We all witnessed the power of people. Hopefully Egyptians will have a better, more democratic and transparent election and government afterwards. Lots to learn from Indonesia’s experience before, especially our mistakes.
Mubarak is out, finally. Check out Newsweek’s gallery of downed despots
— Joseph E. Stiglitz “The Way Out of Debt? Spend, Spend, Spend” on Newsweek, Dec 2010- Feb 2011 Edition
Held on 11-12 November in Seoul, South Korea.
G20 Seoul Summit is being held 11-12 November 2010 in Seoul, South Korea. Leaders gathered today to ratify the Seoul Declaration which consists of agreements over several issues with the basic theme of “Growth Beyond Crisis”. Development would be the main concern that South Korea, as well as other developing countries, brings to the table of Leaders.
The success of this meeting has been everyone’s hope, yet there are several negative comments and pessimistic on the significance of this meeting. Especially since the meeting has only seen as the arena between United States and China in defending each position over currency issue.
If you could make one/two statement that would be watched by all of the Leaders in G20 about what you really concern in economic issue, and what they should do to make things work, what would you say?
I know exactly that this is pretty late, since the Seoul Declaration would be ratified in less than, what, 3 hours, and the upcoming meeting will be held next year on November, but if you can say things that may bring change to the world, what would you say to the leaders?
— (via yieldingassets)
Today, November 10th 2010, President Obama gave a public lecture in my campus, Universitas Indonesia. After postponing his visit to Indonesia twice, he actually kept his promise by visiting his so-called-hometown and promised that it won’t be the last time he visited Indonesia. Although he didn’t promise he will visit Indonesia again in short time administration (who knows). Anyway, it was a huge moment for all of us, especially it’s the chance for people could actually see and hear his speech, which well known as always amazing, inspiring, and charismatic.
Yet, no, I didn’t have the chance to attend, since everything is too complicated and bureaucratic, and not everyone can attend because the White House, US Embassy, and Indonesian government, including my university, has been very selective in inviting people to come. I was disappointed but thank God I had the chance to see him last June in Toronto at G20 Summit, so I was not that disappointed. And anyway, his speech was aired live by all the national TV in Indonesia.
Well basically, he talked about enhancing cooperation in many sectors with Indonesia, including economy, security, terrorism, anti-corruption, development, education, and so on, which pretty much issues discussed in G20 Summit. But then he mentioned about the pluralism that Indonesia has. He reminded us with the multi-etnics, pluralism, multiculturalism, which were the Indonesian identity. We recognize 5 religions, hundreds of ethnics and local languages, with millions of characters we have here in Indonesia. And that’s what Obama tried to emphasize to Indonesian citizen. We have been hit by the wave of globalization that increased the number of “debates” that sometimes doesn’t end well.
He pushed us, the government and the people, to always remember the constituent we should protect, the principle we have, and who we really are, (reflected by everytime he mentioned Pancasila and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika), in order to reduce the number of extrimists thus we can achieve the stability, which is very important for Indonesia. Indonesia is really important for United States, in terms of Indonesia as the largest Moslem’s population country but not a Moslem country, so Indonesia would be the ideal model for the world that shows how United States is friendly with Moslem people/countries.
The bad thing I found from his speech, nonetheless, was my expectation that my own President SBY, would give that speech in emphasizing who we, as a nation, really are. We shouldn’t be reminded by an outsider to tell us who we really are, what we should do, and how we deal with our own people. Yet, to learn something, sometimes we should hear from other people. To learn something, sometimes we should be hit extremely hard. Well I just hope that Indonesia could be really learnt something from this visit. Not because the President of United States is coming, yet because (like what Gunawan Moehamad tweet this afternoon) “there is a country that hasn’t been forgotten, Indonesia”.
I surely see this as a great momentum for myself to really believe in Indonesia, not because President Obama said so, yet because there are people out there who believe in Indonesia. We should overcome all the issues we have. Hopefully the earthquake, the tsunami, the development we achieved this far, the brilliant Indonesian youth people who won academic titles all over the world, will make us learn a lot, in building a new perspective and strategy, in reaching a more prosper lives of people inside. Not because people tell us so, yet because we actually can.
Future next, will President Ahmadinedjad come to Indonesia and give a public lecture in my campus like the last time he did 2006? I would be dying to come, I would love to see his thoughts about things. He never failed me everytime he gave speech.
