From 20 to 22 July 2026, the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), in cooperation with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Indonesia, organized the fourth Indonesian Youth Democracy Forum (IYDF) under the theme “Next-Generation Civic Leadership and Democratic Resilience.” The forum aimed to promote exchanges between young political leaders and representatives of civil society while strengthening dialogue on the future of democracy in Indonesia. The discussions focused on political participation, cooperation between political parties and civil society, and the role of social media in democratic discourse.
A total of 20 young delegates participated in the three-day forum, including 12 representatives from various political parties and 8 representatives from civil society organizations, the media, and the field of digital communication. The participants represented a broad range of political and societal perspectives and brought experience from politics, research, journalism, and civil society engagement.
The program combined various event formats. On the first day, moderated debates were held in which the delegates discussed controversial propositions concerning the role of political parties, civil society, and social media.
The second day focused on direct exchanges with prominent figures from politics and the media and included discussions with representatives from journalism and the Indonesian Parliament. Among others, the delegates met Uni Lubis, one of Indonesia’s most distinguished journalists and the Editor-in-Chief of IDN Times. Afterwards, the delegation visited the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), where they had the opportunity to exchange views with Dr. Ahmad Doli Kurnia, Deputy Chair of the Legislative Committee (Badan Legislasi DPR RI), on current challenges related to democracy and the legislative process.
The forum concluded with a public town hall dialogue attended predominantly by a young audience.
The public dialogue was opened by Dr. Dino Patti Djalal, Founder and Chairman of FPCI, and Jan Senkyr, Director of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Indonesia. In his opening remarks, Dr. Dino Patti Djalal emphasized that the Indonesian Youth Democracy Forum seeks to foster a stronger sense of responsibility and a deeper commitment to democracy among the younger generation. This means appreciating democratic values, respecting them, and actively embedding them in society.
In his address, Jan Senkyr further emphasized that the survival of democracy does not depend solely on the existence of democratic institutions. Germany’s experience after the Second World War demonstrates that a functioning democracy also requires a society that understands, embraces, and actively practices democratic values. For this reason, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung regards the promotion of civic education and the strengthening of democratic awareness — particularly among young people — as one of its core missions.
About this series
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, its educational institutions, centres and foreign offices, offer several thousand events on various subjects each year. We provide up to date and exclusive reports on selected conferences, events and symposia at www.kas.de. In addition to a summary of the contents, you can also find additional material such as pictures, speeches, videos or audio clips.