Economic Disparity That Starts From Campus Life

My friend and I were walking on our path to campus. Once we talked about how the overwhelmed motor-cycle and car parking lot in the campus. Our talking, arbitrarily, continued unto a topic about how could reduce the private-vehicle user at the campus since it was doubtful for increasing the payment. Many students would raise protest with their own reasons such as their home those are very far from campus.

I then said that actually the changing life style of students at our campus brought so many consequences such as the economic disparity among students. My friend agreed with my statement and he added that the disparity in the campus become clearer ever since. “When I entered this campus first time, knowing that I had a rent-house for one-a-half million rupias a month, I was scare for talking about it publicly. And when I brought my new car from Jakarta, I also had a feeling that I will be very strange. But now, I am feeling that my condition is normal. People may freely talk about their rent-house for up to two millions per month. They also can easily for talking about motor-cycle, car, publicly. I never mind it will be happened before.”

The condition depicted above is absolutely happening nowadays, not only at my campus. But, there is one thing that should be noted down: the disparity comes from the students, the so called future leader. It can be clearly seen also when some of my friends can easily talk about their new car and how busy they are for getting regular service. Some people then also talked about how proud they are since they could go abroad. The story is never-ending since there is a sharing among them almost every day, though the story is always same. It just repeated seemingly to announce: I can go abroad, either for taking some courses or for taking some relax time.

Francis Fukuyama in his treatise, Our Posthuman Future, explains a little regarding self-esteem. Even though he correlates it with drug, I would like to correlate it with nowadays living. He says that self-esteem is a psychological concept and undoubtedly people will need it in order to be fully recognized as human being.

He explains further with quoting Robert Frank since he says that much of we understand to be economic interest is really a demand for status recognition or positional goods. It can be concluded then having branded goods do not merely mean that we need it. Instead, we buy it for people to acknowledge that we also can for having it. Undoubtedly, it will raise our social status in surrounding society.

If it is correlated in the economic disparity that starts in campus, it can also be said that having a car or motor cycle and going abroad are often correlated with student’s desire for recognition instead of transportation. Why do not they take public transportation for going to campus if their house is not that far? Why do not they just take their experience in going abroad in their mind or just sharing it at “normal” time, means that it is not that often shared giving some signs that they were eager to be recognized?

Fukuyama further says that there is a devaluation of self-esteem in nowadays era. He says that a normal and morally acceptable way for achieving it are by struggling, competing, and working hard. And devaluation comes when people can get it easily without have to struggle. In his book, people obtain it by consuming Prozac, a kind of drugs that can provide serotonin which is believed contribute for producing self-esteem in human being, and in student’s lifetime, it is achieved by having goods which is granted and not taken by struggling. By having it, they can earn their rising-status automatically.

But, how important that matter? Being recognized as having something that people cannot have it easily just brings disparity. There will be a gap between people who are rich, standard, and those who are poor. And is it a good condition in campus life?

Michael J. Sandel in his book, Justice, says that in order to achieve a good nation, solidarity is needed and thus a disparity should not be let to grow well since there will be no more equality. Since solidarity is a bonding agent, a nation can degrade and break down if it loses its solidarity. Thus, the same logic can also be applied in the students’ case.

Society may say that actually undergraduate-students are people who can be engaged in voicing society’s aspiration. The May 1998 tragedy where student could easily break down the authoritarian regime still exists in people’s mind. But, one thing that should be noted is in that era the solidarity feeling among students was at its peak since they shared a same feeling namely repression by authoritarian era.

Nowadays condition, however, is not the same. Economic disparity may raise feeling inferiority among the poor and superiority among the rich. They are left with their own room and make it available only for those who can follow each of the life style of the group. The poor cannot join the rich since they will lose their money in significant and huge amount. And the rich may also feel unsatisfied either. How can then solidarity be built?

Undoubtedly, this is a phenomenon that actually cannot be hindered. But, student themselves can start to promote solidarity by their struggle to clear up economic disparity. It can be started from a simplest way by using public transportation and reduce their “show-off” deeds among their peers.

Furthermore, campus authority may have to raise the payment of the public-vehicle in campus. Aside for reducing pollution, it is useful to promote inclusive circumstance in campus. In special case regarding student who have the distance between their home and campus is very far, private vehicle may be used by making approval between counselor and parents. Another alternative is by applying campus-mass-transportation that is exclusively used for students either for taking or delivering them from and to home if they have to go home late night or if their house is very far.

Economic disparity in campus actually should be cleared up. If it cannot be stopped, it then doubtful for student to promote change for Indonesia since they still maintain disparity. Thus, it is also doubtful to clear up the gap between the rich and poor in Indonesia since student are the future generation and leader for Indonesia.

