Overseas Think Tank for Indonesia

By Beni Bevly
After listening and having short conversation with Bob Woodruff, I was thinking how lucky that the United States has him as its citizen. Not only that, the United States was also the home of 67 out of 100 people who were mentioned by Time in 2006 as the world’s most influential people (Time, May 8, 2006). I believe that they will be a part of them next year.

With 4.6% of the world population (301,482,484 US population compared with 6,585,242,360 world population), U.S. owned 67% of the world’s most influential people (http://www.census.gov/, retrieved on March 28, 2007). These people were ranging from leaders to entertainers, from Bill Gates to Will Smith. The rest of the world’s most influential people were from China, Korea, Japan, Iran, Nigeria etc. Unfortunately I did not find any of them from Indonesia. Indonesia with 3.7% of the world population (241,973,879 Indonesian population compared with 6,585,242,360 world population) is not a home even for one of them. How come?

This question even bugged me more after I left the “In An Instant” seminar conducted by Commonwealth Club, at the Fairmont Hotel Terrace Room, 950 Mason St. (at California), San Francisco, on March 27, 2007. Before discussing this question, I would like to share my experience about this seminar.

The seminar was featuring Bob Woodfruff (Anchor, ABC News; Co-author, In an Instant) and Lee Woodruff (Public Relations Executive; Co-author, In an Instant) as presenters. They – husband and wife – told the story on how Bob, as a new co-anchor of ABC’s “World News Tonight” went to Iraq and his convoy was attacked that leaving him critically injured. A severe brainstem injury forced Bob to give up anchoring and focus on his recovery, and his wife Lee has stayed by his side. They described how this traumatic event has helped them define themselves as a family and led to the creation for their new inspiring book “In an Instant.”

Basically, this seminar brought up a message that this couple had outstanding characters that made them more than worth to be heard. They represented the courage, integrity, patients, smart, and determination. They were not shy telling the audience how ugly their life and relationship during his recovery, how they were behind with the mortgage, and how “stupid” Bob was. He even did not remember what mortgage was, and who Tony Blair was.

According to Bob, at that moment, he was 99.6% recovered from brainstem injury. He could explain a lot of things, but his wife still reminded him what the correct word to say in one or two occasions.

Even though Lee did not agree if Bob went back to Iraq, he said that it would be an honor if he could go back and did his job.

They were also candid in telling their opinion about George Bush’s Administration. Basically, they did not agree with war on Iraq. Lee even expressed this with strong words to warn Bush such as, “ … kick his (Bush’s) groin.”

I believe one day, Bob and Lee Woodruff will be categorized as the world’s most influential people.

As an Indonesian, I am jealous that none of us is chosen as one of the world’s most influential people. How can it be? Look, Indonesia has almost as many people as the Unites States does. If I ask Time about this, what do you think their answer? I will let my question open, so you as readers can be the judges.

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*Beni Bevly holds BA in Political Science, MBA in Marketing, and is a DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) candidate. He is the founder of Overseas Think Tank for Indonesia.