THE FOUNDATION

The Interseksi Foundation is an independent not for profit organization. It was started in October 2001, as a series of discussions to capture the problems that Indonesian society faced after the demise of the New Order regime. Participants to the forum came from a large varieties of academic and professional backgrounds, each of whom had to write an individual paper related to the general theme of discussion, and was given enaugh time to make a presentation, an equal right to conduct the forum as a moderator, and to be an extremely critical discussant. Every participant was a speaker was a moderator was a discussant at the exact same forum. It should not come as surprise that every topic was heatedly debated up until late of night for almost three full days in every single series. To depict the intersection of ideas developed in the discussions, the series was then affectionately named Forum Interseksi. Until the year of 2003, we managed to have up to five consecutive meetings, each with its own subject or theme of discussion. You could find more information on this in our Forum Interseksi page.

What a difference a two-year makes? The interseksi foundation is not forum interseksi, neither is it merely an extension of the forum. Forum interseksi was, with certain conditions applied, open to everyone who were willing to participate, and was basically a loose intellectual network for those who were interested in exploring political issues in a much deeper and very passionate way than just watching TV's talk-shows and/or reading articles in newspapers. Interseksi was a great forum, and it went in the right direction, but we think it did not go far enough. And as it costs quite a lot of money to conduct, currently we can not bear to finance it from our limited income. Despite lacking sufficient budget, we still keep the forum alive by scaling it down into several small discussions we dub Foracafetaria. The picture to the left bellow shows one of the discussions that we have in our Foracafetaria.

The foundation, on the other hand, is designed to go further. Two years after the first series of discussions at forum interseksi, in 2003, we transformed the forum into an independent legal body. This has allowed us to do a lot more things rather than just having pure intellectual exercises at Forum Interseksi every once in a while. We started to look back to where we began and tried to envision what we are going to achieve through the establishment of the foundation in the future. From some entre nous conversation in cafes in Jakarta, we got involved in some serious discussions on our programmatic agenda. We then met more regularly, and it became more extensive as we were urged to lay-out the very foundation for this our brainchild CSO. And to keep the spirit we shared and in homage to our historical moments at forum interseksi we named the foundation the Interseksi Foundation. We inscribe the foundation "for knowledge and humanity".

OBJECTIVE
The main objective of the Interseksi foundation is to build a tolerant and yet critical society in Indonesia. We want to help people to cope with the future by promoting cultural diversities and the virtues of human liberty and democracy. To achieve such an objective the foundation, in collaboration with other parties, executes activities mainly aimed at fostering critical civil society in Indonesia. Our goal is to stand at the intersection of science, culture, politics, and humanity.

CORE COMPETENCIES
Our core competencies are in research and publication. Armed with young, creative and very talented staffs, the foundation is set up as a response to the rapid societal changes in contemporary Indonesia.


CORE ACTIVITIES
We based our program activities on three interrelated platforms: research, publication, and networking. In some occasions, we derive some ideas cultivated at Forum Interseksi (which is now Foracafetaria), bring them into abstraction and translated them back into questions in our research. On the other hand, as we live in an ecosystem of social institutions, it virtually is impossible for us to singlehandedly carried out our activities. This is one of the reasons we always need to expand our network with other civil society organizations. We always undertake our research in collaboration with our partners, be it an international funding agency and or NGOs, local NGOs, government agencies or local communities nestled in some remote areas in the country. We also are very committed to publish books based on the findings of our every single research.

PLATFORM

PLATFORM OF ACTIVITIES

Since our resources are modest when compare to the intricacies of current problems, we have to focus only on a limited number of program strategies. We based our program activities on four interrelated platforms: research, publication, advocacy, and networking. Our advocacy and publication activities are based on the finding of our research and vice versa. On the other hand, as we live in an ecosystem of social institutions, it virtually is impossible for us to carry out our activities alone. We always undertake our research in collaboration with our partners, be it an international funding agency and or NGOs, local NGOs, government agencies or local communities nestled in some remote areas in the country.

CURRENT INTERESTS [2007 - 2010]

The platform of activities provides organizing focus for the current program of the Interseksi Foundation, i.e.: Research and advocacy on minority rights issues. We focus our research in local communities and minority groups (ethnic and/or religious) throughout Indonesia. Mainstreaming critical multiculturalism. By critical multiculturalism we mean respect for diversity and not being sufocated by the ideas of cultural purity. The problem with the discourses on multiculturalism in Indonesia is that they tend to give privilege to ethnic and/or religious differences, abandoning the concept of shared values and loyalty to the nation as if a nation could be replaced with a large number of diverse minorities. We believe that multiculturalism without a strong commitment to a nation will bring no benefit to the country. Our objective with critical multiculturalism is to make it possible for the seemingly incommensurable differences to be creatively placed in the nascent democratic space in Indonesia. Promoting democracy, human rights, and strengthening civil society (national and local level).

