Reflections on academic activism against the death penalty for drug traffickers in Indonesia

Abstract

This case is an example of how academics in Indonesia address certain causes, and sheds light on the interface between academia and activism. What I present here are the broad strokes of one response to a particular social issue. In exploring how this case study aligns with existing discussions about the nature of academic activism, I borrow from Hale (2008), who defines academic activists as scholars working within academic institutions who also strive to put issues on the policy agenda and encourage public debate to drive social and political change. Activist research also challenges the status quo and hopes to empower the powerless by promoting change. The work of the anti-death penalty activists in this case study align with these definitions. The academics in the alliance saw activism as an inherent part of their profession, called themselves activists, and were not troubled by the duality of being both academic and activist. Indeed, when asked to consider their fundamental motivations for becoming academics, many responded that they were originally inspired by their desire to “make a difference” or “help people.” This approach challenges the conceptualizations of “academia” and “activism” as different worlds. Indeed, this seems an unhelpful binary that ignores the fluidity with which academics move between and through worlds, as well as the inherent overlap between academia and activism. For my respondents, to be an academic is to be an activist.