Some of the prominent events marking the democratic regression in Indonesia are including the passing of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law revision, Omnibus Law, and Mining Law in a span of one year (2019-2020) that indicate legislative assault and against democratic values under the administrative of President Jokowi. The hasty act, especially because the aforementioned bills are not on the list of priority bills (Prolegnas) and due to the fact that the country is facing a health emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic, raise the civil society’s suspicions. These are inseparable from persisting shadowy power of Suharto’s authoritarian regime which structurally still active.

Resistance coming from civil society is shown in acts of solidarity through nationwide demonstration and digital activism. However, the government also showed retaliation through strategies to curtail the civic space in both on-ground and digital. Reported number of cyberattacks received by activists, journalists, academicians, and students have been increasing. Furthermore, there have been efforts to reduce the quality of information available on the digital space using slanders and disinformation which significantly reduces the space for healthy discussions.

Thus, PVRI took this as an opportunity to reclaim the shrinking civic space and empower the civil society, especially the youth to revitalize the democratic progress that slowly deteriorated after more than two decades of Reformation Era. The establishment of democratic consolidation that involves the youth through an online bootcamp “Public Virtue Lab-School of Democracy” to increase knowledge and capacity of the participants ranging from 18-30 years old is deemed as necessary by PVRI and therefore, calling partners for the program development and implementation.

Lab-School of Democracy aimed to increase and strengthen individuals, specifically the youth’s capacity and public awareness of democratic knowledge and trends in Indonesia through civic education and digital activism, that cover two major categories; knowledge and skills. The courses on knowledge will be divided into 5 clusters, including: 1) Democracy and Freedom of Religion, 2) Democracy and the Environment, 3) Democracy and Social Justice, 4) Democracy amidst COVID-19, and 5) Democracy and Corruption Prevention.