Digital Discourses 2025
Digital Future of Indigenous Languages

Digital Discourses: Exploring the Current State of Indigenous Languages © Goethe-Institut Indonesia / Each Other Company

With the rapid pace of change in the digital world, Indigenous Languages are at risk of becoming extinct in the near future. How does the current digital landscape shape the future of these languages?

About the project

Past Events

Panel discussion on the current state of Indigenous Languages in the digital world

Exploring the Current State of Indigenous Languages

25.07.2025 | 4 PM-5:30 PM
Library of the Goethe-Institut Jakarta

© Goethe-Institut Indonesia © Goethe-Institut Indonesia
Panel Discussion on Digital Initiatives for Indigenous Languages

Digital Support for Indigenous Languages

22.08.2025 | 4 PM-5:30 PM
Library of the Goethe-Institut Jakarta

© Goethe-Institut Indonesia © Goethe-Institut Indonesia
Sundanese Script Writing Workshop on Palm Leaf

Indigenous Script Writing Workshop

13.09.2025 | 11 AM-3 PM
Volunteer Hub Jakarta

© Goethe-Institut Indonesia © Goethe-Institut Indonesia
Workshop on Contributing Indigenous Languages to Wiktionary

Wiktionary-Workshop

18.10.2025 | 10 AM-3 PM
Yayasan Riset Visual MataWaktu, Jakarta Selatan

© Goethe-Institut Indonesia © Goethe-Institut Indonesia
Panel Discussion

Indigenous Languages Activism in the Digital Realm

31.10.2025 | 4–5:30 PM
Auditorium of Pusat Dokumentasi Sastra H. B. Jassin

© Goethe-Institut Indonesia © Goethe-Institut Indonesia
Panel Discussion and Workshop

The Digital Future of Indigenous Languages from a Global Perspective

21.11.2025 | 4–8 PM
Auditorium of Pusat Dokumentasi Sastra H. B. Jassin

© Goethe-Institut Indonesia © Goethe-Institut Indonesia

Highlights from previous years

Panel Discussion — October 2019
Topic: Tactics to Counter Online Extremism
Moderator: Treviliana Eka Putri
Guests: Patrick Stegemann, Nasir Abas, Saijai Liangpunsakul, Savic Ali

Online communication connects like-minded people quickly and efficiently — for support, but also for spreading extremism. Who is responsible for tackling online extremism? Should platforms be held accountable? Can restricting digital access help in crises? This panel compares how different societies respond to these challenges. | © Goethe-Institut Indonesien

April 2020
Topic: The Commercial and Political Value of User Data
Moderator: Diah Angendari
Guests: Alia Y. Karunian, Katharina Nocun, Michael Seemann, Jun-E  Tan

As users move through digital spaces, they leave data trails that can be monetized, exploited, or used for control — often without their knowledge. This panel explores how personal data is extracted, analyzed, and used across sectors: from e-commerce and entertainment to politics, finance, and surveillance. | © Colourbox.de

May 2020
Topic: Data Privacy Concepts and Regulation
Moderator: Blandina Lintang Setianti
Guests: Ingo Dachwitz, Sutawan Chanprasert, Wahyudi Djafar, Tony Seno Hartono

The moderated panel discussion will focus on various aspects of regulating commercial and governmental use of data. In this context, Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is often seen as a benchmark with several nations drawing inspiration from it. But what have we learned so far about how these new rules hold up in practice? What is Southeast Asia's stance in the debate? In the global flow of user data, does it matter where data is physically stored? And are there any alternative models to data ownership and access? | Image (detail): © Colourbox.de

Digital Discourses: Finding the Best Way to Regulate Hate Speech — May 2021
Topic: Finding the Best Way to Regulate Hate Speech
Moderator: Anton Muhajir
Guests: Al Araf, Yovantra Arief, Christina Dinar

The COVID-19 pandemic is the backdrop for an increase in hate speech. Throughout 2020, SAFEnet recorded at least 84 cases of convictions against netizens. This is almost quadruple the 24 cases in 2019. How can hate speech regulation be improved in order to maintain the quality of democracy and at the same time protect society from acts of discrimination? What role can academics and civil society groups play to combat efforts to abuse regulation? | © Goethe-Institut Indonesien

November 2021
Topic: Is There A Place For Journalism In Social Media?
Moderator: Prita Kusumaputri
Guests: Imam Safingi, Dr. Le Thu Mach, Yasmina Al-Gannabi, Sophia Smith Galer

The public increasingly uses social media as the primary source of news. It is also a stage for personal opinion and unverified information, thus a challenge for users to figure out the veracity of the news it disseminates. How will journalism evolve in the face of social media? How can news organizations build trust in the midst of information overload?

