His introduction to work in advocay groups came with his being accepted in the ITB Students’ Advocacy Committee in 1979. He also served as Acting President of the Students’ Council from 1979 to 1981. During the course of his professional career, Mr. Hendardi has served or worked through countless of civic organizations promoting human rights and helping minor or vulnerable members of society receive legal assistance. He is presently serving as an expert staff on the board of the Indonesian Lawyers’ Union(SPI). He was the former chairperson of Perhimpunan Bantuan Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia (PBHI) (Association for Legal Advocacy and Human Rights Advocacy) and is currently the chairperson of its Honorary Board.
Additionally, he has founded several important human rights organizations including the Institute for Human Rights Information and Studies in 1989 and the Human Rights Working Group in 2003. For his achievements and dedications to humanitarian works, especially in the area of human rights and legal advocacy, Hendardi has received several prestigious awards and recognitions. Among these are the Human Rights Award from the Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights in 2000, the Human Rights Award from the international organization of Human Rights Watch in 1991. He also accepted the Human Rights Award as the Asian Representative during the UN’s 50 years’ commemoration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Los Angeles, in 1998.
In 2000 he was inducted as a Paul Harris Fellow in the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Mr. Hendardi has also authored and edited several literary works including the 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994 “Catatan Keadaan HAM di Indonesia” (Notes on Human Rights Situation in Indonesia) published by the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI).
