Reformasi Dispatch

Indonesia’s Islamic firebrand suddenly won early release from prison.  The founder of the banned Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) has repeatedly shook national politics -- but conditions have changed si…

Kevin and Jeff talk with Harvard academic and pollster Seth Soderborg about the art and science of taking the temperature of the Indonesian electorate. It's a tough and expensive process. Use phones …

President Joko Widodo's sudden plan to engage in personal diplomacy with Putin involves high stakes.   Prospects for progress are daunting, but the  trip marks a welcome foray by Indonesia's leader i…

Indonesia's new and renewable energy bill includes provisions to support development of fossil fuels including coal bed methane and coal gasification. Also on the pod: Elite support solidifies for Ga…

Former VP nominee Sandiaga Uno joins Reformasi Dispatch to discuss his portfolio as tourism minister at a crucial juncture for the sector.   Jeff and Kevin examine the significance of Golkar's entran…

Kevin and Jeff interview Andy Yentriani, chairwoman of Indonesia's National Commission on Violence Against Women. Indonesia's landmark law on sexual crimes offers unprecendented protections against u…

Controlling domestic cooking-oil prices is President Widodo's reason for banning Indonesia's exports of palm oleins, which the world relies upon for food and cosmetics.  Will the draconian measure ac…

In a breakthrough for social reform, the government and parliament outlawed assorted types of sexual abuse while introducing safeguards for victims.  Jeff and Kevin discuss how this overdue law, desp…

Reformasi Dispatch discussed Indonesia's energy transition with Robert O. Blake, the former US ambassador to Indonesia and now a senior advisor to US Special Climate Envoy John Kerry.  The US has ide…

We are still on hiatus for this week. Meanwhile, we would like to introduce you to one of our best interview of the pod with Edward Tirtanata, founder of Kopi Kenangan.

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Indonesia's leading reformer met Reformasi Dispatch for an hour interview that appraised the economy's outlook amid extraordinary international conditions and heightening rhetoric about postponing el…

A foremost climate‑action advocate within the Jakarta diplomatic corps joins the pod to assess areas of opportunities and constraints in Indonesia's efforts towards sustainability.  Ambassador Berg a…

This week's Reformasi Dispatch podcast examines the abrupt attempt by at least three pro‑Widodo parties, including Golkar, to prolong Widodo's presidency, ostensibly because an election would be detr…

With the nomination of presidential tickets barely 18 months away, image management is increasingly crucial for potential contenders -- especially Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo.  Jeff and Kevi…

Over the next two years, fully half of all democratically elected regional heads across Indonesia will undergo replacement with interim appointees chosen by either the president or the home affairs m…

The founder of Indonesia's newest unicorn, Kopi Kenangan, provides an account of one company's adjustment to economic changes through real-time data usage.  Edward Tirtanata explains how the coffee p…

The World Bank’s lead economist for Indonesia discusses poverty, growth, and tax reform with the Reformasi Dispatch podcast.  Habib Rab delves into the impacts that threaten to constrain future growt…

The Griffith University epidemiologist Dicky Budiman tells Reformasi Dispatch podcast that testing, tracing, and isolation matter more than ever -- and he assesses Sinovac's efficacy and the value of…

Reformasi Dispatch speaks with Willy Aditya, a legislator heading the parliamentary working committee that appears to be on the verge of a breakthrough for a long-awaited Bill on Sexual Assault Crime…

Momentum is building for progress on addressing sexual violence against women, children and the disabled.  Reformasi Dispatch speaks with Willy Aditya, a legislator heading the parliamentary working …