WHO WE ARE

Our History

2019

Our Founders, Desma Murni and Dhenok Pratiwi, initiated and led She Creates Change―Green Camp, a leadership program to empower women leaders in environmental movements in Indonesia.

2020

She Creates Change Green Camp program was launched for the 2nd time and adapted into online training due to Covid-19. The program is a part of Change.org’s global initiative to build ecosystems of change makers in Indonesia, India, Columbia, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa

2022

The leadership program is developing into a more inclusive We Create Change program reaching a total of 80 civic leaders, including women and youth, in 24 provinces across Indonesia.

2023

Our founders, Desma Murni and Dhenok Pratiwi parted ways with Change.org and Co-founded WeSpeakUp.org to continue supporting civil society to thrive. At WeSpeakUp.org they team up with Mathilde and Aprijanti who are specialized in program development and technology.

WE

SPEAK

UP

At WeSpeakUp.org, we provide training, and campaign support for changemakers to build people-power for justice and win in the digital age. We tackle a range of critical issues that require immediate attention, including environment and climate change, gender equality, and promoting youth participation and democratic values. We are not affiliated to any political parties.

We believe that by empowering individuals and communities, promoting civic involvement, and harnessing the power of storytelling, we can bring about lasting change.

We’re dedicated to making a lasting impact by providing changemakers and underrepresented groups with the tools, strategies, tactics, and resources they need to amplify their voices and create positive change.

At WeSpeakUp.rg we’re also striving to promote collaborative cultures. We believe solutions will not come from one group or one person working in isolation, but from a community of changemakers who work together and build on each others’ strengths.

Advisory Board

Sakdiyah Ma'ruf

Sakdiyah Ma'ruf is Indonesia's first Muslim Female Stand-up Comedian, who actively advocates for vital issues such as women's empowerment, tolerance, interfaith dialogue, as well as combating violence against women and all forms of discrimination.

Her commendable contributions extend beyond comedy, as she holds a Master's degree in American Studies. Sakdiyah's impactful work has garnered international acclaim and prestigious accolades, including the Vaclav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent 2015 and being named one of BBC 100 Women in 2018. Sakdiyah also engages actively as a Conference Interpreter, Talkshow Host, MC, Moderator, and Facilitator in various events. Furthermore, she spearheads literacy and art initiatives with her family, collaborating with the residents of Rumah Bambu Fatimah in Desa Kalisalak, Batang, Central Java, fostering creativity and knowledge-sharing within the community. Within WeSpeakUp.org, Sakdiyah serves as a valued member of the Advisory Board, leveraging her expertise to provide unwavering support and guidance, ensuring the organization succeeds in its mission and creates a positive impact on society.

Our Team

Founded by a passionate group of visionary women, WeSpeakUp.org is also committed to enhancing women's participation in leadership roles and social movements, ultimately contributing to a more equitable society.

Executive Director

Desmarita Murni

Desma is the executive director and co-founder of WeSpeakUp.org. She has over 20 years experience in project management, partnership, and communications and campaigns for social change.

Prior to her current role, she worked with Change.org for over 8 years, holding various roles including Communications and Partnership Director in Indonesia and then a global role as a Partnership Lead with the Change.org Foundation, where she built and managed relationships with strategic partners in Asia and Africa. In 2019 and 2021, she played a leading role in designing and implementing the She Creates Change Program, aimed at empowering women leaders for social change in Indonesia, particularly on issues around environmental protection, climate justice and gender equality. Prior working with Change.org, she was a campaigner with WWF-Indonesia and a journalist with Media Group.

Campaign Director

Dhenok Pratiwi

Dhenok is a co-founder of WeSpeakUp.org and has 12 years experience in communication, campaigning and advocacy. She served as an interim Country Director for Change.org

Indonesia, where she led the country team and developed strategies to achieve revenue targets. Dhenok has been actively involved in social campaigns, including promoting women's participation in politics, advocating for anti-sexual violence laws, and improving accessibility for people with disabilities. She has also been engaged in environmental campaigns, ranging from promoting the reduction of plastic bag usage to supporting campaigns led by environmental defenders in Borneo and Sangihe Island. Before her work at Change.org, Dhenok worked as an editor and journalist in several publications such as Detik.com and The Jakarta Post. Recently, she’s been exploring ESG, sustainable development, and renewable energy areas.

