About Public Virtue

The 1998 collapse of the authoritarian New Order regime catalyzed Indonesia's democratic transition. The Reformation's core imperative was to dismantle the regime's deeply embedded structural and cultural legacies, forging a new trajectory toward substantive democracy.

Throughout the 2000s, this democratic momentum intersected with rapid digitalization. The proliferation of mobile telecommunications and internet access fundamentally transformed the socio-political landscape, culminating in widespread smartphone integration by 2012.

While significant institutional milestones were achieved—notably the establishment of civilian supremacy over the military, anti-corruption initiatives, judicial reform, and decentralization—Public Virtue founders A.E. Priyono and Usman Hamid observed that the New Order's institutional and cultural roots remained entrenched beneath these surface-level reforms.

Formalized in 2013, Public Virtue evolved from an academic study circle exploring alternative democratic frameworks into a dedicated institute. The organization advances civic engagement and democratic resilience through rigorous empirical research, publications, and capacity-building initiatives.

Public Virtue leverages technological advancement to catalyze civic awareness, advocacy, and public deliberation. Recognizing that New Order remnants—specifically oligarchy, cronyism, and autocratic legalism—have adapted their strategies for the digital era, the foundation's strategic mission is to actively navigate and counter these modernized systemic threats.