast Kerri Na Basaria talk shop about the 2018 World Cup in Russia that’s going on right now. As die-hard football fans, we discussed the four nations left — France, Belgium, England, and Croatia — and predict who will make the final. But beyond our thoughts about these last few games, we also chatted about our personal histories and relationships to football, in particular how we have matured in our understanding of football and its relationship to the world — especially the World Cup’s complicated and often-times messy relationship to the world.
We discuss the impact past World Cup has had on host countries as well as the headlines that followed this year’s World Cup. We talk a lot about the politics of football, the politics of the World Cup, and how — as “responsible” football fans — it is our duty to love the beautiful game for what it is while also appreciating its impact (good, bad, and ugly) on the rest of the world.
In this episode — our 50th!! — we chat about Stephanie’s growth as a budding baby journalist & documentarian (and, perhaps, why she’s been a bit MIA this year from the podcast). Stephanie shares the lessons she’s learned this year in her program at the Columbia School of Journalism, including details of stories she’s worked tirelessly on. In particular, we hear the story of what-was-then-reported as the largest gang bust in New York City history, only to be later revealed by other news outlets — and Stephanie’s own investigation — to be a bust highly targetted at Black & Brown individuals and their social media activities. Stephanie is actually working on turning this story into a documentary as we speak!
By the way, as we’re approaching the start of Lebaran/Ramadan, we’re going to take a short break. We’ll be back with a new episode at the end of June. In the meantime, enjoy our 50(!) episodes; if you’ve stuck around since the 1st episode, bless you!
In this episode, Stephanie's back as we address the recent suicide bombings that happened in Surabaya this past weekend, which hit a number of churches and reignited fears of terrorism as it emerged that the attackers were a family led by fundamentalist extremists under the teachings of ISIS. The fact that these attacks occurred on the week of the 20th anniversary of the May 1998 riots have generated even more worries among Indonesians, especially Chinese-Indonesians, who have historically been targeted as an ethnic and religious minority group. We talk about our reactions to hearing the news (as we both are currently living outside of Indonesia) and discuss President Jokowi's call for Parliament to quickly pass revisions to current anti-terrorism laws in order to give the police and military forces more power to fight terrorism. While we understand where the government is coming from, there are significant concerns to these revisions, as it may give the military huge amounts of power to invade people's privacy and violate civil liberties in the name of security — which, given the significance of this week, is a scary reminder of what happened 20 years ago.
Our thoughts are with everyone in Surabaya #BersatuLawanTeroris #KamiTidakTakut
In this episode, Swedian talks with Stanley Widianto, a young Chinese-Indonesian freelance journalist who has written for publications such as The Guardian, South China Morning Post, Tirto, Tempo, among other publications. We chat about Stanley’s journey into becoming a journalist and the careful & reflective perspectives he has cultivated in his writing. We discuss two of Stanley’s pieces in depth:Seorang Non-Pribumi Menulis Kolom Ini” or “A Non-Indigenous Indonesian Wrote This Column,” and “The day my Chinese dad was declared a ‘bona fide’ Indonesian and given a new name.” Listeners, we encourage to read these two pieces before listening to this episode, so that you have a sense of what Stanley’s talking about and wrote about. We have links to these two articles on our website, www.dialogika.id, on the page for this episode.
Finally, we wrap up with Stanley’s carefully, skeptically optimistic thoughts about Chinese-Indonesians in this current political climate and how to reconcile & recognize the legacy of the past in contending the future.
In this episode, Swedian talks to Olin Monteiro, an Indonesian feminist activist who’s been working in the space for 30-odd years. We talk about how she got started in feminism, from her college years when she was exposed to the fight against sexual violence and the older generation of feminists, to her current relationship with the younger generation of feminists in groups such as the Jakarta Feminist Discussion Group. We discuss extensively how this issue of sexual violence has developed over the last few decades and the growing number of organizations that have emerged alongside the growing movement. We also talk about this “missing history” of women’s history in Indonesia, in particular how important women were to the progressive and liberal fights against authoritarian powers, from the Dutch colonizers to the New Order, as well as the amazing stories of women throughout Indonesian history who have always been fighting the patriarchy.
Finally, Olin shares her hopes for the new generation of Indonesian feminists to continue educating themselves about the rich history and culture of women’s rights and activism in this beloved country of ours. #thefutureisfemale
We don’t have a new episode this week as Swedian is busy traveling back to the States, so we have a repeat of our 21st episode, Hooked on Hoaxes, where we talked about the problem of fake news — a problem which, unfortunately, has come back to haunt us with recent revelations regarding data mining & analysis firm Cambridge Analytica‘s misuse and abuse of Facebook data, in order to influence elections. It seems as good a time as any to revisit the topic of fake news and how it taps into our worst psychological instincts!
We’ll be back in two weeks’ time with a brand new episode, so stay tuned!
In this episode, we dive straight into the deep and dark world of fake news & hoaxes. 2016 has been such a wake-up call in making us realize that the problem of fake news & hoaxes has really serious real world implications. From Donald Trump and #PizzaGate in the U.S., to President Jokowi’s battles with fake allegations of 10 million Chinese workers in Indonesia and, of course, Ahok’s battle against allegations of blasphemy due to an edited speech of his; suffice to say that no one individual nor one country is immune from this problem. We look into how Indonesia has taken on this issue of fake news & hoaxes quite seriously, with President Jokowi declaring a war against hoaxes and the government updating its cyber laws (UU ITE) and setting up cybersecurity divisions in the police force. We unpack what these cyber laws are and talk through the potential implications to our freedom of speech given their recent revisions and changes.
