Enhancing Public Participation for Quality Democracy

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Indonesia has established a national consensus that the state is founded on popular sovereignty and upholds democratic principles. In practice, however, the quality of public participation in democratic processes continues to face fundamental challenges. Healthy and meaningful political participation is the cornerstone of a high-quality democracy—not merely participation in five-year electoral events, but engagement throughout the broader and continuous process of political development.

Current realities show that public understanding of their political rights and responsibilities remains uneven and suboptimal. Recorded data indicate that only around 60% of the target population for political education programs has been reached. This figure reflects a significant gap in public understanding and participation. Weak political literacy can lead to two major issues: first, political apathy among citizens who feel they have no power to influence public policy; and second, uninformed and low-quality participation that can be exploited for short-term pragmatic interests, such as vote-buying or the spread of misleading information. Moreover, contemporary challenges—including information disruption and the rise of hoaxes—further complicate the creation of a healthy public sphere for democratic engagement. Citizens are often confronted with an overwhelming flow of information that is difficult to verify, which in turn may affect their political decisions. In this context, political education becomes a strategic necessity rather than a ceremonial activity. Political education serves as a tool to empower the public to become intelligent, critical, and responsible political actors. Responding to these challenges, the Center for Cooperation Facilitation (Pusat Fasker) of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri), together with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), will organize a workshop titled “Political Education: Enhancing Public Participation for Quality Democracy.” This workshop will serve as a cross-sectoral strategic dialogue platform to advance political education to empower citizens to become informed and responsible participants in the democratic process.

This collaboration is part of the shared commitment between Pusat Fasker and KAS to cultivate critical civic awareness. The aim is to transform public participation from passive and routine into active, informed, and substantive engagement. Through this forum, it is hoped that the quality of public participation will improve, thereby strengthening governmental legitimacy and ultimately contributing to overall and equitable improvements in the quality of Indonesian democracy—moving toward the vision of a sovereign, just, and prosperous Indonesia.

📅 Date: 26-27 November 2025

📍 Venue: Bigland Hotel Bogor, West Java