By: Kristina Viri, Program Coordinator, YKPI
“Collaboration is not merely a strategy, it is a necessity.”
Working in the field of human rights and freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is far from an ordinary career choice. For me, it represents a profound meeting point between personal experience, family history, and long-standing concerns, a convergence that eventually found its form through collective advocacy work with the Indonesian Foundation for Justice and Peace (YKPI).
From Personal Experience to Advocacy
My path to YKPI was not without background. My lived experience as part of a religious minority, intertwined with my family’s historical connection to indigenous belief communities, made FoRB issues deeply personal. After university, I became directly involved with indigenous belief groups and realized that their situation remains far from just, even today. This awareness fueled my motivation, not only to contribute, but to relearn and adapt. Social and political contexts have shifted; the digital era, the internet, and current dynamics demand ways of working distinct from those of previous generations.
The Evolution of Roles and Spaces for Learning
At YKPI, my role evolved organically. I began as a consultant and advocacy officer, and was later entrusted with coordinating programs. This position has provided an immense learning opportunity. Initially, the pace was intense and fast-moving, especially in partner accompaniment. However, I soon recognized the critical importance of one key function: bridging communication gaps, particularly within advocacy efforts where such channels had not been well-established before. Beyond reporting and general coordination, I discovered that YKPI’s most significant contribution lay in connecting local initiatives with national networks.
The Power of Networks in Unblocking Advocacy
This became vividly clear in advocacy related to the Qanun Jinayat. While local governments and parliaments might reach agreements, obstacles often emerged at the ministerial level. Here, networks proved crucial. By accompanying local partners to engage national actors, YKPI helped unblock advocacy processes that had stalled. This experience taught me that policy change rarely springs from isolated efforts, it grows from sustained encounters and carefully nurtured networks.
Facing Challenges of Consolidation and Sectoral Ego
Before joining YKPI, I observed major challenges at the local level, particularly in civil society consolidation. In many regions, advocacy remained heavily donor-driven rather than movement-based. Sectoral egos were strong, work stayed predominantly independent, and its scope rarely expanded beyond local borders. Even in Yogyakarta often seen as a progressive space, building cross-issue and inter-regional consolidation remains a significant challenge.
These observations shaped my approach at YKPI. I consistently advocate for coalition-based work. In policy advocacy, for instance, we do not move forward with a single partner, but alongside diverse organizations from BIJELI, Singkil, and KontraS Aceh to national networks like PGI, Pelita Padang, EBI, and Kabar Sejuk. We are acutely aware that the “opponents” we face are far too powerful to confront alone.
Transformative Moments and Collective Achievements
My time at YKPI has been marked by transformative moments. One such moment was when communication with partners became fluid and productive. Building trust is not easy, but when partners actively follow up on discussions, openly share challenges, and jointly formulate shared visions, even through joint proposals it signaled that a genuine partnership had been established.
Another deeply fulfilling experience was witnessing policy achievements that once seemed impossible become reality. Within three years, five daunting policy targets were not only achieved but also legally formalized. From the inclusion of indigenous belief communities in mayoral regulations to district-level service policies and the long, complex advocacy around the Qanun Jinayat, these successes affirm that collective work can break through previously unimaginable barriers.
Contextual Sensitivity and Alternative Pathways
Working on sensitive issues like religion, gender, and socio-ecological justice requires a high degree of contextual awareness. Initially, I did not fully grasp just how sensitive these issues could be in certain areas. Accompaniment work in Aceh, for example, taught me the vital importance of reading local contexts carefully. Issues related to SOGIESC or Pride cannot always be discussed openly or with the same terminology everywhere. Strategies must be adapted without compromising substance to avoid exacerbating the vulnerability of already marginalized groups. Sensitivity does not mean retreat, it means finding the safest and most effective path forward.
There have also been unexpectedly hopeful outcomes. Supporting the development of customary-based standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent bride kidnapping, for instance, proved less difficult than anticipated. Customary dialogue processes opened space for strong and sustainable agreements.
Rights Holders at the Center
The most important lesson I have learned is that rights holders must always remain at the center. At YKPI, we strive to ensure that supported communities are not mere program objects, but the primary subjects of the struggle. Cross-sector collaboration, community capacity strengthening, and identifying key actors within local power structures are essential to driving change in complex contexts.
The greatest persistent challenge remains sectoral ego. Not all organizations are ready to walk together. My approach is simple: walk with those who are ready. Others may follow, or they may not and that is acceptable. Collaboration cannot be forced, but its benefits must continue to be demonstrated.
Nurturing Networks, Sustaining Hope
To those who are new to YKPI or similar organizations, I want to say this: this work will expose you to experiences you may never have encountered before. You will witness profound vulnerability as well as remarkable community resilience. In a context where the state increasingly narrows civic space, your role becomes critically important. As long as we still have resources, our task is to strengthen movements and reclaim safe civic spaces before repressive measures become fully entrenched.