We also dig deeper into the financial incentives of fake news & hoaxes (including recognizing the cottage industry nature of its business) as well as the underlying psychological appeal of fake news, namely the concepts of confirmation bias and conjunction fallacy. We discuss the private sector alternatives to countering fake news, including the significant roles companies like Facebook have to fight this permanent problem. Finally, we urge our listeners to think before you click, and remember that if it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not 🙂
Thanks for listening!
In this episode, we've turned two! It's been an amazing 2 years of doing Dialogika and having incredible conversations with truly inspiring individuals about topics and issues we really care about — and who'd knew our "flimsy but earnest logic" would have kept us going for so long so far! We're deeply grateful for all the support we've received over the years from our listeners, friends, and family members, so thank you to everyone who have been with us from the very beginning. That said, we want to take this time to reflect and self-criticize some of our past episodes and questionable episode titles, because we do believe that we've both grown as individuals and intersectional feminists since we started this podcast (and, in part, because of this podcast) and it's important for us to keep ourselves accountable to the highest standard as we're navigating difficult and sensitive issues with a huge amount of privilege. We recognize that and we want to talk openly about how we can always do better, and continue to do so as long as we're doing Dialogika!
Listeners, if you have any thoughts or responses to anything we've talked about here — whether that's just to drop a note or to bring up other criticisms and feedback we haven't addressed — please do reach out and let us know!
In this episode, Swedian chats with Kerri Na Basaria, the lead organizer of this year’s Women’s March Jakarta and one of Swedian and Stephanie’s oldest friends! The 2018 Women’s March Jakarta happened on March 3, 2018, and amassed almost 2,000 people. There has been an increase in terms of cities all across Indonesia holding their own marches this year, with 12 cities in total alongside Jakarta. Swedian and Kerri talk about this incredible growth as well as the March’s ability to reach the younger generation in Indonesia, mobilizing them to go beyond online support of activism and into the streets to participate in these kinds of actions. They discuss the importance of showing up as a community to fight for women’s rights — in particular against gender-based violence, which is this year’s theme — especially in light of increasing extremism and divisive political rhetoric that’s spreading all across Indonesia and the world right now. #lawanbersama
In this episode, we give an update on the first few months of Governor Anies' reign over Jakarta. We talk about some of the promises he and Vice-Governor Sandiaga Uno made during their campaign, and whether or not they have fulfilled those promises (spoiler alert: not really) — specifically, the zero rupiah down payment housing program for low-income families, stopping the controversial land reclamation program, and the universal transport card, also known as OK Otrip. We also discuss some of his stranger policy ideas when it comes to tackling Jakarta's two biggest issues — traffic and flooding — with the reintroduction of becak (traditional rickshaws) and blocking roads in favor of pedagang kaki lima or unauthorized street vendors.
We're discussing all of this not just to simply criticize Anies, but to observe and analyze his actions in the context of the 2019 presidential elections, particularly his positioning of himself as the antithesis of Jokowi (the pragmatic progressive doer) as well as his problematic relationship with extremist Islam factions and polarizing figures such as Habib Rizieq, the leader of FPI or the Islamic Defenders Front, the group responsible for pushing the blasphemy case against Ahok and further dividing the city (and, subsequently, the nation). As is often the case, what's happening in Jakarta is usually indicative of what will likely happen in the rest of the country, so we're keeping our eyes peeled and fingers crossed!
In this episode, Stephanie talks with Naila Rizqi Zakiah, a public lawyer for LBH Masyarakat, a branch of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, about the current plans to revise the Indonesian criminal code under a draft proposal called the RKUHP. As Stephanie and Naila's conversation show, the proposed revision is more concerned about moral policing sexual activities rather than actually address the issues that impact the most marginalized communities. Many people through no fault of their own can potentially go to prison under this proposed criminal code — people such as rape victims, victims of sexual exploitation, teenagers who have consensual sex outside of marriage, couples who have unregistered informal marriages (nikah siri), as well as ethnic minority groups. This major revision to the criminal code is a huge threat to Indonesia's fragile democracy.
Please sign this Change.org petition (http://bit.ly/2DWsrLr) addressed to the Parliament and add your name and support to the fight against moral policing Indonesian society!
In this episode, Stephanie is out sick, so we revisit the most listened to episode of 2017 (with over 350 listens, and rising) — it’s our 26th Episode, Kartini Kendeng: Indonesia’s Own Water Protectors, where we talked about the amazing female farmers of Kendeng in Central Java who have bravely risked their lives and their livelihood to protest the invasive mining activities of cement companies in their region, which threatens to damage and hurt the community & environment for generations to come. We talked about their incredible “feet cement protest,” where they encased their feet in cement for days on end in front of the Presidential Palace, in order to get the attention of President Jokowi and his ministers and get them to do something about the issue. You’ll hear from some of these women during their protest in late March last year.
