Episode 66: On Their Own: Takes on the Vice-Presidential Debates

Dialogika Podcast

In this episode, Stephanie’s out with an emergency root canal so we have invited Andhyta Firselly Utami, better known as Afu, to come and chat about the vice-presidential debates. Afu and her husband Wikan are the brains behind Frame & Sentences, a YouTube series that breaks down important social and political issues (we’ve also interviewed them in our 35th episode), and she’s also a researcher and policy expert currently based in Indonesia. We break down the debate performances of Jokowi’s running mate Ma’ruf Amin and Prabowo’s running mate Sandiaga Uno and talk about how both candidates spoke to issues around education, health, human resources, social issues, and culture — focusing in particular on Indonesia’s human capital and the many problems surrounding its development. We also discuss what it means for young Indonesians of all background to become interested in what’s going on in the political space — and how can we leverage the conversation to be one that is inclusive, welcoming, and empathetic, by using moral psychology and really listening to each other. The elections (both presidential and legislative) are less than a month away, and these are all important and good food for thought as we consider our nation’s future.