A Voice for all:
Capturing the spirit of participation
To celebrate the power of democratic expression and inclusive engagement, The Jakarta Post partnered with PannaFoto Institute to launch a photo competition with the theme “A Voice for All: Capturing the Spirit of Participation”.
The competition is part of the Post’s 40th anniversary campaign, marking a milestone in the newspaper’s history as it enters its fifth decade of reporting, promoting and safeguarding democracy in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
“A Voice for All: Capturing the Spirit of Participation” aims at capturing compelling, thought-provoking and inspiring moments that showcase the diverse voices, experiences and perspectives of people participating in the democratic process, such as voting, community engagement, social activism and public discourse.
The judging panel decided on the stories that spoke to them the most from among the large number of striking entries. This photo essay will tell the winners’ stories in showcasing Indonesia’s burgeoning democracy through public participation and development.
THE LAND THAT IS SLOWLY SINKING
by A. Fauzan Sabir Siradj Munir
A damaged road in Cemarajaya, a coastal village in Karawang, West Java.
A resident removes sand at the mouth of a river in Cemarajaya village in Karawang, West Java.
For the past several months, roads connecting settlements in Cemarajaya village, Karawang, West Java, have been severely damaged by coastal erosion, which has also caused many houses in Cemarajaya’s coastal communities to collapse.
Karsam (right), 76, and his neighbor operate a sand pump in Cemarajaya village in Karawang, West Java.
Karsam (right) and his neighbor prepare sandbags to break the waves in Cemarajaya village in Karawang, West Java.
Coastal erosion has deeply impacted the activities of coastal communities who mostly make their livelihood from coastal pond aquaculture or trading. They must take longer alternative routes to get to their workplaces because they cannot use the damaged main road.
Karsam, 76, a resident of Cemarajaya village in Karawang, West Java, fills bags with sand, which he will use to create a barricade to break the waves.
Inyem and her two in front of their house, which is sinking because of coastal erosion.
Fill the sandbags!
The village administration and residents have worked together to tackle the erosion problems by creating a sandbag barricade to break ocean waves, but the problem persists.
Debris from a house in Cemarajaya village in Karawang, West Java.
A resident looks through the debris of a destroyed house for anything that can still be used in Cemarajaya village in Karawang, West Java.
Karsam and Inyem are among the residents who opted to stay in their seaside homes. Along with other Cemarajaya villagers, they urge the government to immediately help find a solution to the erosion that is slowly sinking their village.
A boy plays on a sea wave breaker made from bamboo in Cemarajaya village in Karawang, West Java.
A resident pushes his motorcycle on a damaged road.
Residents recently planted mangrove saplings to help prevent coastal erosion.
LIVING HOPE OF CHILDREN ON JAKARTA’S COASTLINE
by Syamsudin Ilyas
The outdoor classroom of Kelas Jurnalis Cilik where many children of North Jakarta learn journalism. Every year, Kelas Jurnalis Cilik is held in a different place so it can reach children in all of Jakarta’s coastal areas.
A mentor shares stories with children in a fun and simple way so that her students can easily absorb the new skills.
The hustle and bustle of daily life in Jakarta has created many inspirational stories, such as the creation of Kelas Jurnalis Cilik (Junior Journalism Course). This outdoor classroom has narrated stories about journalism to children in coastal areas of North Jakarta. Despite their limitations, the children have been able to produce honest work filled with meaningful messages.
Children enthusiastically walk across a bamboo bridge to learn new things in Kelas Jurnalis Cilik.
In one of Kelas Jurnalis Cilik’s activities, children take notes about information found in their village and later present it in front of their classmates
Bolstered by their strong will and enthusiasm, the children joining Kelas Jurnalis Cilik do not hesitate to continuously sharpen their imaginations. The children’s excitement about writing and recording events has been nurtured by the program, in the hope that they will document and tell the stories of their homes to the public.
A girl pretends to take a photo with a cardboard camera, one of tools created in Kelas Jurnalis Cilik to help provoke children’s imaginations on the dynamics of their environment.
Children take photos of a local woman in their village by using homemade cardboard cameras.
A girl takes photos as the sun sets in her North Jakarta comunity. The final part of the photography assignment of Kelas Jurnalis Cilik is a photo exhibition, in which the children exhibit photos they took during the four-month journalism course.
It is not easy for children of Kalibaru, Cilincing, North Jakarta, to spend days in the outdoor classroom, where they attend the program for four months. However, volunteers and experienced mentors assisting Kelas Jurnalis Cilik have managed to create an environment in which the children are able to quickly and easily learn journalistic skills.
Diptych photography: Photos of children taken in the same place in 2021 and 2023 are placed next to each other. One of the objectives of the outdoor class is to record change.
Children pose with their cardboard cameras.
Kelas Jurnalis Cilik is a small story of the world of education in Jakarta. No matter what their hope or dream is, they need our best appreciation. Keep their world colorful, make them proud of their home. This is because every child has the right to fulfill their dreams.
Children proudly bring their photos home with them, proving that anyone can produce great work despite any limitations they face.
Volunteers shake hands with children at the end of the journalism class.
A photo exhibition is the final assignment of the four-month journalism course.