We want to play this episode again because, for some of our newer listeners, they may not have had the chance to listen to this episode yet — and we’re really proud of it, and we definitely wanna support — and continue to support — the women of Kendeng, the farmers in Kendeng, and their fight against encroaching capitalism in their home. Echoing what we said in the episode, we’ve only got one homeland in Indonesia, and it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world, and if we don’t protect, nobody will. Not the government, not corporations.
In this episode, we start off 2018 with a conversation about a topic that has been in the news for the last 3 months or so — the #MeToo movement. We will be talking about our own unique experiences and reactions to the #MeToo movement, and critically discuss both the strengths and weaknesses of #MeToo. We discuss some of the things men can do when the women in their lives confide in them about issues of harassment and assault, as well as things not to do.
We also look into why there hasn’t been a similar #MeToo moment in Asia, including in Indonesia — perhaps, in part, because of the conservative and deeply patriarchal societies that exist across the continent, and the substantial backlash (including victim-blaming) that happens whenever someone comes out with their #MeToo story. That said, we are hopeful that Indonesia (and the rest of Asia) will perhaps have something like a #MeToo movement in the future — better yet, a movement where no one would ever need to say “me too” again. That’s our hope for Indonesia in 2018, and we’re excited to continue the conversation and fight!
Happy holidays to everyone! We're taking our own end-of-year breaks for the past few weeks — so we won't have a new episode for you. But we do have a bonus episode! We'll be featuring Stephanie's audio pieces that she did as part of her grad school studies at the Columbia School of Journalism, titled "Unsilent Night" and "A Night at Greenwood Cemetery."
Lastly, we just wanna say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us, listened to our episodes, and shared them with friends and family throughout 2017. It’s been a huge year for us personally — having both moved to the States for different reasons — but we’re incredibly humbled and grateful to hear that our stories and interviews continue to inspire listeners across the world and move the conversation towards a more progressive and just global society. It’s been a tough year for progressive values and it’s only gonna get tougher, but as our wonderful friend Kate Walton said in our last episode, we gotta keep the momentum going and continue the good fight into 2018 and beyond. We’re excited about what the new year will bring, and we can’t wait to share those stories in the near future. We’ll see you in 2018!
In this episode, we look to close out 2017 with Swedian's conversation with our dear friend and former guest of the podcast, Kate Walton, and discuss what the year has been like for feminism in Indonesia, including the positive events & negative setbacks, as well as what 2018 might bring to the table on various women's issues. We also chat about Kate's project, Menghitung Pembunuhan Perempuan (Counting Dead Women) and talk a little bit about the toxic patriarchal culture that contributes to this systemic violence and what male feminists can & must do to change the conversation.
Finally, given it is the end of the year, we wrap up with some of Kate's suggestions for wonderful progressive organizations to donate to and support. Details for how to donate to these organizations are in the episode page: http://dialogika.id/2017-wrap-up/
In this episode, Stephanie chats with Dr. Sandeep Nanwani, a young Indonesian doctor who is currently getting his Master's degree in Global Health Delivery at Harvard Medical School, about his work with the "waria" community — translated imperfectly as transgender women. Sandeep has been working with this community primarily by providing access to health care for them and other marginalized and invisible voices in the streets of Indonesia. We talked about how in order to understand the waria and their stories, you have to also understand both the social and the economic circumstances that impact their everyday lives, from their daily poverty to the informal economics of sex work & street busking that has come to define them.
We also chatted about Sandeep's own journey into becoming a doctor and what led him to his current focus on researching cases of extreme mental illnesses among the homeless in Indonesia. Finally, we talked about how politically things have gotten more difficult for the "waria" as well as the wider LGBT community. We're excited to share Sandeep's story and the stories of the waria.
In this episode, we discuss last week's Whatsapp controversy, where the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology (Kemenkominfo) threatened to block Whatsapp because people reported the proliferation of so-called "pornographic" GIFs on the platform. After a lot of back and forth, the ministry has backed down from its threats and the controversy has, for now, died down. That said, we want to take this opportunity to open up a broader conversation around the UU Pornografi & Pornoaksi (the Pornography and Pornoaction Law) that would have allowed the government to block Whatsapp. This law, which was put into place in 2008, basically provides an incredibly broad and legally vague definition of pornography, allowing the government to use it for its own patriarchal means. We talk about how in Indonesia, the law in general is often times male, and this law in particular has been used to police women's bodies and restrict their freedom.
While it might seem trivial that we're talking about a ban that never happened, or that we may seem like we're supporting pornography, our discussion is really about how these kind of open-ended laws are a threat to our freedom of speech, our rights, and our democracy.
In this episode, we discuss the new Governor of Jakarta Anies Baswedan and his inaugural speech, in which he used the controversial word "pribumi," which refers to the indigenous Indonesian population. We unpack the segregationist history of this term, specifically in the context of targetting the "non-pribumi," which since Dutch colonial rule has almost exclusively been the Chinese-Indonesians. Anies' use of the term "pribumi" is deeply unsettling as it revives the damaging and dangerous anti-Chinese rhetoric that influenced the tragedy of May 1998 and, more recently, the ethnic tensions surrounding Ahok's blasphemy case and the gubernatorial elections, which Anies profited from.