FORUM INTERSEKSI

Forum Interseksi was initially an internal program of the Japan Foundation Jakarta Office where Hikmat Budiman, cofounder and is currently the chairman of the Interseksi foundation, had worked with for five years. Assigned as a program coordinator of the intellectual exchange division of the foundation, in the year 2000 he designed a program to facilitate discussions amongst young Indonesian intellectuals and activists on current political issues resulted from political turmoils in Indonesia during the period of post "reformasi" movement. He proposed the program to the former director general of the foundation, and later was noticed that his proposal could only be realized in the next following Japanese fiscal year.

Based on the proposal, in the fiscal year of 2001, the foundation initiated a forum later to be named "Forum Interseksi" for young intellectual in the region of Jakarta, Bandung, Bogor, Depok, and Yogyakarta to critically and freely discuss the current issues they have been faced with. The main objective of the discussion was to encourage young activists and/or intellectuals to share ideas to each other and to build critical understanding of social, cultural and political phenomena recently occurred after the downfall of Soeharto's New Order Regime back in 1998.

DATES/VENUE	ORGANIZER(S)	TOPICS
10/30/2001 The Japan Foundation, Jakarta	The Japan Foundation, Jakarta	Indonesian CSOs After Wahid Era
01/15-17/2002 Hotel Panorama, Bandung	The Japan Foundation and Desantara, Institute for Cultural Studies	Communalism and the Future of Democracy in Indonesia
03/19/2002 The Japan Foundation, Jakarta	The Japan Foundation, Jakarta	Regional Autonomy, Regional Justice
08/12-14/2002 Hotel Selabintana, Sukabumi	Forum Interseksi and The Japan Foundation, Jakarta	Civil Rights: Conceptual Discourses and Indonesian Experience
01/27-29/2003 Hotel Grage Sangkan Hurip, Kuningan	Forum Interseksi and The Japan Foundation, Jakarta	Civil Rights (Part II)
06/7-9/2007 Perkumpulan Pergerakan Office, Bandung	The Interseksi Foundation, Perkumpulan Pergerakan, and Perkumpulan Inisiatif, Bandung	State, Market, and Intellectual
06/15-17/2007PUSKAD Yogyakarta	The Interseksi Foundation, Perkumpulan Inisiatif, Perkumpulan Pergerakan, Perkumpulan Lafadl	The Post-New Order Youth in Indonesia

Continued here>>

PEOPLE

Interseksi is designed as a small and nimble civil society organization. Our current management team consists of only five persons. By the end of 2005 we decided to have a courage to trim the structure of our organization, and are now focusing on how to get the job done. In addition, as listed below, we are armed with very competent task forces members to whom we delegate our programatic agenda.

	Hikmat Budiman Cofounder/Chairman Email him http://hikmat.atspace.org Competencies: Research, Program Management. Interest: surveillance studies, culture and technology, graphic design
	Irene Hiraswari Gayatri Program Director Email her Core Competencies: Research, Advocacy, Peace and Conflict Studies Interest: Local and Global Politics, History
	Dina Amalia Susamto Program Officer Email her Core Competencies: Cultural Studies, Creative Writing
	Risna Tri Hartanti Executive Secretary Email her Core Competencies: France Literature, program management
	Hendra Administrative Email him

the core

• Amin Mudzakkir (History)
  
• Chaedar S. Bamualim (Islamic Studies)
  
• Diding Sakri (Statistics, Local Politics)
  
• Heru Prasetya (Cultural Studies)
  
• Hikmat Budiman (Sociology)
  
• Irene H. Gayatri (Conflict Studies)
  
• Landry H. Subianto (International Relations)
  
• Mashudi Noorsalim (Conflict Studies)
  
• M. Nur Khoiron (Cultural Studies)
  
• M. Uzair Fauzan (Cultural Studies)
  
• Philips J. Vermonte (Conflict and Security Studies)
  
• Sapei Rusin (Capacity Building, Advocacy)

POTPURRI

• Nyong Ambon Pung Gaya. Imaji dan Identitas Tubuh Anak Muda Ambon
  Hatib Abdul Kadir
  
  
• Refleksi atas Agenda dan Strategi Politik Gerakan Sosial di Indonesia Pasca Tumbangnya Rezim Soeharto
   Sapei Rusin
  
  
• Membaca Film "To Mompalivu Bure" sebagai Esai Multikultural
   Suma Riella Rusdiarti
  
  
• Kesukubangsaan, Nasionalisme dan Multikulturalisme
  Dr. Achmad Fedyani Syaifuddin
  
  
• Mencari Format Kerangka Kebijakan yang Ramah Bagi  Masyarakat Lokal : Sebuah Diskusi Awal
   Indriaswati Dyah Saptaningrum
  
  
• Evaluation of Upholding the Human Rights in Indonesia
  A Critique to the Indonesian Human Rights Policy and Implementation in Transition Period
  Bhatara Ibnu Reza
  
  
• Transformasi Keintiman di Indonesia? Sebuah Kajian Awal tentang Ciuman
  Martin Slama
  
  
• Peta dan Peran Civil-society Organization di Indonesia Paska Pemerintahan Wahid
  Juni Thamrin
  
