This year is a very important political year for the people of East Sumba. Especially because they will exercise their political rights in the regional head election of East Sumba Regency which is scheduled for November 2024. Political education is crucial, especially for indigenous peoples, including women, children, and people with disabilities. So that they can exercise their right to vote based on awareness and a deep understanding of their own political rights. Political intelligence is needed to ensure that the votes cast reflect personal will, not external pressure or influence.
Political education is the foundation for creating a democratic and just society. With a good understanding of the rights and obligations of citizens, indigenous peoples can develop a healthy, honest, just and discrimination-free political culture. This is also important to prevent conflicts that often arise due to differences in political choices.
Bumi Lestari Institution (LBL) through the ESTUNGKARA program sees the need to provide political education for indigenous communities in their assisted areas. One of them is in the indigenous community of Wanggameti village. This program aims to empower indigenous communities with sufficient knowledge and understanding of their political rights. The Director of LBL said that the community is expected to be able to choose the right leader based on the vision and mission carried out by the candidate. And carry out the mandate given by the people as well as possible.
The ESTUNGKARA program also emphasizes the importance of the participation of women, children, and people with disabilities in the election process. So far, these groups have often been ignored or underestimated in the political context. Women, for example, are often only considered passive supporters who do not need to be actively involved in the political process. Likewise, people with disabilities are often looked down upon and not given the opportunity to participate fully.
The implementation of the ESTUNGKARA program in Wanggameti Village was carried out through the method of delivering material by resource persons and interactive dialogue sessions with participants. The resource persons delivered material related to political rights, the importance of active participation in elections, and how to choose a good leader. The dialogue session provided space for participants to share experiences and ask questions about things they did not understand.
This activity was held in the hall of the Wanggameti Village office on Monday, July 22, 2024, and was attended by various elements of the village community. There were also the village government, Community Empowerment Institution (LPM), Village Consultative Body (BPD), educational institutions, health workers, traditional community leaders, and women's leaders of Wanggameti village.
The Head of the Customary Institution, Domu Marahongu, expressed his gratitude to LBL for providing political understanding to the people of Wanggameti village. He emphasized that this political education is important to prevent divisions among the people just because of differences in political choices.
Wanggameti Village Head, Elys L. Raja, also expressed similar appreciation. He underlined the importance of this program in helping people exercise their political rights without discrimination, pressure, and influence from irresponsible parties.
Village community leader, Jhon Kembi, also gave his testimony that this political education is very important to ensure that the community understands their political rights. He hopes that the village community will remain united even though they have different political choices.
The political education program through ESTUNGKARA by the Bumi Lestari Institute in Wanggameti Village is a positive step in empowering indigenous peoples. With a better understanding of political rights, it is hoped that indigenous peoples can actively participate in the democratic process wisely and responsibly. This program is also expected to reduce discrimination and ensure that all levels of society, including women, children, and people with disabilities, can exercise their political rights fully and fairly.
