Amelia Hapsari

Since I was a child, I have always been curious. My life decisions have been driven by my curiosity in how change can happen, how change is organized, and how we can collaboratively create a greater change, together with other actors and stakeholders.

My parents are entrepreneurs. I saw that their determination and hard work in building a small hardware store brought economic change in our life. However, in 1998, I saw that the regime that had systematically stigmatized and discredited Chinese Indonesians like my family was brought down. This drastic change brought freedom of expression and allowed greater change to happen. As a university student, I was compelled to join in the force.

Initially, documentary filmmaking was the way I could contribute to change. Documentary filmmaking enabled me to express what change needed to happen. In 2009, I took an opportunity to become the Executive Director of a non-profit production house in East Timor.

In 2012, I was recruited to lead another non-profit, In-Docs. At this point, In-Docs needed to change its strategy, from conducting documentary workshops and screenings to one that solves the systemic problem of Indonesian documentary: funding and distribution. I had to create multi-stakeholder collaborations between filmmakers, international industry actors, Indonesian government actors, as well as diverse civil society actors who believe in documentary films. In the span of 8.5 years, I gained first-hand experience in system change.

In 2020, Ashoka provided me with another great learning ground. Our audacious goal of “Everyone a Changemaker” allows me to be part of a greater movement that is co-led by leading educational institutions and women leaders who are building youth and family ecosystems that support change. Ashoka’s partnership with Co-Impact also allows me to learn and create a learning community with the boldest system drivers in Indonesia, as well as coaches that assist organizations around the world to achieve their bold ambitions.

As I lean in to assist these systemic leaders, my position is always to listen and understand their ambitions while reflecting back to them what I have listened to, connecting them to resources that can help them along the way.

I am most enthusiastic when I see openness, willingness to learn, and the ability to reflect freely and radically.

Additional Reading: The Jakarta Post: Amelia Hapsari Champions Southeast Asian Documentaries