We talk about how other politicians have reacted (or not reacted) to this controversy and discuss the laws that were set in place by previous presidents to prevent the use of both terms. Finally, we wrap things up by reflecting on Anies' speech and the tone of it in light of the 2019 presidential elections, which is less than 2 years away. Even though we're disappointed with how politicians and ministers have reacted to Anies' speech, we are inspired by the many young Indonesian netizens — pribumi and non-pribumi — who have criticized Anies' speech, reported him to the police for spreading racist rhetoric, and came out in support of the Chinese-Indonesians.
In this episode, we chat with Afu and Wikan, the two creators of "Frame & Sentences," a YouTube video essay series on issues and topics that affect the current generation of young Indonesians. We talk about the origins of the series, as well as Afu and Wikan's own progressive backgrounds that influenced the way they unpack some of their topics, which range from expectations on women & marriage to the 1965 genocide. We also explore Afu and Wikan's respective takes on feminism (including why they are hesitant to call themselves 'feminist') and have a frank and constructive conversation about the role this label has in fighting against the patriarchy. Check them out on YouTube!
Note: this episode is in a mix of Indonesian and English. For subtitles, please check out our YouTube video.
In this episode, we have a special interview with award-winning freelance investigative journalist and all-around badass female in the world of Indonesian journalism, Febriana Firdaus. We talk about her unique journey from TEMPO to TIME — including pit stops at Femina, Intisari, and Rappler — and her commitment to covering difficult and dangerous stories, particularly the ongoing human rights abuses happening in Papua right now.
We discuss the history of the conflict between Papuan freedom fighters and the Indonesian military, including Febri’s first-hand experience talking to locals and the situation on the ground right now. We also talk about Febri’s latest venture, the podcast-and-newsletter Suara Papua, or "Voice of Papua," which aims to spread awareness of local Papuan stories between foreign English readers as well as Indonesians & local Papuans who care about what’s happening to the Papuan community.
In this episode, we discuss the ongoing Rohingya humanitarian crisis, which has led to more than 400,000 Rohingyas fleeing and finding refuge in Bangladesh. We dig into the history of the Rohingya people and why they are dubbed by international media as "the most persecuted minority in the world," looking at the religious hate-mongering that has been perpetuated by both hardline Buddhist extremists groups as well as the Burmese government — and, as an extension of that, the ignorance of Myanmar's de facto leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi. We unpack who she is, the limitations of her political power, and why she has refused to acknowledge the atrocities committed by the Burmese army.
We also look into the international criticism of Myanmar and Suu Kyi's response, and break down the valorization (in particular, in Western media) of Suu Kyi as the democratic hope of Myanmar. In talking about this underreported issue, we hope that more people would know about the plight of the Rohinyga and demand not only the cessation of violence but also international action & aid to support those who are already deeply affected by this crisis.
In this episode, we have a special interview and conversation with one of Indonesia's fiercest female Muslim hijabi stand-up comedians, Sakdiyah Ma'ruf! Hailed as one of the first female Muslim comics in Indonesia (a "technicality," as she said), Sakdiyah has been doing stand-up comedy in both English and Indonesian for several years now. Her comedy touches on sensitive topics such as sexuality, Islamic fundamentalism, terrorism, and domestic violence, but she always finds a way to cut through the tension of such heavy topics without blunting her message of free speech and women's rights.
We hope you'll enjoy our conversation as much as we enjoyed having it!
In this episode, we commemorate the upcoming 18th anniversary of the East Timor Independence Referendum of 1999. In light of the growing West Papua independence movement, as well as an alarming rise in 'blind patriotism,' we think it's incredibly important to remember the atrocities that preceded East Timor's independence and learn its lessons about nationhood, sovereignty, and self-determination. We also have Stephanie in conversation with John M. Miller, the national coordinator for ETAN, the East Timor & Indonesia Action Network, an NGO created in 1991 to help facilitate and support the East Timor independence movement.
We hope that in talking about East Timor and honestly confronting the tragedies of the past, we can not only hold our beloved nation accountable but also walk down a greater and more just path for the future of Indonesia.
After a much-needed and too-long break (sorry!) we're excited to be back with Season 2 of Dialogika! In this episode, we share some life updates following our big moves from Indonesia to the United States and the travels in-between. We also provide an in-depth overview of what's been happening politically in Indonesia while we were out, including discussing the Habib Rizieq pornography case, the banning of Hizb ut-Tahrir, the unresolved Novel Baswedan acid attack case, and the weakening of KPK's power. All of these discussions are particularly significant when viewed with an eye on the 2019 Indonesian presidential election and Jokowi's chances in it.
We've got an exciting season ahead, with all new music as you can hear and new people helping us out (s/o to Sebastian Hadinata) and we can't wait to share it with you. Here's to Season 2 of Dialogika!
In this episode — on the week of the 19th anniversary of the May 1998 riots — we talk with our long-time academic crush Dr. Jemma Purdey of Monash University, author of Anti-Chinese Violence in Indonesia, 1996-1999 and co-host of the Talking Indonesia podcast. She helped us unpack what really happened leading up to the May 1998 riots, which killed over 2000 people and led to the rape of 152 Chinese-Indonesian women. We discuss how this event was not due to organic, spontaneous anger but rather was engineered based on ‘stable’ racism against Chinese-Indonesians. We also talked about Indonesia’s history of racism against ethnic Chinese-Indonesians, the impact it has had on national economics and its lasting effects on the psyche of the Chinese-Indonesian community.
