M

Could you tell us a bit about Gerak Cepat’s background?

GC

Gerak Cepat was started by a community called Sahabat Muda JK (Young Friends of Jusuf Kalla). During the 2009 election, we were under Jusuf Kalla’s team, and the community itself was started by members of Jusuf Kalla’s family, although, now, 90 percent of its member aren’t family. A few of the members that delved in the creative industry wanted to focus on the campaign focused on the Indonesian youth. That’s how Sahabat Muda was started. The philosophy ‘Lebih Cepat Lebih Baik’ (Faster is Better) means that those who move fast, work better. At that time, we were doing more activities such as working with agencies, making short films that were screened in movie theatres, TV commercials, billboards. The campaign was quite good, but Jusuf Kalla wasn’t as popular as Jokowi or SBY so we had to work extra hard and our organization wasn’t as big as it is now. After we finished campaigning, our community continued with social work. The Sahabat Muda became active again during the Padang earthquake. One of us took the initiative to start a humanitarian aid. Muhammad Zaidy went to Padang and took a few young doctors as well as a few volunteers. We stayed there for about a month. After that, the Sahabat Muda was inactive until recently, when Jusuf Kalla declared his running with Jokowi as the Vice President.

The members of Sahabat Muda live in different locations, so we first revived it through a Whatsapp group to created a structure. Although we regrouped because of Jusuf Kalla, this time our organization support Jokowi-JK purely on their platform. Someday, I believe that Sahabat Muda will continue to be active without the Jusuf Kalla-association – as a social organization.

M

What of Joko Widodo’s quality convinced you to support him?

GC

If Jusuf Kalla was to run with Prabowo, we don’t believe Sahabat Muda will have regrouped. Jokowi is a figure that is new, that has changed the political map, and is popular with the youth. His character has been proven through the work he has done as Mayor as well as Governor, and he carries with him the hopes and aspirations of the Indonesian youth. He creates a positive attitude that can be felt among the younger generation – you can see how many of us are excited to be involved in the political process. I don’t mean to say that in the past, the youth was not active in voting, but you can see how much more vocal we are now – our presence is felt. People are taking their own initiative to be a part of the elections. We would like to see a President that actually works, not just to build an image.

M

Could you tell us how Gerak Cepat is part of Sahabat Muda?

GC

Gerak Cepat was born out of Sahabat Muda. We wanted to create a movement that reflected the character of Jokowi and JK. The two are egalitarian, their character are independent and are quick to take action, they contradict our perception of politics in Indonesia – slow moving, complicated. The two has created many breakthroughs, so Gerak Cepat was the name we thought was appropriate for the movement.

M

And what sort of programs does Gerak Cepat offer?

GC

Much of our focus, aside from Gerakcepat.com, are events such as Peduli Pemimpin with Anies Baswedan, where we collaborated with similar volunteer groups such as Generasi Optimis and Kawan Jokowi. We also support events such as Rock The Vote concert with Rolling Stone, and the Ruang Rupa’s #Siaga2Jaga2. We created content such as videos – a mini series highlighting Jokowi effects in a humourous way, a short documentary about the Taxi Driver, interviews with creative industry figures.

M

What are your thoughts on the election?

GC

This is the most competitive election Indonesia has ever experienced. The presence of ‘people power’ has never been as felt as it is now. Those who are apathetic are becoming interested with their own initiatives. With two candidates, we can see political platforms that are clearly the opposite. There is seemingly no grey area in this election – this is a race where an abstention will greatly affect the outcome and our future. This is also the first time I have seen the creative industry and the arts voicing a strong opinion. I have also never seen such a great amount of volunteers – particularly on the Jokowi side.

M

In this Presidential Race the phrase Gagal Golput [Failing to Abstain] has become very popular, why do you believe that is?

GC

It is the people who are young-minded and refuse to forget what has happened in the past that has really been a factor. People want change, they do not want to experience the Orde Baru regime again. Seeing that there are only two choices this election, Jokowi and Prabowo – people are confronted with a question: do you want to a better future or do you want to return to the past?

M

As you have mentioned, there are many different campaigns in support of Jokowi… why are there so many, and is it effective or not?

GC

Having too many campaigns, you can tell that the Jokowi side is lacking in the marketing department. It often seems chaotic because there isn’t a uniformity – we do not really see how Jokowi’s campaign team are moving. The other team seems to be more organized, and of course they have been preparing for a presidential campaign for over a decade now, they are more ready and consistent. I see this as our weakness.

The positive aspect is the spirit of the movement. Whether or not it is successful we can only tell after the election, but we what we can already see at the moment is how Jokowi’s candidacy has inspired so many volunteers and volunteer groups.

What is challenging, of course, is how we can move together as one united movement, to counter the smear campaigns against Jokowi.

M

What can supporters do in this final week of campaigning?

GC

Sahabat Muda are currently concerned with the swing voters, and are moving on a grassroots level. We are working together with other volunteer groups to campaign on an individual level – It’s time to move door to door.

We spoke to a trusted political analyst, and his message is simple – do not trivialize a single vote. What we believe you can do – if you believe in Jokowi, would like to see change, and refuse to return to the past – is take action, to volunteer your time.

You can register on Gerakcepat.com and wwe ill send an email everyday with simple instructions on what you can do as an individual. It’s as easy as talking to your neighbor, or respectfully sharing a pamphlet with them – you have a voice, and even the smallest voice can influence its surroundings. On social media, something as simple as sharing or retweeting good news about Jokowi can create a difference. You do not have to join a volunteer group or create a huge event, even the smallest contribution can create a huge impact.