  
• Call for Peace in Central Aceh Falls to Deaf Ears
  Irene H. Gayatri
  
  
• Masyarakat Adat Wana dan Kearifan Lingkungan
  Jabar Lahadji
  
  
• Demokrasi Lokal di Aceh Selatan Paska MOU Helsinki
  Irene H. Gayatri
  
  
• Sebuah Pertanyaan untuk Penelitian Sosial dan Kemanusiaan
  Heru Prasetia
  
  
• Akuntabilitas LSM: Beberapa Observasi
  Ridwan Al-Makassary
  
  
• Demokrasi Lokal (di Desa): Quo Vadis?
  Irene Hiraswari Gayatri
  
  
• Masyarakat Majemuk, Masyarakat Multikultural, dan Minoritas:
  Memperjuangakan Hak-hak Minoritas
   Parsudi Suparlan
  
  
• WORKING PAPER:
  THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ARMY AND ISLAMIC GROUPS IN INDONESIA
  Comparing the period of the transition to authoritarian rule in the 1950s and the transition to democracy in the 1990s
  Philips Jusario Vermonte
  
  
• Menarasikan Cyberspace. Sebuah Pemetaan Teoritis Awal
  Hikmat Budiman
  
  
• KERTAS KERJA:
  Catatan tentang Pembangunan Aceh Kembali: Kasus Aceh Barat
  Mashudi Noorsalim
  
  
• Pengusaha dan Islam di Tasikmalaya 1930-1980an
  Amin Mudzakkir
  
  
• Islam dan Gerakan Sosial Baru di Indonesia. Sebuah Pencarian Perspektif dan Agenda Riset
   Ahmad Suaedy
  
  
• Posisi Minoritas dalam Pluralisme: Sebuah Diskursus Politik Pembebasan
  Eddie Riyadi Terre
  
  
• Potensi Penyimpangan Substansi dalam Proses Legislasi Peraturan Daerah
  Ari Nurman, Diding Sakri, dan Saeful Muluk
  
  
• The Dilemma of the Application of the Shari'ah, Secularism and Human Rights in Modern Indonesia
  Ridwan al-Makassary
  
  
• KERTAS KERJA:
  Konflik Entrepreneur: Konsep dan Utilisasinya dalam Memahami Konflik Ambon (Draft)
  Philips J. Vermonte and Irene H. Gayatri
  
  
• Postcolonial: Melihat Persoalan Menjadi Lebih Arif
  Mariana Amiruddin
  
  
• Changing Words Into Deeds: The Role of Conflict Entrepreneurs in the Religious Conflict Between the Moslems and Christians in Maluku (1999-200)
  Philips J. Vermonte
  
  
• Literasi, Properti, Jatidiri
  Sofie Dewayani
  
  
• Kekalahan Tradisi Lisan: Merenungkan Bojongpari
  Hikmat Budiman
  
  
• Involvement of Indonesian Military in Human Rights Violations
  Mashudi Noorsalim
  
  
• Demokratisasi dan Politik Luar Negeri Indonesia
  Philips Jusario Vermonte
  
  
• Kekuasaan dan Kemuliaan. Refleksi Runtuhnya Rezim-rezim Kekuasaan Modern di Indonesia
  Hikmat Budiman
  
  
• Mengkaji Fundamentalisme Islam sebagai Gerakan Sosial
  Ridwan Al-Makassary

FI 2007

• Pengaruh Pembangunan Perkebunan Sawit Terhadap Masyarakat Pedalaman Kalimantan
  Mashudi Noorsalim
  
  
• Studi Indonesia Pasca-Soeharto: Dari Otoriterianisme Menuju Demokratisasi
  Abdil Mughis M
  
  
• Negara, Masyarakat Sipil dan Demokrasi: Sketsa Hibriditas
   Irsyad Zamjani
  
  
• Negara Vis a Vis Pasar: Antara Krisis Legitimasi dan Peran Intelektual
   Ahmad Musthafa
  
  
• Kelompok Minoritas dan Strategi Non-Konfrontasi
  Refleksi Lapangan di Komunitas Sedulur Sikep dan Parmalim
   Uzair Fauzan
  
  
• Reinventing Indonesia
   A. Syatori
  
  
• Ilusi Negara Rakyat: Desa Vs Negara
  Tantan Hermansyah
  
  
• Modernisasi-Neolib, Politik Arus bawah dan “Tugas Cendekiawan”
  M. Nurkhoiron

ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Here are sellected papers from the 4th and the 5th Forum Interseksi

• Civil Rights dan Pendekatan Kritis tentang 'Security'
  Fadjar Ibnu Thufail
  
  
• "Saminisme" Petani dan Hasrat untuk Perubahan
  M. Nurkhoiron
  
  
• Civil Rights: Kajian Konseptual dan Dilemanya di Indonesia
  Ridwan Al-Makassary
  
  
• Catatan Diskusi Civil Rights
  Hilmar Farid
  
  
• Who Are the Citizens Anyway? Some thoughts on Japanese civil movements after WW 2