In light of Ahok’s recent jail sentence, we discuss the current rising anti-Chinese sentiments, and finally, we end on a hopeful note that Indonesia’s maturing civil society and young democracy has grown enough that we can not only start to talk about the reality of what happened in May 1998, but also prevent it from happening again in the future.
AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!
We will be taking a break to refocus our energy on lining up better interviews, stories, and sound engineering. For any of you who are interested in becoming more involved, we’d love to have you onboard as field producers/researchers/any role you’d be interested in. Email us at dialogikapodcast@gmail.com or message us on Facebook! We’re looking forward to being back in a few weeks!
In this episode, we give our reactions to Anies Baswedan's victory in Jakarta's recent, very heated gubernatorial race. We take a closer look at Anies' significant win, in which he won by a double-digit margin of 57.9% to Ahok's 42%. We also hear the reactions of other Jakarta citizens to Anies' victory and discuss its ramifications, given how much Anies has courted radical Islamic groups during his campaign — a tactic that proved to be instrumental to his success. We take this opportunity to dig deeper into Anies Baswedan's profile and background. Finally, we wrap up with a pragmatic analysis of what the future holds for an Anies-governed Jakarta, and how we should take this huge loss for the liberal base as an impetus to fight harder & organize better in our nation's democratic system in pursuit of progressive values.
In honor of Kartini Day and with the upcoming release of the big budget Indonesian blockbuster biopic "Kartini" in mind, we take a look back at our 4th episode, "Reclamation!" A Kartini Day Special, and provide some of our thoughts and reactions to that episode one year later. We unpack the issues around having Hanung Bramantyo as the director and Dian Sastrowardoyo playing the lead as Kartini. Both have made problematic statements about feminism in general, and given that this Kartini movie is the first movie about Kartini since the 1980s, we recognize the importance of discussing the movie in the greater context of Kartini's legacy. Finally, we end with a recommendation of reading the book "Panggil Aku Kartini Saja" by Indonesian's master writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer as — in our humble opinion — a better way to truly understand and honor Kartini as the true Indonesian feminist she was and continues to be.
In this episode, we delve into the mysterious world of platonic friendships. This topic has been in the news lately in part because of the Mike Pence "controversy" and the "Billy Graham" rule, in which Mike Pence is not allowed to have dinner with a woman that is not his wife. Its recent unearthing reveals not only the rule's patriarchal foundations but also how misunderstood male-female platonic relationships — whether friendships, business partners, etc. — are. As such, we dive right into the concept, exploring friendship's historically higher value, some social science research regarding male-female friendships, and our own experiences, with an important disclaimer: we want to acknowledge that the question of "can men and women just be friends" is one that erases the experiences of those who are not necessarily cisgendered heterosexual individuals. However, as cis-het-people, we can only speak from our own experiences and we're trying our best to acknowledge the narrowness of the question while also staying true to what we know.
Finally, there is an important announcement at the end of this episode — stay tuned to find out what it is!
In this episode, we unpack the very recent (and still ongoing) Kendeng cement protest (whose female protestors were dubbed the 'Kartini Kendeng' by the media) that's happening in Jakarta at the moment. We discuss the intricate details of the protest, including how the feet-cement protest is done (encasing one's feet inside a block of pure cement for days on end) and what these brave farmers are fighting for. In discussing this topic, we also found out about the Samin community & movement — an environmentally conscious, anti-colonialist, and anti-capitalist movement started during Dutch colonial rule but continues to find resonance in today's modern age. Finally, we reflect on how important it is that we, as citizens of this beautiful and diverse land called Indonesia, do not forget our responsibilities to the earth and the environment.
In this episode, we catch up with Stephanie, who participated in and helped organize the first ever Women's March Jakarta that happened on Saturday, March 4th, 2017. As one of the organizers, Stephanie shared the experience of helping put together this event. Held in conjunction with this year's International Women's Day, Swedian unpacks briefly the history of the day, in particular its rarely-spoken-of socialist roots. We discuss a couple of international events planned for IWD, including the "A Day Without A Woman" campaign in the United States. Finally, we wrap up our conversation with Stephanie's reflections and hopes for what the Women's March Jakarta has already inspired and is aspiring towards. Here's to continuing our fight for women's rights and equality! #WomensMarchJKT #PerempuanBersatu #InternationalWomensDay
In this episode, we discuss the phenomenon of whitewashing in pop culture, in particular highlighting the many instances of whitecasting and yellowface in Hollywood movies, such as the Karlie Kloss Vogue controversy, Scarlett Johansson as Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell, and the problematic popularity of La La Land. We unpack what we mean when we talk about terms & topics such as whitewashing, whitecasting, the white savior complex, and yellowface. Whether we like it or not, pop culture is very important and highly influential, and what we see often determines how we see ourselves and others, and it is the responsibility of those in pop culture to tell better stories, make better characters, and show the future generation how diverse the world really is — and that their stories matter.
In this episode, we discuss the upcoming Jakarta gubernatorial election happening on February 15, 2017 between three candidate pairs of Governor & Vice-Governor: Ticket #1 – Agus & Sylviana, Ticket #2 - Ahok & Djarot, and Ticket #3 - Anies & Sandiaga.
