Mira Kusumarini, the founder and Director of the EMPATIKU Foundation, has been active in the social sector for 30 years addressing various issues including peace and security, social entrepreneurship, maternal and child health, provision of clean water and sanitation, environmental preservation and small and medium economic development. Under the Chevening Award of British Government scholarship, Mira gained a Master degree in social development from the University of Swansea, Wales, England and a Bachelor Degree in English Linguistics from Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Indonesia.
In 2015, Mira founded EMPATIKU, a civil society organisation with a vision to create a generation empathy and a mission to mainstream empathy, especially in the security and education sectors as an effort to address violent behaviours including violent extremism. In 2018, Mira was awarded the N-PEACE Award from UNDP for her role in leading civil society movement to prevent violent extremism, promoting peace through dialogue and education. By working closely with children and women deportees and returnees for rehabilitation and reintegration, Mira is at the forefront of de-radicalisation efforts.
Since 2016, Mira has led a coalition of civil society organisations (CSO) to advocate for the CounterTerrorism Law. Various advocacy strategies are built from within the policy-making system, including building partnerships with the Parliament, MP’s Technical Advisors, submitting the CSO version of the Problem Inventory List and Policy Papers to Parliament Tasks Force and Faction Members. Of the eleven fundamental changes in Law no. 5 of 2018, eight of them have accommodated civil society proposals. Currently, Mira continues to advocate for policy development at the national and regional levels.
In 2017, Mira has initiated the development of a rehabilitation and reintegration (RR) system for deportees and returnees who have been exposed to violent extremism. By building cooperation amongst civil society and government institutions including the Ministry of Social Affairs, Densus 88 AT, BNPT, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Local Government, the RR model was tested applying the RR Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Safety and Security Protocols for social workers, and training social workers including policy advocacy activities to ensure sustainability. Understanding that the community plays an important role in preventing violent extremism especially in the process of social reintegration of ISIS affiliated deportees and returnees, in 2018, Mira initiated a community-based early warning system model in collaboration with the communities and local governments. The model provides space for community members to detect and handle early cases at the community level. With the increased resilience, knowledge, and robust social cohesion, society has become the front guard in preventing the spread of ideology and acts of
terrorism.
Mira has contributed to several publications including: Practical Guidance for CSOs: Developing Academic Paper to Advocate for Gender Responsive Policy Development in Prevention of Violent Extremism and Terrorism, WGWC, 2021 (Writer); Blueprint of A Rehabilitation and Reintegration Center: Guiding Principles for Rehabilitation and Reintegration Returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters and Their Family Members, Hedayah, 2020 (Contributor); Practical Guidelines for CSOs and Local Government Officers: Facilitating Social Reintegration for Individuals Already Exposed to Violent Extremism Ideology, INFID, 2020 (Writer); Community Based Early Warning System Standard Operating Procedure, C-SAVE, 2020 (Writer); A Handbook Children Affected by the Foreign-Fighter Phenomenon: Ensuring A Child Rights-Based Approach, UNOCT, 2020 (Contributor); Interview with Mira Kusumarini, International Review of the Red Cross, 2019 (Interviewee); Invisible Women: Gender Dimensions of Return, Rehabilitation and Reintegration, UNDP and ICAN, 2019 (Contributor); Rehabilitation and Reintegration Standard Operating Procedure for Individuals Already
Exposed to Violent Extremism Ideology, C-SAVE, 2018 (Chief Editor); Safety and Security Protocols in Rehabilitation and Reintegration, C-SAVE, 2018 (Chief Editor).