Anyway I found myself thinking more and more about my wildest dream. I want to be a President. Not because the title, not because the coolness, not because the bureaucracy (of course), yet because I want to take part of changing and emerging Indonesia. And I hope I can take Indonesia to the next level.
It was my own opinion, and I know I’m a dreamy. Let’s just live the life and see how life takes you, and me.
Best regard,
This is an interesting campaign you may wanna know (and I recommend you to take a look) if you are pretty much concern with the threat we’re facing right now.
Institute for Essentia Services Reform (IESR) is Indonesian NGO that works in the field of energy sector in Indonesia. One of the campaign that IESR has been working right now is about the climate justice, which is the continuity of climate change issue.
The idea of climate justice nonetheless is the fact that developed countries have contributed tons of CO2 in order to reach the wealth that earth has been the victim alongside with people in the world, especially in developing countries. Developing countries have been the victims in terms of most of them feel the impacts, such as climate change, food crisis, or even energy crisis. All the forum like UNFCCC and COP that have been held annually seem haven’t succeeded in forcing and realizing developed countries’ commitments in changing their behaviours and cutting the emissions contribution each year. As long as they won’t cut the emissions, the world would face the same problem, and it’s getting worse and worse each day.
This is why, IESR Indonesia started with the campaign to extend what you’re thinking and feeling about the issue, and what you wanna say to the developed countries’ leaders about this. You can tell them your concern about this, and IESR will try to deliver it to those leaders by giving your letter to all developed countries’ embassies in Jakarta.
Please do contribute and send your letter. Tell them what you really think about this. A little thing you say will make a big change. Click on the photo and you will reach the website where you can write your letter there.
We hope our home the best thing it could get. IESR can’t do this by themselves, I can’t do it by myself, but we can do it together! :)
I wish this was not the story I would tell my children or grandchilren before bedtime. We’re trying to prevent this by doing little things, let’s say using electricity wisely and so on. But then the real question, is it enough? Do we still have time?
Last question would be, “is it a happy ending?”
I got the chance to attend MY SUMMIT 2010 as official delegation of Indonesia with 6 others. MY SUMMIT was the official youth summit alongside with G8 and G20 Summit back June in Muskoka and Toronto, Canada. Basically, what we’re doing there was getting and learning on a semi-formal/talkshow lecturer from people who are pretty much competent in each subjects of seminar.
The first seminar we attended was about stories about youth entrepreneurs that concerned with social issues surrounds us in todays world. They got like 4 speakers, which are generally 25ish, who are building their own company from zero. They’re talking about how they started their company, built it, got profit, and gave back to society in many ways. Then the Q & A session were officially opened, and questions were asked. One of the question was about how they differenciate between profit and contribution. They answered it with different sentences, different point of view, different concentration of aspect, but I did smell something same. They thought that obviously companies need profit to stay alive, and by staying alive, the chance to contribute in society will be always there by giving people chance to get a job, or social responsibility program that has been pretty hip today, or you name it. One of the speaker once said -which I remembered clearly- that they couldn’t be naïve in this world, companies need money, they need profit, and that would be the main goal today in building the company, until we got to the top and share. Yes, we will share to society.”
I knew exactly who I was listening to. Yes, they are entrepreneurs, they build companies which made them private sectors, and they natural habit would be profit-oriented (well some people say profit-predators, but for me, it’s too harshed and stereotyping). Nothing can change it. I even have a slight thought of pessimistic on whether there are social-entrepreneurs, until I had a talk with Indonesia’s Minister of Finance who enlightened me with the definition of entrepreneur itself -yes I should’ve checked the dictionaries a lot. Well back to the topic, I myself believe that something won’t change, and private sectors will always be private sectors -I’m not judging.
The question for the last speaker I think was until which point would you concentrate in profits until you give back to society? How much you have disadvantaged people surrounds your company and even your workers rather than you can give back to them their rights? Or whether do you think that social acts and profits are two things that can go along together? Private sectors don’t think about society/people in the area, neighbourhood, country. It’s not their concern though not always heartless but sometimes so-called rationality of private sectors competes and wins from the heart. Who can take the action then?
State/government can. Rules and regulations over social responsibility which private sectors obliged to contribute and distribute particular part of the profit they make all this far to people/society/workers that might disadvantage with the company. Rules and regulations can be modified based on the company ability, but the idea is still the same.
