Demos is an association of which main activities are research and advocacy on the issues of democracy and human rights. Organisations such as ISAI, KontraS and Interfidei, as well as individuals that comprised of activists, academicians and journalists supported the establishment of Demos in 2002.
The research and advocacy activity are connected to each other. The advocacy activities are conducted based on data that are collected and processed through research activities. The research itself is action oriented one, which is aimed to facilitate democratic movement, while one among other purposes of advocacy activities is to increase the influence of the people in conducting social transformation.
In order to facilitate and strengthen pro-democratic actors in democratic governance activities, Demos has initiated the establishment and development of various social organisations in structurized ways. These organisations aim to overcome the existing political fragmentation as well as to prevent domination by certain party to politics, which in turn will create popular representation system that internalizes values of promoting the fulfillment of human rights, which includes economics, social and cultural rights.
In addition, since 2006 Demos has also worked in Aceh. Demos has assisted to strengthen civil society elements and local parties in the region to involve in political process, which is conducted through several programs such as research and increasing actors’s political capacity program. Now Demos continues to work in Aceh with the program of increasing the capacity of legislatures in formulating human rights based public policies.
Vision
The realization of society and state that respects the values of justice, pluralism, equality as well as humanism.
Mision
Improving and developing the capacity of society members to promote democracy and human rights through discource practice, disemination, and enhancement of cooperation network development.
Strategic Issues
· Demos, together with pro-democratic actors, conducts studies on strategic themes on the development of democracy and the fulfilment of human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights.
· Facilitating attempts to increase the roles and capacity of pro-democratic actors and institution to strengthen popular representation, particularly in local level.
· Making Demos a capable, accountable, transparent, participative and sustainable organization.
Demos Program 2009 – 2011
· Research on Building Popular Representation through Participatory Budgetting in four districts/cities.
· Research on Problems and Strategic Options of the Fulfillement of Economics, Social and Cuktural Rights in Indonesia in six districts/cities.
· The improvement of capacity of pro-democratic actors in local level through political education and mapping with the Working Group of Democracy Network (KKJD) and other Demos’s partners.
· The extensive and comprehensive establishment and development of Democratic Political Block (DPB) as an attempt to realize human rights based democracy.
· Campaign on problems of democracy, such as pluralism and the fulfillment of economics, social and cultural rights, through various mass media, book publication, short story writing, newsletter publication, website, film, public discussion, seminar, radio and television talkshow.
· Programs to strengthen the capacity of legislatures in Aceh in producing human rights based public policies.
· Legal Reform on Law on Election and Political Party.
For additional information www.demosindonesia.org