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CSOs
and
Aid
Effectiveness
in
Indonesia:
Struggling
with
New
Opportunities,
Facing
New
Challenges
Don
K.
Marut
The presence of CSOs in Indonesia has been actually rooted in the struggle forindependence, initiated by students and youth groups who had the opportunitiesand privilege to study in schools and universities both in Indonesia (thenNetherlands Indies) and in the Netherlands. Religious groups have also significantlycontributed to the promotion of capacities of rural and urban communities and theestablishment of local social groupings. Two Islamic organizations have beenprominent: the traditional Muslim organization called Nahdatul Ulama (NU) and themodern Muslim organization called Muhamadiyah. Both organizations since colonialperiod have contributed in education, health sector and local social and economicpromotion. Other minor religious groups to certain extent have also contributed forthe same actions in several places in the country.The rising of roles of NGOs in development and advocacy activities emerged sincethe establishment of the military dictatorship under President Suharto whosedevelopment programs were mostly driven and supported by foreign aid. Formerstudent activists challenged the top‐down and technocratic development policiesand repressive politics of the military regime. The NGOs started initiatingalternative approaches promoting grassroots‐based and participative development,while providing legal aid to the people whose rights were violated by the militaryregime and massive physical development programs.
The
Rising
Concerns
on
Foreign
Aid
The development programs during the dictatorship period were driven andsupported by foreign aid. The donors were grouped in the Inter‐governmentalgroup on Indonesia (IGGI) chaired by the Netherlands (the Minister of InternationalDevelopment of the Netherlands). The huge impacts on human rights violation andthe dependence on the foreign aid encouraged the big NGOs in Indonesia
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and NGOsin the donor countries to establish an international forum to watch and providecritical inputs to IGGI. The forum was called International NGO Forum on IGGIMatters (INGI), based in The Hague, Netherlands (in the office of NOVIB, now Oxfam)with a small secretariat in Jakarta. In 1992 IGGI was dissolved by President Suharto.In 1993 the donors established a new group called Consultative Group on Indonesia(CGI) chaired by the World Bank. The NGOs Forum was also changed into the
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The big NGOs include the Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), Bina Swadaya Foundation, Bina DesaFoundation, Social and Economic Development Research Institute (LP3ES), Consumers ProtectionFoundation, Friends of the Earth Indonesia (WALHI), Kalyanamitra Foundation, Family PlanningAssociation, KSPPM in North Sumatra, YBKS in Solo, Alfa Omega Foundation in Kupang, NuraniFoundation in North Sulawesi, Consumers Protection Foundation in South Sulawesi, Rural DevelopmentFoundation (YPMD) in Papua, and other NGOs based in Jakarta and other cities in Indonesia.
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International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID). INGI and INFID heldannual meetings and conferences before the IGGI and CGI meetings in the donorcountries.There were several critical issues raised in the meetings and conferences of INGIand INFID such as: environmental destruction (lead by Walhi), repressive actions inthe family planning program, big dams, violation of human rights in East Timor,violation of human rights in Papua and Aceh, and the violation of human rights of the families of the ex‐Communist Party, and many other issues that were mostlyrelated to the development projects and programs supported by foreign aid.The end of dictatorship era brought some fundamental changes in the relationsbetween Indonesia and donors, and between the government and CSOs. Thefinancial crises that hit Indonesia since 1997 gave leeway to the donors lead by IMFand World Bank to put pressure on Indonesian government to implement fundamental changes in economic policies and political processes. The CGI startedholding meetings in Indonesia and the chairmanship changed where IndonesianCoordinating Minister for Economic Affairs took the co‐chair position together withthe World Bank. Although the leadership in the donor coordination forum (CGI) waschanged, the agenda were still dictated by the World Bank. The papers from the civilsociety have to be approved by the World Bank team before they were distributed inthe CGI meetings.In 2007 CGI was dissolved by Indonesian government at the same time whenIndonesia ended the stand‐by loan agreement with IMF. This was respondedpositively by civil society organizations who have long demanded the termination of CGI due to its domination in dictating development policies for Indonesia and madeIndonesian government dependent on foreign aid. The termination of CGI does not mean that Indonesia ends its dependence on foreign aid. Foreign aid continuesflowing in even in bigger amount focusing on programs for policy changes. Thegovernment budget framework stipulated in the laws of annual budgets providespace for continuous dependence on foreign aid, even the sub‐national governmentshave been given chances to propose for foreign aid to the central government (on‐lending policy).
Promotion
of
Aid
Effectiveness
While encouraging the government to stop dependence on foreign aid, INFID andseveral NGOs and CBOs throughout Indonesia started involving in promoting aideffectiveness using Paris Declaration Framework. In 2007 INFID and Reality of AidAsia held a seminar and workshop on aid effectiveness in Jakarta. This seminar andworkshop triggered discussions and debates among NGOs and CBOs in Jakarta andat sub‐national levels. The Women Coalition of Indonesia (KPI – Koalisi PerempuanIndonesia) started its own consultations among its members throughout Indonesia;some are on their own initiatives and the others are in cooperation with UNIFEM.
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YAKKUM (the Christian Foundation for Public Health) based in Solo, Central Java,which is active in disaster prevention and recovery programs and through itsmembers promotes community based organizations in several provinces inIndonesia, also started its meetings and consultations with the community‐basedorganizations. Peasant Movements for Agrarian Reform (AGRA) is also active inhaving consultations with its farmers’ members.INFID, YAKKUM and KPI participated in the CSO Forum and the High Level Forum inAccra.At the time when NGOs and CBOs were in the process of consultations andsocialization of Paris Declaration (PD) and Accra Agenda of Action (AAA), thegovernment launched the Jakarta Commitment for Aid Effectiveness in January2009. It was responded by surprise by NGOs and CBOs worrying that this wouldcome out with another form of donors forum similar to CGI that might becounterproductive to aid effectiveness framework. The concerns from CSOs wereplausible since the government of Indonesia was not seen active in High LevelForums on Aid Effectiveness, and none of CSOs was involved in the process towardsthe Jakarta Commitment. The concerns from the CSOs fortunately were positivelyresponded by the government, particularly the National Development PlanningMinistry who takes lead in the Jakarta Commitment. The implementation of theJakarta Commitment is coordinated by a Secretariat called Aid for Development Effectiveness Secretariat or A4DES in brief. Although A4DES is dominated by thegovernment, the opportunities for CSOs to engage are widely open.Since July 2010 A4DES started the socialization of aid effectiveness at sub‐nationallevel involving local governments, local business sectors, universities and local CSOs.A4DES engage with INFID and a semi‐NGO called Partnership for Governance (anorganization initially founded by UNDP, the government, CSOs activists, Universityacademes and donors). There have been three sub‐national meetings andworkshops conducted by A4DES in cooperation with INFID and Partnership forGovernance. There will be more meetings and workshops at sub‐national levels tocover all provinces in Indonesia.The evaluation of Paris Declaration in Indonesia in 2010 involved CSOs both asrespondents and as member of the National Reference Group. INFID was appointedby the Ministry of National Development Planning to become member of theNational Reference Group (NRG) for the Paris Declaration Evaluation together withAsian Development Bank representative and JICA representative under thechairmanship of the Vice Minister of the National Development Planning. Theevaluation process was a good opportunity for CSOs to engage openly with thegovernment and donors. The second Monitoring of Paris Declaration for Indonesiais still on‐going and the participation of CSOs is also open.The second CSOs national consultation on aid effectiveness was held in April 2010 inYogyakarta followed by a National Open Forum involving national government,
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CSOs and Aid Effectiveness in Indonesia - Don K. Marut - INFID
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