Event and Community Engagement Specialist

Mathilde Hutagaol

Mathilde is a co-founder of WeSpeakUp.org. With 15 years of experience in various humanitarian and development organizations in Indonesia, she brings expertise in project management,

event organizing, community engagement, capacity building, facilitation, and government relations to contribute to the growth of WeSpeakUp.org. In 2019, Mathilde played a critical role as an event organizer for Change.org Indonesia.She successfully delivered two major events: the She Creates Change learning lab and the AKAR conference, which showcased impactful campaigns led by Indonesian changemakers. Mathilde is enthusiastic about WeSpeakUp.org's mission to empower women and youth leaders in Indonesia for increased participation.

Brand and Technology Specialist

Aprijanti

Aprie is a co-founder of WeSpeakUp.org with a strong background in digital marketing campaigns, web programming, social media content creation, and managing key opinion leaders.

She is deeply passionate about digital technology and is dedicated to promoting greater representation of girls and women in the tech sector. Aprie believes that by encouraging women's participation in STEM fields, providing capacity-building opportunities, and creating support systems, they can overcome barriers and unleash their full potential. With an engineering and web programming background, she has worked with tech-related companies like Telkomsel, Daikin, and Start Up Agency, taking on roles in digital marketing, database management, data analysis, campaign monitoring, and web programming. Aprie is also an active writer and blogger, contributing lifestyle experiences, travel insights, and beauty tips to her personal blog.

Associate Campaigner

Frida Kurniawati

Frida is an Associate Campaigner at WeSpeakUp.org. Armed with copywriting and graphic design skills, since 2018 Frida discovered her interest in communicating knowledge via social media, particularly around gender issues.

Starting from her involvement in the campaign to voice cases of sexual violence that occurred on one of the campuses in Yogyakarta, Frida joined the Anti-Sexual Violence Civil Society Coalition (KOMPAKS) where she was actively involved in a series of advocacy campaigns to ratify the bill on the Elimination of Sexual Violence. Her understanding of the intersectionality between gender and the ecological crisis has grown since she joined Extinction Rebellion (XR) Indonesia in early 2020. One of the campaigns she voiced with XR included #MerdekadariKrisisIklim. Before joining WeSpeakUp.org, Frida worked for five years as a research assistant at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). A number of her writings have been published in The Conversation Indonesia, Remotivi, and Magdalene.

Finance Officer

Michelle Nilam

As a Finance Officer at WeSpeakUp.org, Michelle has a very important role in supporting the successful work of all team members in the organization, from ensuring bookkeeping

to smooth financial operations and implementing the organization's strategic projects. Before joining WeSpeakUp.org Michelle had almost a decade of experience in accounting and financial management in a number of private companies, where she also held important roles including tax management, financial analysis, payroll, project monitoring and budgeting. Currently, Michelle is continuing her Master's degree at Paramadina University in the Business Management Program where she is very interested in studying financial strategy and business ethics, so that economic aspects can work in harmony with social and sustainability aspects.

Social Media Consultant

Angelina De Yong

Angelina De Yong, also known as Elin, is a Social Media Consultant at WeSpeakUp.org. Her expertise in digital marketing is used to create positive impacts in society through digital campaigns.

Elin believes that whatever she does should be able to bring positive change to society. This is one of her main motivations for joining WeSpeakUp.org. She aims to make a difference and raise awareness to encourage people to speak up. Currently, Elin also helps improve the social media performance of non-profit organizations and socially conscious companies, such as 1000 Days Fund and Terratai. Previously, Elin has worked with Umat Untuk Semesta, Binar Academy, and Change.org Indonesia.

Illustrator & Graphic Designer

Baiq Rosdiana Susanti

Baiq Rosdiana Susanti is familiarly called Ros. He is an Intern Illustrator and Graphic Designer at WeSpeakUp.org. He uses his passion for the world of content creation as a platform to speak out about social issues around him, through his images and designs.

TikTok Content Creator

Isyatami

Tami is a TikTok Content Creator Intern at WeSpeakUp.org. Her interest in journalism is expressed in responding to various social issues, especially inclusiveness and tolerance by creating digital campaigns on social media.