November 2021
Topic: AI in the Newsroom: Friends or Foe?
Moderator: Yearry Panji Setianto
Guests: Wan Ulfa Nur Zuhra, Sebastian Jannasch, Alexandra Borchardt, Charlie Beckett

The development of AI has redefined the implications of technology in the newsroom. The adoption of robot reporters and automated journalism has sparked a worldwide debate about what AI means for journalism. Is AI a threat or an opportunity? How can AI help newsrooms survive and shape the future of journalism? What are the pitfalls and ethical implications of AI-written articles?

November 2022
Topic: Futures Imaginaries
Moderator: Warih Aji Pamungkas
Guest: Stephen Oram

What is the role of science fiction in imagining the future? Do science fiction’s predictions affect the future? How can fiction raise ethical issues around the future of technology and society? There will be a reading of short fiction stories by the speaker. | © Goethe-Institut Indonesien

November 2022
Topic: Brain-Computer Interface: Separating Fact from Fiction
Moderator: Clarissa Ai Ling Lee
Guest: Moritz Grosse-Wentrup

A brain-computer interface (BCI) allows humans to control devices using their minds. It is currently being used to allow paralysed people to regain control of their bodies. However, companies are competing to develop this technology for applications beyond medical use. What are its possible applications? What are the ethical challenges of such endeavours? | © Goethe-Institut Indonesien

October 2023
Topic: Humanity in the Age of AI
Moderator: Hafiz Noer
Guests: Dr. Anna Jobin, Dr. Lukas, Lena Rickenberg, Dr. Jun-E Tan, Arthit Suriyawongkul

As we enter the age of AI, an important conversation surrounding the ethical implications of this development becomes imperative. AI creates new possibilities and furthers innovation, but at what cost? | © Goethe-Institut Indonesia

October 2023
Topic: Redefining the Future of Music
Moderator: Tomy Herseta
Guests: Patrick Hartono, Monita Tahalea

The use of technology in the world of music is not something new. AI has the potential to revolutionise various aspects of music production, from composition and arrangement to mixing and mastering. However, the presence of AI technology raises new questions due to the disruption it causes. If making music now is as easy as writing a line of text, what will become of the music industry in the future? Does AI create opportunities to make it easier for more people to enter the music industry or does it reduce the number of music professionals? Is this a new era in the music industry or is it the end of authenticity? | © Goethe-Institut Indonesia

