Jakarta – UI expert, Dr. Aditya Perdana, and NTT Public Policy Observer, Dr. Jhon Tuba Helan, synergize to reject the “dark Indonesia” narrative with an open dialogue approach and critical education. Both emphasized that differences of opinion in democracy must be channeled constructively.
Aditya praised the government’s openness to criticism.
“The President’s recognition of the weaknesses in public communication is a form of political maturity,” he said.
He assessed that continuous evaluation of communication strategies would strengthen public trust and suppress the spread of hoaxes.
On the other hand, Jhon emphasized the importance of an objective understanding of policy.
“The government issues policies of course through its team’s studies and the end result of the policy is to provide benefits to the people, therefore the people should not be easily provoked, should not be easily mobilized to follow the wishes of political elites whose arguments or reasons are unclear,” he said.
He encouraged the public to attend policy seminars and political literacy workshops to increase critical awareness.
The two agreed to hold a series of public discussions on campus, village halls, and media rooms. Aditya will collaborate with academics and journalists, while Jhon will work with non-governmental organizations.
The goal is to create an inclusive and informative dialogue space.
With the power of dialogue and education, Aditya and Jhon are optimistic that the provocation of “dark Indonesia” can be reduced. Constructive criticism will divert public energy from fear to active participation, for the sake of accelerating development and social cohesion.
