Crossroads 2018 has an exciting line up
The Nusantara Kampoong Network: Cultural Alternative for Social Transformation
Participants:
Farha Abdul Kadir Assegaf (Head of Tanoker Community, Ledokombo village, Jember, East Java)
Redy Eko Prastyo (UBTV & Radio staff, Initiator of the Nusantara Kampong Network, and the Cempluk Kampong, Malang)
Danis Setiabudi Nugroho (Village head, Gondowangi, Malang, East Java)
Bachtiar Djanan Machmoed (Hidora Organization, Banyuwangi, East Java)

Conceived and Introduced by:
Melani Budianta (Professor of Humanities, Universitas Indonesia)
The Nusantara Kampoong Network: Cultural Alternative for Social Transformation

Spotlight Panel Abstract:

The Nusantara Kampoong Network: Cultural Alternative for Social Transformation

Cultural studies scholars have theorized cultural phenomenon with a difference in an engaged perspectives in furthering more inclusive, and eco-friendly social transformation. How the transformation is made to happen in daily basis, in local, grassroot level, depend much on the initiative and work of cultural workers on the ground. In a time when global and state neoliberal paradigm has cost environmental damage and religious fanaticism, xenophobia and racism have torn society apart, collaboration between engaged scholars and cultural activists are critical.

The roundtable brings 4 Indonesian cultural activists who base their activism in grassroot community defined as “kampong” -- which transcend the rural-urban divide in Indonesia. Initiated in Java, and now spreading to other islands, the Nusantara Kampoong Network gathered local activists, first through the social media, and then through collaborative, knowledge sharing and exchange inter-kampoong visits to empower their communities economically, socially and politically by reinvigorating local cultural resources. Through their work they have challenged both the Indonesian state paradigm of cultural tourism, neoliberal economic domination, and the rise of religious conservative forces.

The roundtable will showcase the works of the five cultural activists and will hold discussion on the following issues:
1) How do they negotiate with the power of the State (central government as well as local government) the neoliberal capital in pursuing their local empowerment projects
2) How do they conceptualize local cultural festivals as an alternative to the State projects of cultural tourism?
3) How do they deal with horizontal pressure of religious conservative movement that come through village religious institutions and global funding?

The roundtable will engage with participants of the conference during question and answer session. The expected output of the roundtable iis as follows:
1) Networking among cultural studies scholars and the Indonesian cultural activists to do collaborative projects
2) Knowledge sharing through comparative perspectives, and conceptualization of the local grasroot work to better support both cultural studies scholars and cultural activists in making social transformation.