Speakers: Digital Discourses 2025

is a traditional script activist who specialises in old Nusantara scripts and their contemporary applications. He completed his Archaeology degree at Udayana University in 2004. He now acts as the Community Coordinator at Galeri Aksara Indonesia and Aksara di Taman.
has a professional background in communications and graphic design. Having spent several years working in the conservation of Indigenous languages and scripts on digital platforms, he now works as the Communications Coordinator at Wikimedia Indonesia. In this role, he develops and promotes content created in Indigenous languages and scripts in collaboration with over 18 Wikimedia communities across Indonesia.
is an independent researcher and freelance typographer specialising in traditional Indonesian scripts. He has worked as a font consultant for Google and Monotype. He obtained his first degree from Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung, Indonesia in 2019. He is currently pursuing a Postgraduate Architecture Programme at the Universitas Indonesia, Depok, specialising in the history, theory, and critique of architecture.
is an Indigenous language and culture activist from North Maluku. While working as an elementary school teacher, Ida is also involved in devising the local curriculum that formulate the Indigenous language subject in North Halmahera. Ida was also appointed as the Chief of Isam/Pagu Tribe in 2012 for her efforts in preserving the language and culture of the Isam/Pagu tribe that was near extinction.
is an independent researcher specialising in Indonesian modern literature and cultural studies. She focuses on research and artmaking, including visual arts and music. She has published her research in scientific journals and popular media and given talks on resistance against Indonesian political strains in literature, theatre, and film.
is a language activist who is particularly interested in conserving languages from Nusantara. He volunteers for Wikimedia, specialising in the development of Wiktionary, Wikipedia's sister project. Since 2023, he has managed the WikiTutur programme, which focuses on recording the pronunciation of Nusantara indigenous languages in Indonesian Wiktionary (Wikikamus) and Lingua Libre.
is Vice Chair of the Unicode Script Encoding Working Group and a U.S. representative to the ISO Subcommittee on coded character sets. Until 2024, she led the Script Encoding Initiative project at UC Berkeley, a project that works with communities to get characters and scripts into the Unicode Standard. She holds a Ph.D. in Indo-European Studies from UCLA.
better known as Ita, is a staff member at the Center for Language Development and Cultivation, a part of the Agency for Language Development and Cultivation. Currently, she works at the Language and Literature Protection and Modernisation Department. She is experienced in teaching Indonesian for foreign speakers (BIPA) in Japan, Thailand, and the Embassy of Russia. She has also worked as part of the Indonesian Language Proficiency Test (UKBI) team.
is the Managing Director and Rising Voices (RV) Director at Global Voices. RV has worked with more than 240 digital language activists from over 50 countries, representing 127 unique languages. He also led the project Indigenous Language Digital Initiatives in collaboration with UNESCO as part of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
currently works as a Community Coordinator at Wikimedia Indonesia. She is passionate about language, culture, and community management. Her duties include coordinating 18 communities across Indonesia, from Manokwari to Medan. She also conducts research on Indigenous languages, such as Javanese and Madurese.
is one of the founders of the Kaganga Pusaka Kita community, which researches and conserves the history and culture of Bengkulu, and promotes awareness of them. She also teaches at UIN Fatmawati Sukarno in Bengkulu. She is also a member of the Heritage Expert Boards in various regencies across Bengkulu Province. She is an active writer of publications related to archaeology, history and culture.
is a researcher specializing in Old Sundanese language and manuscripts. He received his bachelor’s degree in the Sundanese Language Education Programme at the Indonesia University of Education in 2012 and his master’s degree in the Sundanese Language and Culture Education Programme at the same university in 2015. Nowadays, Ilham is working as a researcher in the Digital Repository of Endangered and Affected Manuscripts in Southeast Asia (DREAMSEA) programme. Ilham has actively contributed to the Sundanese Wikipedia since 2010.
is a lecturer of linguistics at the Indonesian Studies Programme, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Indonesia. He is actively involved in research that documents and revitalises endangered languages in East Indonesia, particularly Papuan and Austronesian languages. He also researches the typology of language, corpus linguistics and the use of language in social media.
is the Nusantara language and script activist behind the Writing Tradition Project. He is also a creator of traditional script fonts and an author of books about traditional scripts, including Aksara-Aksara di Nusantara Seri Ensiklopedia. He often runs script-writing workshops alongside the Writing Tradition project and Galaksi. He also participates in the Global Script Keeper Network and an indigenous language conservation project with the Language Office of the Banten Province.
is a Nusantara script enthusiast and a member of the Galaksi community. He is currently studying scripts used in Sumatera, from Pallawa to Lampung and Jawi. He also contributes actively to the Batak Toba Wikipedia and has published a book in multiple scripts titled Dalam Persimpangan Jalan: Pada Mata Gawaiku.
has been an advocate and activist for the Sundanese script since 2016. She has since become head of several Sundanese script communities, including KUAS BOGOR and Komunitas Aksara Sunda Sukabumi. Since 2019, she has given Sundanese script workshops for students and the public. In 2020, she was appointed chief of the Riksa Aksara Sunda Foundation.
is a strategic public relations professional who also works as a freelance journalist. She has been involved with the Wikimedia Bandung Community since 2019, focusing on the conservation of the Sundanese language and the Cacarakan Sundanese script. She also contributes to the development of Betawi culture and language within the Wikimedia Jakarta community, resulting in the creation of Wikipedia Betawi.
is a freelance researcher and historian who works as a registration officer of cultural heritages at Tuban Regency. He is a member of the Indonesian Epigrapher Association (PAEI), a professional organisation focusing on stele studies. He also manages the Instagram account of Tuban Bercerita, which focuses on history and culture education in the Tuban Regency.
is an Associate Project Officer of the Communication and Information Unit at the UNESCO office in Jakarta. She is currently responsible for the Social Media 4 Peace, Media and Information Literacy, Freedom of Expression, and journalist safety programmes. Previously, she worked as a journalist in East Java and Jakarta and was also an active coordinator of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), specialising in gender, children, and journalist safety issues.

Digital Discourses 2025
Digital Future of Indigenous Languages

Past Events

Exploring the Current State of Indigenous Languages

Digital Support for Indigenous Languages

Indigenous Script Writing Workshop

Wiktionary-Workshop

Indigenous Languages Activism in the Digital Realm

The Digital Future of Indigenous Languages from a Global Perspective

Highlights from previous years

Speakers: Digital Discourses 2025

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Digital Discourses 2025 Digital Future of Indigenous Languages

Past Events

Highlights from previous years

Speakers: Digital Discourses 2025

Adi Sushantiyo Komunitas Galeri Aksara Indonesia and Aksara di Taman

Adien Gunarta Wikimedia Indonesia

Aditya Bayu Perdana Independent Researcher and Freelance Typographer

Afrida Erna Ngato Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN)

Areispine Dymussaga Miraviori Independent researcher

Arjuna Fiqrillah Volunteer at Wiktionary Indonesia Community

Deborah Anderson Unicode Script Encoding Working Group

Dwi Agus Erinita Staff at the Center for Language Development and Cultivation

Eddie Ávila Global Voices

Elis Fajariyati Wikimedia Indonesia

Gaya Mentari UIN Fatmawati Sukarno

Ilham Nurwansah Researcher

Nazarudin Lecturer at Universitas Indonesia

Ridwan Maulana Writing Tradition Project

Salomo Christian Hutajulu Komunitas Galaksi

Siti Aisah Riksa Aksara Sunda Foundation

Sofi Solihah Freelance Journalist and Volunteer for the Wikimedia Community

Teguh Fatchur Rozi Indonesian Epigrapher Association

Yekthi Hesthi Murthi UNESCO

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Digital Discourses 2025
Digital Future of Indigenous Languages