About

Sagonese

We are Indonesian researchers and diaspora based in Munich and Göttingen, Germany, who aim to spread ideas of decolonization at higher education levels in Europe. We bring Indonesian perspectives and expertise into European spaces through exhibition projects, research publications, and public lectures.

Explore our projects here.

Our Vision is to promote the decolonization of knowledge and contribute to a more just and equitable system of knowledge production within North–South relations.

Our Mission is to strengthen the voices and intellectual contributions of Indonesian researchers and diaspora communities in Europe, critically examine the dominance of colonial perspectives in research, education, and public narratives, and encourage the production and exchange of knowledge rooted in local contexts.

Deconstruct

To deconstruct is to question what we accept as “normal.” What feels natural is often shaped by hidden biases—rooted in inherited class, power, and habit. Deconstruction invites us to step back, recognize these limits, and rethink knowledge as something we rebuild through awareness, dialogue, and empathy.

Decolonize

To decolonize is to uncover and challenge the colonial legacies shaping how we live and think today. We chose “Sago” as it is a traditional staple once widely consumed across the Indonesian archipelago—before colonial influence centralized rice as the dominant grain. By tracing these hidden histories, we begin to decolonize—naming what was lost and reimagining what could return.

Develop

To develop is not just to grow, but to do so with awareness and care. Once we deconstruct and decolonize, development becomes less about a single path and more about honoring diverse histories and needs. True development restores agency, values local knowledge, and grows from the ground up—not from inherited blueprints.

"Post-Indonesia"

A concept by Y.B. Mangunwijaya, an Indonesian philosopher and architect, who saw that Indonesian nationalism grew to become counter-productive to the anti-colonialism, anti-imperialism and anti-exploitation-of-man-by-other-man spirit of early Indonesian nationalism.

For Sagonese, the post-Indonesian attitude means the possession of an analytical distance which allows us to deconstruct the nationalist disposition of thought and deliver alternative narratives on current Indonesian development.

Politically, it means that Sagonese stands for the truth beyond the Indonesian version of nationally-allowed formulated truth.