A Collaboration to Fight for Human Rights

Launching of Amnesty Indonesia, network hearing

and joint meeting

Various news of human rights violations still fill the headlines of international and national mass media. This is a challenge because human rights itself is a moral principle as the standard of human behavior and  legal rights, contained in the UN Declaration, all human beings are born free and equal in their rights and standards. They are rewarded with reasons and awareness and see and treat others in the spirit of brotherhood.

That is the spirit of Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta to participate in fighting for human rights in Indonesia, especially Yogyakarta with Social Movement Institute (SMI) and Amnesty Indonesia (AI). AI is the representative of Amnesty International in Indonesia as a global non-governmental movement to campaign human rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards.

The understanding toward human rights should be strived and jointly campaigned by various parties concerned with human rights. A joint meeting on January 24, 2018 at SMI Yogyakarta’s office led to a critical thinking about idea of School of Human Rights for students. Why students? Because students have idealism, enthusiasm and energy become agent of change in society to be aware of human rights. Yogyakarta is potential as it is known as a city of education where students from various regions in Indonesia study in.

This meeting itself was a part of series meeting since the declaration of Amnesty Indonesia on December 8, 2017 at Masjid Mataram Kotagede. At that time Agung Supriyono, SH, the head of Kesbangpol DIY, represented Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwana X, the Governor of DIY inaugurated Amnesty International Indonesia and admitted that Indonesia having various cultures, religions and other diversities needs a feeling of togetherness. The spirit of unity and unity in harmony can be achieved if justice and human rights are achieved.

The next day, December 9, 2017 at Joglo Omah Jowo, a network meeting was held and facilitated by Usman Hamid, AI's executive director for network hearing, collecting issues related to human rights violations that occurred in DIY. Some of the participating institutions are Social Movement Institute (SMI), Resist, UGM Corner Club, Mitra Wacana, LKiS, Amartya, LBH Yogyakarta, Tribunjogja, Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta and some other participants. The meetings formulated important issues such as: 1) freedom of expression, opinion and organization, 2) freedom of religion and worship activity, 3) racial discrimination and certain community identity, 4) excessive or late handling of case by police, 5 ) Freedom of journalism when covering an event, 6) Social economic rights such as land conflicts, iron sand, forced evictions and children's rights, 7) Dismantle the illusion of fear on certain issues and need to revive the sense of nationalism, and 8) Fight for academic freedom in campus.

Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta as an institution mentoring students from various regions in Indonesia who are studying in Yogyakarta realized the importance of students’ awareness toward human rights, so Stube-HEMAT took part in the collaboration. In the future, the human rights-conscious students are able to implement it to the surrounding community when they return to their home regions. (RBN).