Think Tank for Democracy and Peace

Hendardi is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the SETARA Institute, an organization he founded in 2005 in response to the rise of fundamentalism and discrimination in Indonesia. Known as one of the country’s most steadfast human rights activists, Hendardi has dedicated more than three decades of his life to advocating for equality, pluralism, and legal justice.

Although he received his formal education at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), his journey as an activist began during the 1978 student movement against the New Order regime. His advocacy career continued to develop through various strategic institutions, ranging from the Bandung Legal Aid Institute (LBH), the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), to the establishment of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI).

Ismail Hasani is a senior researcher at the SETARA Institute and has been a lecturer at the Faculty of Sharia and Law, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta, since 2003. He completed his undergraduate studies at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah (2000) and Muhammadiyah University of Jakarta (2012), earned a Master of Laws from Muhammadiyah University of Jakarta (2003), and holds a Doctor of Laws from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta (2019). His expertise spans constitutional law, human rights, and business and human rights (BHR). In addition to his academic role, Ismail is active as a legal and policy consultant, with extensive experience in drafting regulations, policy advocacy, and program management across various national and international projects. His involvement in field advocacy and public policy reflects his commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights, both through collaboration with government agencies and civil society organizations.

Halili Hasan (Halili) is a permanent lecturer in the Department of Civic and Law Education at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Yogyakarta State University (UNY). He joined SETARA Institute as a researcher in 2011 and currently serves as its Executive Director. Prior to joining SETARA, Halili was actively involved in various human rights advocacy initiatives through the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI).

His commitment to democracy and human rights issues is reflected in his academic and writing productivity. Hundreds of his articles have been published in national media outlets such as Kompas, Jawa Pos, Kedaulatan Rakyat, Radar Jogja, Harian Jogja, and Tribun Jogja, as well as in academic journals including Jurnal Civics, Jurnal Humaniora, Jurnal HAM, and Majalah RMOL.

In addition to writing, Halili has frequently spoken at international conferences in countries including Australia (Sydney), Japan (Kitakyushu), Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek), Iran (Tehran), South Korea (Seoul), and Indonesia (Yogyakarta), sharing his perspectives on democracy, nationalism, and human rights. Dozens of books based on his work have been published by publishers such as Haka MJ Solo (2007), Putra Nugraha Solo (2008), Pustaka Masyarakat Setara (since 2011), and UNY Press (2017 & 2018).

For his contributions to the fields of social humanities and civic education, Halili has received several prestigious awards, including:

1. Grand Winner in the Social Humanities Category of the 2012 National Enrichment Book Competition organized by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture for his book Ber-Pancasila Secara Sederhana;
2. The Satyalancana Karya Satya 10-Year Service Medal from the President of the Republic of Indonesia (2017);
3. The Best Presentation Award at The Asia Future Conference in Seoul, South Korea (2018).

(Kirtan) is a Program Manager at the SETARA Institute responsible for managing a number of programs in the areas of freedom of religion or belief (FOB), human rights, and inclusive governance. In this role, Kirtan is involved in the planning, coordination, and implementation of various research and advocacy activities supported by national and international partners. Kirtan completed his Bachelor of Laws degree at Pelita Harapan University and has completed the Specialized Professional Training for Advocates (PKPA) and passed the Bar Exam (UPA). This legal background strengthens Kirtan’s contributions to policy work and monitoring the implementation of regulations, particularly regarding constitutional issues and the protection of vulnerable groups. Kirtan comes from the Sikh community, one of Indonesia’s religious minorities, and frequently represents this community in various interfaith forums at both the national and international levels. This experience has broadened Kirtan’s involvement in efforts to foster interfaith dialogue and advocate for equal rights for all citizens without discrimination. Kirtan also has experience collaborating with various state institutions and civil society organizations to promote the protection of minority groups and women from violence based on religion or belief. At the SETARA Institute, Kirtan has been involved in developing various research tools, such as the Tolerant Cities Index (IKT) and the Indonesian Social Inclusion Index (IISI), and has led digital campaigns aimed at engaging young people on issues of tolerance and human rights. Through his active involvement in KBB research, Kirtan focuses particularly on issues at the intersection of religious identity, gender, and civil liberties. Kirtan also frequently serves as a panelist in various public discussions to share perspectives grounded in his experiences and the empirical analysis he has developed throughout his work in this sector.

Ikhsan Yosarie (Ikhsan) has been a full-time lecturer in Government Studies at Indo Global Mandiri University, Palembang, since September 2024. His educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Andalas University (2013) and a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Indonesia (2020). Since March 2018, Ikhsan has been actively engaged as a researcher at the SETARA Institute, where he currently serves as a Senior Researcher. His research focuses on Human Rights, Security Sector Reform, Human Security, and Social Inclusion. As a lecturer, Ikhsan also teaches topics related to politics and democracy, human rights, and governance. To date, more than 200 of his articles on his research areas have been published in various national media outlets, including Kompas, Media Indonesia, Tempo, The Conversation, as well as various other national and local print and online media. Furthermore, Ikhsan is actively involved in numerous research projects, discussions, seminars, and focus group discussions centered around the issues of Security Sector Reform and Human Rights. He has published—whether as a sole author, lead author, or co-author—a number of research-based books related to human rights and the security sector, such as “Resistansi Militer: Evaluasi Dua Dekade Reformasi TNI” (Book Chapter, 2019), “Perihal Kekuatan Politik Militer” (2020), “QUO VADIS? Jalan Sunyi Agenda Reformasi TNI Pasca Orde Baru” (2021), “Kompleksitas Demokrasi dan HAM: Keamanan Manusia, Demokrasi Digital, Gender, dan Pemilihan Umum” (2021), “Survei Opini Ahli tentang Kualitas Kandidat Panglima TNI dan Roadmap Pasca Keterpilihan” (2021), “Analisis Penempatan Prajurit TNI di Jabatan Sipil pada Masa Orde Baru dan Pasca Reformasi” (2023), “Naskah Kebijakan: Mengawal Reformasi Tentara Nasional Indonesia Melalui Penolakan Usulan Perubahan dalam Revisi Undang-Undang Nomor 34 Tahun 2004 tentang Tentara Nasional Indonesia” (2023), “Desain Transformasi Polri Untuk Mendukung Visi Indonesia 2045” (2024), “Indeks Kota Toleran” (2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024), “Indeks Inklusi Sosial Indonesia 2024” (2025), as well as various other publications.

