The Discourse Beyond the Market and State: Self-Organization of Civil Society in Sumatra's Flooding Disaster

The film, 'The Trader', retells the story of an economic 'intermediary' of a global capitalist world. It tells the story of a Georgian broker merchant, called the 'sovdagar' (surprisingly similar to Indonesian word 'saudagar') who buys out 'products' or 'things' from cheap second-hand stores in Tibilisi, the 'capital' of Georgia, and sell them to the countryside. Most of the products seemed to be made of industrial materials not produced in Georgia, and imported from elsewher

On 24 June 2025, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried a small but historic payload: The RIDU-Sat 1 nano-satellite, which was developed in collaboration between Indonesia’s Defence University, the Berlin Nano Satellite Alliance and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). This achievement sends a broader message that national sovereignty today must extend beyond land, sea and air to encompass space and data. Image source: SatNOGS Databank In the digital age, data has be

What an insane insult and catastrophe when, as a citizen, I have put my trust and hope in people who have continuously failed to learn from the past, even though they are now in a position of power to determine policy. A position so important, in fact, that they claimed that social media is currently only exaggerating the hydrometeorological and ecological disasters in many areas of Sumatra, which have clearly killed more than 600 people, left hundreds missing and hundreds of

On his first day in office, the new Finance Minister, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, immediately made headlines. His statement that the people’s “17+8 Demands” were carried out by only a small group of people amid protests across Indonesia went viral instantly. Purbaya’s speaking style is markedly different from his predecessor, Sri Mulyani, who was formal and cautious. Purbaya’s blunt and flamboyant manner quickly earned him the nickname “cowboy” among netizens. However, it’s not ju

Much of Indonesian news is recently filled with controversies regarding Indonesian history, and critical thinking has become more important than ever before - especially for the Indonesian diaspora. When the new, government-edited history books become the only ones available, critical thinking may be our only way to truly understand our past.

It is done. What until now could only be felt and not explicitly said, now there is no doubt anymore: Chinese Indonesians do not have a place in Indonesia. By declaring the very president that led the actual genocide in 1965 and passed laws that could be considered as cultural genocide in form of a “forced assimilation” – which was recognized as a form of war crime in the Geneva Convention – as a national hero, the Indonesian government is proudly and openly stating to Chine

A little over a year ago, some of us sat with experts to map what free nutritious meals could unlock for Indonesia and what might trip it up -- looking hard at nutrition, human capital, local agriculture, and the public budget. The program is now on the ground and reach is visible, yet the past year shows how often announcements ran ahead of kitchens, logistics, and open numbers. The same checklist we drafted then still reads as the yardstick today. Will this become a big pro

The country is once again facing a tragedy as a result of the Indonesian central government's policy: the free nutritious meal program (abbreviated: MBG). Though the program is not called the free poisonous meal program, it has indeed caused mass mass-poisoning recently. The government's responses towards critiques and moratorium-calls are overwhelmingly elitists and ignorant. A minister said that it's rather the school pupils who have not adjusted their stomach to the food w

President Prabowo Subianto launched Indonesia's ambitious free school meal program, Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG), shortly after the beginning of his term in office. On paper, the concept was straightforward, to give schoolchildren a lunch meal high in nutrition. It was intended to be inclusive, reaching kids from all socioeconomic backgrounds and guaranteeing that they would have a sufficient and healthy meal at least once a day. It sounded too good to be true, a small but sign

No Indonesian, who do not enjoy the privilege of having been born in rich family, are content with how Indonesia is developing and governed. If you are poor, meaning you are among 70% of Indonesians who earn less than 3,5 million rupiah per month: you cannot afford the luxury of a proper health facility and treatment, if you are sick; you cannot send your children to university, if your children are not the top five students in the high school; you cannot help your other fami

Batagor is an Indonesian dish that originated from my hometown, Bandung, in West Java. It is, in essence, a fried dumpling dish with fish filling served with peanut sauce. A go-to snack for all ranges of people, because it is cheap and delicious. Including school kids, as you can buy the dumplings in single pieces or a bigger portion, which can fit into school-children’s allowance budget for a quick after-school treat. © Shutterstock I came from a convenient upper-middle-clas

The tragic end of a series of demonstrations on 28 August 2025 will be remembered by those who were there and fell victim to the state apparatus' violent and reckless acts – and hopefully, also by the often forgetful Indonesian public too. This demonstrates only the tip of an iceberg which represents the culture of a state apparatus organization: arrogance, feudalism, violence, and corruption. It is only a open secret (rahasia umum) that the Polri (Indonesian National Police)

The current Indonesian administration increasingly employs uniform, top-down policies to address a wide range of complex national issues: from food security and housing to economic growth and environmental management. These policies, while often well-intentioned, are designed and implemented with little regard for Indonesia’s vast social, ecological, and institutional diversity. However, is centralization truly the best way forward? © Sagala 2025 The nationwide free lunch pro