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‘#SuarakanCintamu’ parade at CFD Jakarta: A campaign to combat voter apathy
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ncouraging young people to vote? The application Campaign #ForABetterWorld, made strides to reduce voter apathy by organizing the #SuarakanCintamu parade during Car-Free Day in Jakarta on Sunday. Starting from Dukuh Atas to Bundaran HI, the campaign successfully engaged the general public, social media activists and members of the General Elections Commission (KPU) to shout out the importance of active participation in the elections.
Dohardo Pakpahan, head of institutional relations at the KPU, highlighted the significance of active participation in the democratic process. "To support the implementation of elections, the state has allocated a substantial budget. So, what would happen if that significant budget was not held accountable to make informed voters choose qualified leaders, in line with the aspirations of Indonesia's independence and our conscience? The KPU hopes that this parade can raise awareness among the public, especially the younger generation, to avoid abstaining from voting," he stated. Dohardo also urged the public to uphold integrity and order in the simultaneous 2024 elections, following the principles of Luber Jurdil.
In addition to harming the country, abstaining from voting also has a significant impact on women. Wandha Dwiutari, a content creator and presenter, emphasized that elections are an opportunity for women to choose leaders who represent their voices. “Out of the total 204 million voters in the 2024 elections, approximately 102.58 million are female voters. This voice can be used to address the needs of women. Women know the issues they often face, such as the high incidence of sexual violence, educational disparities and much more. Through elections, we can choose someone who will represent women's voices,” she said.
Mohamad Bijaksana Junerosano, founder of Waste4Change, added that abstaining from voting not only harms the quality of democracy but also impacts the future of the environment, particularly waste management in Indonesia. "From an environmental perspective, abstaining from voting is clearly not a wise choice. Considering the current waste issues, we need leaders who are particularly attentive to proper waste management, such as the practice of recycling waste at the household level. Currently, there are government regulations governing waste management, but in practice, waste is still piling up in landfills, even in random places like rivers. By participating in elections, we will choose leaders who do not neglect the environment," he said.
The campaign collaborated with 31 social communities, working to reduce the rate of voter apathy. "Through the #SuarakanCintamu program, we organized various activities, from webinars to empower the younger generation, to parades at CFD. We also initiated digital challenges that have been participated in by more than 5,000 people and are continuously growing. By simply uploading a photo on the Campaign #ForABetterWorld app, the public not only emphasizes the importance of youth participation in democracy but also automatically donates to social communities in need, without any cost. We believe that together, we can create positive change for a better future," stated Laras Sabila Putri, marketing and communications manager at the campaign.
The campaign opens up opportunities for collaboration with all social communities addressing various issues to create a more significant positive impact. Communities will be assisted with greater amplification and connected with donors to address social issues.