We go into detail on the backgrounds of each of these individuals and focus in particular on what each candidate pair has said about what they would do with regards to women’s issues in Jakarta. We also talk about how the ways in which each campaign has talked about tackling various women’s issues are an indication of their larger perspective on leadership. None of these candidates are perfect and there is still a lot of work to be done for women’s rights in this city, but we hope that by discussing their campaign rhetoric from our perspective — as people who care deeply about women’s issues — we can shed some light and inform both voters & non-voters on what the future leaders of Jakarta are promising for women.
Finally, this conversation could not have happened with the amazing work and research done by our friend and a regular guest on the podcast, Kate Walton — thank you so much Kate!
In this episode, we discuss the recent Women’s March and explore what the protest meant for feminism, in particular the topic of intersectional feminism. Our resident woke white woman Kate Walton is back to share her thoughts as we break down the impetus for the Women’s March and dissect the many criticisms lobbied towards the event. In doing so, we unpack what it means to be an intersectional feminist, which includes acknowledging difference, checking your privileges, and amplifying the voices of those who are oppressed — and this applies to all human beings alike! As an extension of this discussion, we also unpack what it means to be an ally in the intersectional sense.
In this episode, we dive straight into the deep and dark world of fake news & hoaxes. 2016 has been such a wake-up call in making us realize that the problem of fake news & hoaxes has really serious real world implications. We look into how Indonesia has taken on this issue of fake news & hoaxes quite seriously, with President Jokowi declaring a war against hoaxes and the government updating its cyber laws (UU ITE) and setting up cybersecurity divisions in the police force. We unpack what these cyber laws are and talk through the potential implications to our freedom of speech given their recent revisions and changes. We also dig deeper into the financial incentives of fake news & hoaxes as well as the underlying psychological appeal of fake news. We discuss the private sector alternatives to countering fake news, including the significant roles companies like Facebook have to fight this permanent problem. Finally, we urge our listeners to think before you click, and remember that if it’s too good to be true, it’s probably not!
Happy holidays, and Merry Christmas to all of our Christian and Catholic friends who are celebrating, as well as Happy Hanukkah to all of our Jewish friends! It's been a hell of a long year, and we've actually taken some time off ourselves for our own end-of-year holidays, so we don't have a full episode for you this week — but we do have outtakes in the form of segments that didn't make it into our full episodes! In this bonus episode we share with you some of the conversations and thoughts that didn't make the final cut. We also take a moment to look back at 2016 and consider the importance of engaging in constructive dialogue with common sense and logic, after a year filled with divisive and discriminatory rhetoric from all across the globe.
Finally, we just wanna say again a massive thank you to everyone who have supported us as well as those who’ve continued to listen to our episodes and follow us online! We now have 20 episodes + 2 bonus episodes — with an accumulated 461 minutes and 47 seconds of recording (that's over 7.5 hours!), as well as over 2,000 follows on Facebook — and we couldn't have done it without you! We can’t wait to continue bringing the latest and greatest of Dialogika for you guys in the new year! Many, many thanks for listening to our flimsy but earnest logic, and see you on the other side of December 31st in a few weeks!
In this episode, Swedian is back (finally) and itching to jump right back into conversation about Indonesia — which, at the moment, is all about rising religious intolerance. We break down the recent December 2nd rally against Jakarta's Christian Chinese-Indonesian governor Ahok, which had anywhere from 500,000 to 1,000,000 Muslims occupy the central part of Jakarta in the form of a mass Friday prayer. We discuss our differing views on President Jokowi's decision to attend the prayer and address the crowd. We also explain who Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Habib Rizieq is, and what his rising popularity in the country means for the political climate in Indonesia. We compare what's going on in Indonesia with what's going on in America and elsewhere, whereby a charismatic leader (Rizieq in Indonesia; Trump in America) is using — under the banner of religious piety — populism and fear tactics to mislead the population, resulting in a cultural of intolerance and discrimination.
In this episode, we have Stephanie and her close friend (and fellow Chinese-Indonesian woman) Skolastika "Tika" Lupitawina discuss the recent rise in anti-Chinese sentiments and rhetoric due to the mass protest on November 4th against the Christian Chinese-Indonesian governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, or more commonly known as Ahok. We break down the reasons why Chinese-Indonesians are feeling anxious, including the brutal history of violence & discrimination against the Chinese in Indonesia, and debunk the myth of structural/institutional racism perpetrated by Chinese-Indonesians against native Indonesians.
In this episode, we processing through our five stages of grief following the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States of America. Swedian's back but still in the States, so this is also our very first internationally recorded and produced episode! We discuss how Trump won via the electoral college even though Hillary has won the popular vote, as well as our personal reactions to November 8th as it unfolded. We also talk about how Trump's victory has brought about a rise in hate crimes against minorities and Muslims in America, and how we — as supporters and believers of progressive values — must continue to fight better, work harder, and get out of our echo chambers in order to have constructive dialogue with the other side. Thank you so much to Hillary Rodham Clinton for fighting the good fight; it's our turn to step up and continue the hard work. #werestillwithher #strongertogether
Swedian's out for the next couple of episodes — so for the next few weeks, we'll have some special guests on the show to talk about feminism, politics, and everything in between!
