Jun 09, 2023 Last Updated 2:32 AM, May 31, 2023
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Society

Where there’s smoke, there’s politics

Rosser - smoking
Campaigns against smoking are finally gaining ground, but the tobacco lobby is fighting back

Living without a state

Living without a state
People in rural Papua are more interested in basic services than grand political struggles

The biggest cock

The biggest cock
In Jakarta’s crowded neighbourhoods, beliefs in supernatural power and invulnerability still surround the figure of the jago tough man

Selling nationalism

Selling nationalism
Indonesian television advertisements are constructing images of Indonesia by appropriating well-known nationalist themes

West Java’s mini-fictions

West Java’s mini-fictions
Technology is opening up new possibilities for Sundanese literature

New social media as a tool for activism

New social media as a tool for activism
Indonesia is Facebooking, Twittering and blogging, but what effect is this having on campaigns for social justice? Indonesia is online. The number of Indonesians using the internet increased from two million in 2000 to over 55 million in 2012, the fourth largest number of internet users in Asia (after China, India and Japan).

The era of convergent media

The era of convergent media
The integration of mainstream and social media creates a more responsive news cycle

Rock music and social activism on the internet

Rock music and social activism on the internet
Bali rockers Navicula find a platform for social change in online social media

Online networking and minority rights

Online networking and minority rights
LGBT communities use social media to organise despite threats of violence

Clicktivism and the real world

Clicktivism and the real world
Social media tools are only effective if they can engage people off-line

Sinetron keeps links with Indonesia alive

Sinetron keeps links with Indonesia alive
Despite isolation and multiple migrations the Cocos Malays maintain a resilient culture

For the good of the people?

For the good of the people?
The challenges of governing ‘societal organisations’ pose difficult questions for Indonesian democracy

High stakes

High stakes
ASRIANA KEBON speaks to Indonesian underage minors who were returned to Indonesia following age determination hearings in Darwin

‘You’re crazy. Don’t make up things!’

‘You’re crazy. Don’t make up things!’
Celebrity gossip shows denigrate homosexuality, but at least they talk about it

I’m a terrific child!

I’m a terrific child!
A home schooling project in Kendari provides a new kind of early learning experience

Dealing with social exclusion

Dealing with social exclusion
Illegal squatters in Jakarta struggle for recognition of their homes and livelihoods

We are the blessed ones

We are the blessed ones
Activists work to change men’s interpretations of Islam that justify their superiority at home

Repairing the damage

Repairing the damage
Safe havens and abuser counselling helping to reduce domestic violence cases in East Nusa Tenggara

The winds of change

The winds of change
Men in Pekanbaru and Makassar are slowly changing their minds about domestic violence

Art for the people

Art for the people
Taring Padi takes stock of a more than a decade fighting the political establishment – with art as its weapon

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A selection of stories from the Indonesian classics and modern writers, periodically published free for Inside Indonesia readers, courtesy of Lontar