Indonesia enters the new millennium at a time of transition. It has experienced several crises -- in particular the economic crisis of 1997-98, a severe intensification of its environmental degradation, and more recently the East Timor crisis, the ongoing Aceh demand for independence, the change of government from the autocratic Soeharto regime to one democratically elected and under the leadership of President Abdurrahman Wahid, and the outbreak of a number of violent communal conflicts. These crises were separate but have interlinked social and political dynamics. This major volume is the...

Understanding the nexus between employment, living standards and poverty is a major challenge in Indonesia. Trends in poverty are heavily dependent on labour market opportunities and social spending in education and health. The question is how to create opportunities and spend money wisely - a subject of intense debate in Indonesia. The government has brought a renewed focus to poverty reduction since the end of the Asian financial crisis, especially under the current president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. This book shows how Indonesia is travelling with regard to employment, social policy and...