Economy

Mudik forms a bogus redemption for many precarious workers amid a lack of decent jobs in both rural and urban areas

On a recent study trip, journalism student Lisa Favazzo met two people giving back to their communities in extraordinary ways

Voices From Greater Jakarta

Australia/ Indonesia | 2018 | Colour | All Ages | 10:00 | Documentary | Producers: Iwu D. Utomo, Ariane J. Utomo, Peter McDonald

As the election year unfolds, Indonesians are being reminded frequently of the tremendous ‘power’ of the young generation. But who are the so-called millennial voters, and do politicians have a good grasp of what the most pertinent issues are that they face in their everyday lives?

According to media coverage, some of these candidates would have us believe that the average millennial voter in Indonesia is an upper middle class city-dwelling tertiary graduate (most likely living in Jakarta); looking for work with a relatively high starting salary in the creative or digital sector; changing jobs every year because they want to travel; and spending their days leisurely sipping an artisan latte in an instagrammable café, daydreaming about running the Tokyo marathon as they swipe their phone.

Nothing could be further from reality. While this millennial lifestyle may apply to a very select group, it does not represent everyday realities for the vast majority. According to a new longitudinal study, it is not even true for many millennials in metropolitan Jakarta where the average level of education among young adults is the highest in Indonesia.

In 2009, a team of Indonesian and Australian researchers began a large study of young adults in Jakarta, Bekasi and Tangerang, otherwise known as the Greater Jakarta region. The study sought to understand their experiences of transitioning into adulthood. According to the 2010 Indonesian Population Census, there were about 61 million people aged 20 to 34 in Indonesia that year. With marked achievements in literacy and education relative to the older generation, this large cohort of young adults was poised to bring about the country’s so-called demographic bonus.

Misinformation and lack of opportunity form disproportionate barriers for rural youth looking for work

Flores youth migrate for education, but are their university degrees worth the investment?

A collaboration between a teacher and farmers in Central Java is unlocking the potential of an indigenous biofuel source

Bagi kelompok miskin Jakarta, hunian sosial vertikal lebih banyak membawa masalahan daripada solusi

Bootleg medicine sales are part of Indonesia’s healthcare infrastructure

Attractive public transport and well-considered traffic policies are what Jakarta needs

New mass transport infrastructure is disrupting Jakarta’s minibus economy

For Jakarta’s most vulnerable, vertical social housing creates more problems than it solves

A small museum in Java is preserving a storytelling tradition, and the thoughts and feelings behind it

Mining law changes in decentralising Indonesia raises new challenges and opportunities for local communities

The Jokowi government’s policy shift contributes to pervasive regulatory ambiguity in Indonesia’s mining sector

The 2009 mining law and the community benefit in Sulawesi

Foreign investment in large-scale mining has encountered serious obstacles

The benefits of more concentrated natural resources are less likely to be spread

Mining dominates East Luwu GDP but development of agriculture underpins equitable development

After reformasi, Kereng Pangi, Kalimantan became the site of a gold rush