Pamflet Generasi's Journey
Milestones year by year: the context behind them, key achievements, and the lessons we carry forward.
Pamflet was founded when meaningful youth involvement was not yet a focus of civic movements. Indonesian civil society was largely filled by activists of the 1998 Reformasi, with few young people from the generation that grew up after 2000. Even so, youth initiatives responding to social issues were springing up everywhere, though there were few chances to collaborate across issues. Pamflet's founders saw this especially in the field of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), an issue close to them.
Pamflet set out to fill the missing role of a facilitator for intersectional collaboration among youth communities in Indonesia, and to address how few civil society organizations were fully led by young people.
Key achievements
The UNESCO-supported YICE (Youth Initiative and Civic Engagement) program, Indonesia's first study of post-Reformasi youth movements and youth policy.
Publishing an SRHR education pocketbook based on real questions from young people and adolescents, “Semua yang Mau Kamu Tahu tapi Tabu” (Everything You Want to Know but Is Taboo).
“Mata Muda”, a political education project for young voters.
“Re(i)novasi Memori”, a program supporting young people to share knowledge about past human rights violations.
The launch of “SEPERLIMA” (Adolescent Health, Reproductive Rights, and Sexuality), which grew into the “Suka Ria Remaja” program that continues in 2026.
Lessons learned
Even though the structure encourages internal regeneration as much as possible, that alone does not guarantee generational continuity. It takes more deliberate, strategic effort to nurture and support Pamflet's team and network.
Having the courage to stand by Pamflet's interests and values. Donors and consortium members will test how consistently Pamflet lives its principles, and it is not easy for the youngest actor in the room to avoid being pulled toward interests that do not align.
Improving governance, including administration, is not easy but must always be a priority. What matters most is building principles and values into administrative practice. All Pamflet staff need to be used to handling administrative tasks so the burden does not fall on other teams or the organization.
Full context
Among civil society organizations (CSOs) at the time, there was little focus on involving young people. CSOs were dominated by the activists of the ’98 generation.
SRHR advocacy was the field that involved young people the most. Pamflet grew in part out of its founders' closeness to SRHR issues.
Pamflet was formed in response to a youth-driven “revival” of civic movements, much of it growing outside campuses and established organizations such as HMI.
The founders saw youth initiatives growing in many places without exchanging lessons across issues. One reason Pamflet was founded was to bridge fragmented issues and approaches so they could collaborate.
That is why Pamflet never focused on a single issue. Instead of working along one issue line, Pamflet set out to be a facilitator or “movement recorder”, a role no one seemed to fill amid the many youth initiatives across issues.
Although there were many community-based youth initiatives, few youth civil society groups were formally integrated and run as organizations.
Pamflet was founded with young people's criticism of CSO management in mind: democratic principles were often not carried into internal policies. Drawing on feminist organizational practice, Pamflet asked from the start: how can decisions be made more democratically? How can a team be fairly rewarded, even when it is young and many members have just graduated?
The external push to form and formalize Pamflet came from its successful 2013 proposal to UNESCO to design research and workshops mapping youth movements and youth-related policies.
Pamflet also aimed to narrow the gap between the activists of the 1998 Reformasi and the generation that grew up in the 2000s. Strengthening this connection keeps today's movements rooted in their historical context.
Another of Pamflet's missions was to be a kind of “incubator” for young people who wanted to join social movements but were still unsure where to start, by building their capacity in organizing methods and in understanding perspectives.
The 2014 elections left several striking social trends: rising conservatism and intolerance between communities, and growing skepticism among young people toward electoral politics. In response, from 2015 to 2017 Pamflet paid special attention to alternative political education, education on diversity, and the right to expression in digital spaces.
Midway through this period, Pamflet went through a funding crisis that led it to develop a long-term funding strategy. Even so, the team kept bridging young people and the wider human rights struggle, including by becoming the only youth organization in KKPK (Koalisi Keadilan dan Pengungkapan Kebenaran, the Coalition for Justice and Truth Disclosure). Pamflet also built ties with more human rights organizations in Indonesia and grassroots communities working on human rights.
Key achievements
Carrying the spirit of “Re(i)novasi Memori” into “MemaHAMi Indonesia”, supported by Yayasan TIFA.
Becoming the only youth-led member organization of KKPK.
Taking an active part in the wider human rights network in Indonesia.
Lessons learned
The importance of visibility and recognition for Pamflet as a youth organization that translates human rights campaigns for youth communities.
Full context
As conservatism grew stronger around the 2014 elections, Pamflet focused on tolerance and diversity, with sub-themes on the rights of religious and belief minorities, sexuality, intergroup violence, and digital literacy. Toward the end of this period, Pamflet engaged with disability issues for the first time, through Gerkatin Kepemudaan.
In terms of networks, Pamflet built ties with more human rights organizations and grassroots communities working on human rights.
The second focus was young people's political participation. Pamflet responded to young people's skepticism toward formal political instruments with alternative political education.
facilitating alternative political education, diversity and freedom of religion, and digital literacy;
the visibility of the organization's work and digital campaigns through its website and social media;
research and observation.
Heading into 2017, Pamflet paid special attention to its fundraising strategy (fundraising). In 2016, Pamflet faced a funding crisis.
Having survived the earlier funding crisis, from 2017 to 2019 Pamflet focused on rebuilding its resources and developing a long-term funding management strategy. During this period, Pamflet concentrated on internal development and on guaranteeing staff wellbeing.
Key achievements
Opening up a diversified funding strategy.
Supporting Deaf rights advocacy through “Ini Cerita Kita”, a capacity-building program for young Deaf people to campaign on their experiences and knowledge.
Full context
Pamflet had just come through a period of financial hardship. The main focus of this period was therefore “bouncing back”: designing a long-term funding strategy and managing resources.
Pamflet tried various funding strategies, from conventional nonprofit funding through donors to taking on consultancy work.
In managing those same resources, Pamflet focused on ensuring the wellbeing of its staff despite the financial crisis.
Pamflet learned about safeguarding staff wellbeing, including guaranteed access to mental health care. This became the seed of an organizational practice that specifically protects mental wellbeing (mental wellbeing).
The chapters from 2019 to the present will be added to this page soon.