In this episode, we have Jakarta’s resident #ladyboss Farina Situmorang, Founder and CEO of Catalyst Strategy, as well as the mind behind the widely lauded and extremely successful social media campaign for the 2014 Jokowi-JK presidential campaign. We talk about female leadership and how female executives are often asked about “the struggles of being a female leader,” without necessarily talking about the virtues and strengths of female leadership. Farina shares her insights on tantric philosophy and its concept of feminine and masculine energies. Finally, we talk with Farina about the journey of “reclaiming one’s femininity” as bossy ladies — and how, ultimately, our path to happiness is about embracing ourselves, our own life’s path, rejecting society’s notion of a formula-for-everyone, and simply caring less about what others think about you! Here’s to female empowerment in the workplace!
Swedian's out for the next couple of episodes — so for the next few weeks, we'll have some special guests on the show to talk about feminism, politics, and everything in between!
WARNING: THIS EPISODE INCLUDES A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON A GRAPHIC RAPE CASE; PLEASE LISTEN AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
In this episode, we have Kate Walton, a self-identified queer feminist activist who's the founder of Jakarta Feminist Discussion Group as well as the project Menghitung Pembunuhan Perempuan — Counting Dead Women — which chronicles acts of violence against women in Indonesia. We talk to her about this project and how it helped bring attention to the brutal rape and murder of Yuyun (as previously discussed in earlier episodes) to the national and international spotlight. We discuss the latest about the case and how the government's reaction neglects to address the bigger problem of rape culture in our society. We break down "rape culture," which is a hot topic at the moment due to Donald Trump's comments. Finally, we end with how sexual violence is something that affects all women but is not something that's obvious to men — and how men can actively act to end rape culture.
In this episode, we're entering the weird and wonderful world of #RelationshipGoals as we share a little bit about what we think are good goals to have in any healthy and positive feminist relationship! We talk about the start of relationships, in particular debunking this myth of the 'friend zone' and restoring the value of platonic friendships. We share some basic relationship tenets of mutual respect and growth, as well as break down the stereotypical gendered view of relationship dynamics. We discuss the end of relationships, specifically how we differ in our treatment of exes post-breakup. Finally, we end with a strong endorsement for the use of the term "partner" in describing relationships — because, at the end of the day, you and your partner are both on the same team and that team is working towards one goal, which is the relationship itself, and that's truly a #RelationshipGoal worth fighting for!
In this second of our two-part episode, we continue to discuss the Indonesian Constitutional Court's (Mahkamah Konstitusi, or MK) recent decision to hear arguments for a "judicial review" of the country's Criminal Code (Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana, or KUHP) in order to add new laws that will criminalize pre-marital sex (as adultery) and LGBT relationships. We invite Pramoedya Oktavinanda, a corporate lawyer in Indonesia and a friend of Dialogika, to talk about Islamic law, what counts as "Indonesian values," and why we should value and appreciate the fact that — while we 100% disagree with them — these people are making their argument via democratic means, and that this development is important for our nation's democracy.
If you missed our first episode on this topic, please check it out, as we break down what the judicial review is, the Court's powers, and what are the potential consequences of this review.
In this first of our two-part episode, we discuss the Indonesian Constitutional Court's (Mahkamah Konstitusi, or MK) recent decision to hear arguments for a "judicial review" of the country's Criminal Code (Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana, or KUHP) in order to add new laws that will criminalize pre-marital sex (as adultery) and LGBT relationships. We invite Pramudya Oktavinanda, a corporate lawyer in Indonesia and a friend of Dialogika, to talk about the court’s powers, its recent turn towards becoming a “positive” legislator, and why they’re even entertaining these vague claims of constitutional rights violations.
In this episode, just a week after our nation’s 71st birthday, we pay homage to our lesser known but no less important Founding Father, Indonesia’s first vice-president, Mohammad Hatta. We dig into Hatta’s exciting life journey — from boyhood days in Sumatra, to student activist days in the Netherlands, and finally, alongside Soekarno, to the declaration of the independence of our nation. We discussed Hatta’s unique philosophy and love of true democracy, and how this perspective impacted his actions and relationships with Indonesia’s first two presidents, Soekarno and his successor Soeharto, and the fate of Indonesia as a nation. Finally, we closed with a conversation on what Hatta’s legacy is and how his life and writings can & should continue to inspire and instruct Indonesia’s relatively young 71-year-old democracy.
In this episode, we have a lighter take on the topic of male feminists. Inspired by Barack Obama's letter about being a male feminist, we explore the emergence of male celebrities taking up the male feminist mantle (such as Aziz Ansari, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Terry Crews, etc.), and how being a male feminist is and should be more than just being supportive of gender equality. We dig deeper into the nuances of male feminism, looking at its various responsibilities and comparing it to other alternative titles such as male allies or being pro-feminist. We provide some helpful tips and advice on how men can be better feminists and/or allies, and end with a beautifully penned essay by Matt McGorry, on how becoming a feminist 'felt like falling in love.'