Researcher in the fields of the rule of law and constitutional studies at the SETARA Institute. Azeem earned his Bachelor of Laws (S.H.) from the Faculty of Law at Padjadjaran University in Bandung and his Master of Laws (LL.M.) from York Law School at the University of York in the United Kingdom. His research focuses on, but are not limited to, constitutional law, comparative constitutional law, legal politics, law and human rights, legislative studies, constitutional court procedure, democracy studies, and inclusive governance. Azeem has been active in the research field since his university days, contributing to studies conducted at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia, and to a research program on the protection of the fundamental rights of Rohingya refugees in Southeast Asia in collaboration with the Centre for Applied Human Rights at York Law School, University of York. Azeem has contributed to SETARA’s research, including the Design of Police Transformation (2024), the Impact and Indonesia’s Response to the Adoption of the EUCSDDD (2024), the Indonesian Social Inclusion Study (2025), the 2024 Tolerant Cities Index, and the Constitutional Decision Impact Assessment (CiDIA, 2025). Several of his articles have also been published in leading Indonesian media outlets, such as “Navigating the future of data privacy in Indonesia” (The Jakarta Post, 2024), “Predicting the Constitutional Court’s Position on the TNI Law Case” (Harian Kompas, 2025), and others.

(Merisa) is a researcher in the field of Human Rights and Security Sector Reform at the SETARA Institute. Merisa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science (with a focus on International Relations) from Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta, as well as a Master’s degree in Defense Studies with a specialization in Maritime Security from the Indonesian Defense University. Merisa has a particular interest and expertise in national and international security issues, especially those related to maritime security and security sector reform. In 2022, Merisa participated in the Yeosu Academy of the Law of the Sea program in South Korea. Merisa has authored various scholarly works published in journals and books, including her Master’s thesis titled The Role of Maritime Diplomacy in Managing the Crisis in the North Natuna Sea between Indonesia and China, published by the Indonesian Defense University (2021); Empowerment Strategies for Fishermen as a Solution to the Security Management Crisis in the North Natuna Sea (2022); “Gender Mainstreaming in Coastal Zoning and Its Impact on the Economic Resilience of Coastal Communities” (2023), “Designing the Transformation of the Indonesian National Police to Support the Indonesia 2045 Vision” (2024), and “The 2024 Indonesia Social Inclusion Index” (2025). Beyond her research activities, Merisa is also the founder of Bara Maritim, an independent platform focused on maritime security research, geospatial studies, and marine technology.

(Awe) has been a researcher on Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB) at the SETARA Institute since 2014. In addition to FoRB, his academic and research focus includes Papuan studies, security, and human rights. Awe has also been involved as a researcher at the Lembaga Studi dan Advokasi Masyarakat (ELSAM) and the Lembaga Penelitian, Pendidikan, dan Penerangan Ekonomi dan Sosial (LP3ES). Throughout his career, Awe has engaged in various strategic research projects, such as the Annual Report on the Condition of Freedom of Religion and Belief in Indonesia (2015, 2016, 2017, & 2025), the Human Rights Index (2014–2016), the Study on Social Inclusion in Indonesia (2025), as well as research themed Youth Economy and Counterterrorism Policy (Pustaka Pelajar, 2018). He is also the lead author of several publications, including “Ambiguitas Politik HAM di Papua: Sebuah Laporan Kondisi HAM di Papua Tahun 2016” (SETARA Institute, 2017), “Rasisme di Papua: Tinjauan Pelanggaran HAM Pasca Kasus Rasisme Surabaya” (ELSAM, 2021), “Penguatan Konservatisme dalam Perubahan Sosial Politik” (SETARA Institute, 2019), and “KH Faqih Maskumambang dan Altar Kebangsaan” (LP3ES, 2025). In addition to being active as a writer and researcher, Awe serves as a facilitator and speaker in various human rights forums, mass media, as well as academic and public policy events. Outside of his research activities, Awe works as a development consultant for several ministries and state agencies, such as the Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS RI), the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen), the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri), and the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Kemendes PDT). Awe holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Welfare at STISIP Widuri and a Master’s degree in Political Philosophy at STFI Sadra. Furthermore, he has participated in various non-formal education programs, such as SeHAMA KontraS, Security Sector Reform IDSPS, and Kalabahu LBH Jakarta, and has been active in organizational roles as the Deputy Secretary-General of PB HMI (2022), Coordinator of the Anti-Violence Student and Youth Committee / KOMPAK (2015), and National Coordinator of the People’s Student Federation / FMK (2018).