Archive for December, 2009
Why Obama skipping Jakarta might not be so bad
Image Source: javno.com
By Evan A. Laksmana and Hazelia Margaretha
They say Indonesia is the most important country that the United States knows very little about. Cynics recited this clich* when airing their disappointment as President Barack Obama went on his big Asia tour recently, skipping Jakarta.
After all, Obama supposedly has deep, long-standing ties with Indonesia, going way back to his childhood. In fact, “Barry” – as President Obama is popularly known by Indonesians – has become something of an icon in Indonesian politics in the past year.
As such, some have been tempted to argue that perhaps Indonesia’s role in the American grand strategy is not so pivotal after all. Upon a closer look, however, Obama skipping Indonesia was perhaps not such a bad thing for both countries. Read the rest of this entry »
Menghentikan Perbuatan Immoral Majority
Sumber Gambar: 3.bp.blogspot.com
Oleh Dr. Beni Bevly
Sangatlah miris menyaksikan kasus-kasus penyelesaian korupsi di Indonesia yang berkembang ke arah yang tidak menentu dan dinilai tidak adil oleh banyak kalangan masyarakat. Perkembangan kasus korupsi seperti ini muncul kepermukaan melalui penahanan pemimpin Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) Bibit Samad Rianto dan Chandra Hamzah, kemudian menjalar ke kasus Bank Century. Pekembangan yang lain adalah penyelesaian kasus Prita Mulyasari.
Hal istimewa apakah yang membuat kasus-kasus ini begitu banyak mendapat perhatian dan keterlibatan dari berbagai pihak, baik dalam dan luar negeri? Mengapa kasus seperti ini terus berkelanjutan walaupun sudah lebih dari 10 tahun reformasi digulirkan? Sebagai manusia yang anti korupsi, bagaimana kita bisa mengambil bagian dalam pemberantasannya? Read the rest of this entry »
Peran Penjelasan Tertulis dalam Berbisnis
Sumber Gambar: davidairey.com
Oleh Dr. Beni Bevly
Penerbangan antara San Francisco dan San Diego di Tanah Seberang beberapa hari lalu mengingatkan saya akan betapa pentingnya penjelasan tertulis – termasuk gambar di permukaan kertas dan media lainnya – dalam berbisnis dan bagaimana merumuskannya secara tepat. Di dalam pesawat Southwest yang terkenal berani menawarkan harga tiket rendah dan efesiensinya, saya membuka petujuk lembaran evakuasi jika terjadi kecelakaan. Hanya dengan kalimat yang sederhana dan bantuan gambar-gambar, penjelasan itu bisa saya pahami dengan mudah. Pada perinsipnya, manajemen Southwest ingin menyampaikan pesan bagaimana untuk menyelamatkan diri jika terjadi pendaratan medadak baik di darat maupun di perairan. Read the rest of this entry »
Minority rights, cladistics, and language watch
by Jennie S. Bev
One of the most common harassments experienced by a minority is verbal. Often it is so subtle that the targeted group doesn’t even realize. In Indonesia, it’s common that abusive and oppressive remarks are made by the media and even by academics. Stern language watch is key to uphold minority’s right to live in dignity and with peace of mind. Failure to address this issue is likely to prolong minority and human rights abuses.
All of us must work together to watch the use of language in media, by academics and among one another.
In recent the Bank Century and Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) scandals, for instance, some Chinese Indonesians have been the target of derogatory and abusive language. Read the rest of this entry »
Statelessness, refugees, and human rights
(Image source: Muslimdunia.wordpress.com)
by Jennie S. Bev
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed in Article 14 that everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
In Article 15, it declared that everyone has the right to a nationality and no one should be arbitrarily deprived of their nationality, or denied the right to change it.
These two articles are underlying principles for all nations to acknowledge political and religious refugees’ rights to resettle.
Has Indonesia adhered to these principles in its handling of refugees? Read the rest of this entry »
BRIDGING ISLAM AND THE WEST: An Indonesian View
Title: BRIDGING ISLAM AND THE WEST: An Indonesian View
Author: Dr. Muhamad Ali
Language: English
Publisher: Penerbit Ushul Press, Fakultas Ushuluddin, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
Genre: Anthology
Specification: xiv, 192 hlm: 14×21 cm; soft cover
INTRODUCTION
This book, which is a collection of articles and essays written and published in the Jakarta Post daily and other newspapers and journals over the last six years from 2002, is a product of a continued interest in the relationship between Muslims and the West. The 9/11/2001 terrorist attack in New York has marked a new phase of global history particularly as regards to the West and Muslim societies not only in the center of Islam, the Middle East, but also in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and the United States. The relationship between East and West which since the World War II to the collapse of the Soviet Union (USSR) was especially dominated by the Cold War between the two world powers – the capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union (USSR) – has now shifted into new and different players, involving the state, international organizations, and civil associations as well as individuals. Read the rest of this entry »
Climate change is also defense and security problem
Image source: beritajakarta.com
by Evan A. Laksmana
We are now only less than a month away from the UN summit on climate Change in Copenhagen to hammer out a new post-Kyoto deal to save the planet.
Meanwhile, recent reports show that in Southeast Asia, one of the most susceptible regions to climate change, more than 750,000 people have died between 1998 and 2009 from natural disasters.
Indonesia too will soon see firsthand the increases in the severity of drought, flooding, forest fires, rising sea level and extreme weather conditions.
Yet, with this impending disaster, the then defense minister Juwono Sudarsono said recently his department had no specific national security agenda for climate change.
This statement is shocking – not least for its lack of concern about how climate change could radically change our national defense. Read the rest of this entry »
The Mindanao conflict, “rido,” and foul politics
by Jennie S. Bev
Special to the Brunei Times
The Mindanao conflict is one of the oldest and the most misunderstood conflicts in human history. The complexity of this conflict involving intricate relationships pertaining to self-determination and access and control pertaining to land, which is often referred to as “ancestral domain”, and natural resources among the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and three peoples — Muslim Bangsamoro, Christian settlers, and indigenous tribes — is made even more multifarious with vertical and horizontal clashes and other external elements. The other elements are communist rebels, extremist Muslim terrorists, capitalistic corporations, biased media favouring the government and politicians, and corrupt politicians at Manila and local levels.
With culture of impunity ever prevalent, foul politics by corrupt politicians, warlords, and military elements have been causing tremendous casualties. The recent massacre of 47 people in the town of Datu Abdullah Sanki in Maguindanao province, which has forced President Gloria Arroyo to declare national state of emergency on November 23, 2009, is a case of foul local politics between Muslim clans. Read the rest of this entry »