In this episode, we discuss the International People's Tribunal and their verdict, published last week, that judged Indonesia guilty for crimes against humanity during the 1965 massacre. We give a brief history of what actually happened in 1965 in contrast to the Suharto-era New Order propaganda version. We highlight how the genocide was a deliberate, methodical mass murder that implicated state officials, the Indonesian military, and ordinary Indonesian citizens. We address the often forgotten victims of 1965, Indonesian women, and the lasting legacy of discrimination and propaganda against Communism and the family of victims. Lastly, we examined what exactly is the IPT and the uses and limitation of this verdict — and how we hope this will be a step towards the country admitting to what actually happened in 1965.
Happy Eid Mubarak/Selamat Idul Fitri to all of our Muslim friends and those celebrating! We've actually taken some time off ourselves, so we don't have a full episode for you this week — but we do have outtakes! We also talk a little bit about how Dialogika started, its initial aspirations, the production woes of those early episodes, and a few interesting facts about our lovely social media fanbase! We also introduce the lovely podcasting doggie duo Stacie & Simone who, this time, are allowed to be on air, and announce that our podcast is now on YouTube as well! Finally, we just wanna say a massive thank you to everyone who have supported us behind the scenes and in front of the mic as well as those who've continued to listen to our episodes and follow us online! Many, many thanks for listening to our flimsy but earnest logic!
In this episode, we discuss the recent controversies around Teman Ahok — in particular, whether the initial funding to start the organization was actually money from the reclamation bribery scandal. We compare Teman Ahok with, arguably, its equivalent in U.S. politics, OFA, and talk about whether Teman Ahok is similar to PACs and SuperPACs (Political Action Committees). We delve a little bit into the history of campaign funding in Indonesia and wrap the episode up with our hopes for — per usual — cleaner, more democratic politics.
WARNING: THIS EPISODE FEATURES STRONG LANGUAGE; PLEASE LISTEN AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
In this episode, we talk to Dea Safira, who got banned by Facebook for posting historical photos of topless Indonesian women. We discussed why we think it went viral, as well as digging a little bit into 'nipples history' (and the arbitrariness of all that). We talked about the social costs of being a feminist, especially in Indonesia, and how our privileges influence those costs. We also discuss data that shows all women, regardless of privileges, face more 'man-terruptions' and 'mansplaining' than their male counterparts. We wrap up the episode with a shoutout to all the awesome feminist organizations in Indonesia! Yay feminist validation!
WARNING: THIS EPISODE DISCUSSES RAPE; PLEASE LISTEN AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
In this episode, we take a closer look at Jokowi’s recent amendment to existing child protection laws, which will include chemical castration for child rapists. We talk about what chemical castration is and how effective the treatment is compared to other forms of punishment in terms of reducing recidivism. We analyze the limitations of this approach and how it does not fundamentally solve the issue of rape. In doing so, we open up a discussion on consent and how we could and should hold everyone in society accountable for the existence and prevalence of rape culture. We also talked about different types of rape prevention tactics.
WARNING: THIS EPISODE DISCUSSES A GRAPHIC RAPE CASE; PLEASE LISTEN AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
In this episode, we discuss the recent tragic case of Yuyun, who was gang-raped by 14 men to death in Bengkulu, Indonesia. We dissect the sequence of events that led to her death as well as the reactions from the Indonesian public and the government that followed. We also reflect on various theories on rape and how it impacts both men and women in different but equally damaging ways — and how can we empower men in particular to prevent rape from happening in their community. #NyalaUntukYuyun
In this episode, we discuss the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, breaking down who the candidates are, what they stand for, and—particularly important for those of us in the international community—what their stances and statements are regarding foreign policy. We also take a closer look at how the U.S. picks its presidential candidates, trying our best to explain the convoluted primary system, as well as comparing the U.S. approach to how Indonesia picks its presidential candidate (from the parliamentary elections all the way to the general election).
In honor of Kartini Day, we devote this week’s episode to Indonesia’s most famous feminist, R.A. Kartini. We dig into her life & writing and talked about how love, family, and duty can hold back women today. We also talk about how we should reclaim Kartini Day from its frivolity in order to question how we can break down barriers for women, as our badass Indonesian woman spotlighted this week, S.K. Trimurti, did during her lifetime.
In this episode, we discuss the Kalijodo eviction & demolition story and how Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, or Ahok, in executing said event. We investigate his potentially problematic use of military (TNI) presence, explore the different roles & responsibilities of Indonesia's military and police forces and the controversial history of using the military in the nation's past, and profile Surabaya mayor Tri Rismaharini and her success in evicting & demolishing the Dolly neighborhood. All of this are done in an effort to hold our politicians accountable to our democratic beliefs and values. Yay democracy!
In this episode, we discuss the KPI's (Indonesian Broadcasting Commission) decision to censor ‘effeminate male behavior’ in television broadcasting and blur female body parts in the 2016 Miss Indonesia pageants. We also take a closer look into the patriarchy, toxic masculinity, and James Bond, as well as how feminism is not a Western construct and can help men and women alike today wherever they are, ending with a profile of the great Indonesian female hero Rasuna Said.
In this episode, we discuss the latest controversy around the topic of LGBT in Indonesia and break down the various talking points—such as sexuality, gender, sexual orientation, public responses and social media reactions, as well as our own personal stories—in order to figure out how we can be supportive and emphatic to the LGBT community in Indonesia.