Furthermore, if, from now, as a future leader, student cannot control their desire to be recognized based upon branded goods, it is then a matter of fact that corruption case increases in Indonesia since the corrupted money is used for satisfying their mundane desire. Important to be noted: to be recognized is not always started by having something branded and private.

Commemorating Indonesia Independence Day: Facing Intolerance as a New Mode of Colonizer

In its 66 years old, Indonesia still has many tasks waiting to be finished immediately. Economic, deforestation, mining, and other national problems may be part of the tasks. But, there still remaining one task that absolutely seems heavy to be cleared: problem of pluralism in Indonesia.

Two days before Indonesia commemorates its independence day, Serang court gave verdict regarding Cikeusik case and then punished for six months prison for Deden Sudjana from Ahmadi sect. As a comparison, 12 peoples who were clearly engaged in conducting violence only got 3-6 months. Thus, he should bear punishment that is absolutely lighter than several people from the violence conductor side.

Another case can be clearly seen in Ramadhan month nowadays. Even though FPI had given their word for not using violence at Ramadhan month several days before Moslems conducted their fasting, reality said the opposite when FPI should using violence in Makassar against food stall that still opened at afternoon. Furthermore, this tragedy can also potentially happen in Jakarta as several news reported.

Thus a question does rise: when injustice clearly happened in Cikeusik case and people with more power can easily using violence in as much as they tend to do so, how can Indonesia’s independence be conceived as a full freedom?

Talking about Pancasila
At first, Pancasila was conceptualized with principle “Believe in the one and only God” in order to build Indonesia not just based upon nationality, humanity, deliberation, and also social welfare but also to make the independence of Indonesia according to every person’s principle of religion.

Soekarno, at that time, realized that actually Indonesia is enveloped by diverse circumstance, especially in religion. Thus, in his speech regarding Pancasila, he emphasized that among religions that exist in Indonesia, one principle should be a prerequisite: respectful upon other. He noted that it is important for Indonesians to become a civilized people in this matter. Thus, it is absolutely wrong to be egoistic and doing domination upon others based upon Soekarno idea.

When Pancasila would be fully applied as Indonesia basis, a clash happened regarding this principle. There were several groups who supports for using “with the obligation for its Muslim adherents to carry out the Sharia law” and the rest did not give any. The clash actually brought Indonesia independence became unstable. Many regions, especially those are located on East Indonesia, really wanted to release themselves from the unity of Indonesia if the principle was really applied since they felt the principle was used for making Indonesia to become a one-religious country.

Finally, after several debates, it was agreed the words were not to be used and the principle never depicts any religious tendentious for only supporting one religion until now. The principle then does exist as a binding for guarding pluralism with Indonesia slogan”Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (United in Diversity).

Soekarno might be very sad if he could live in Indonesia nowadays. It is not just about the dependence of Indonesia’s economic system or any others factors. But, more important, the principle, which had been admirably explained for more than sixty-six years ago, has been successfully altered and not fully yet applied nowadays.

There is no respectful manner against minority. Nationality then is only an emblem that can no longer bind Indonesians in diversity. Humanity and deliberation have also been neglected under the domination circumstance.

Resurrection of the values
Hence, it is clear that actually Indonesia has lost its essence in toleration though it has been fully explained by Indonesia first president, Mr Soeakrno. Intolerance action nowadays seems become another mode of colonialism since it can potentially split the unity of Indonesia. Thus, in commemorating Indonesia Independence Day, what is important is to rebuild Indonesia toleration and to make Indonesia gets its true essence of independence.

Deliberation without domination is needed in order to make a bridge between difference views in diverse circumstance. This idea was strictly underlined by Soekarno in his speech regarding Pancasila. He based it upon the term of deliberation and democracy that would be a part of Pancasila.

This concept thus has been also shared by Jurgen Habermas by his concept of deliberative democracy. Furthermore, he also adds some regulations and one thing that very important is there is no domination in disseminating one view.
This value that actually Indonesia lacks of that makes intolerance can easily gnaw from inside. It can be clearly seen in injustice case against minority and also FPI that can easily raid food stall and also Ahmadis house in Ramadhan month. Deliberation in Indonesia thus never detaches itself from harsh domination.

This value then has to be resurrected immediately. Domination should be erased by the appearance of law enforcer and justice should be built properly to accommodate people fairly regardless their background.

In this sixty-six years independence day, Indonesia still has to suffer intolerance action that actually has been a long problem since the birth of democracy. But Soekarno said that independence is just a way for achieving a better life in a nation. Thus, by being independence and get free from outer colonizer, it is imperative for Indonesia to escalate its toleration by applying deliberation properly and building justice fairly. This is done in order to prevent Indonesia from its new mode kind of colonizer, namely the intolerance circumstance and finally to achieve total independence of Indonesia in its true essence.

The Ramadhan Paradox in Indonesia

Ramadhan month is always exalted by Muslims across the world as a month for cleaning their own heart; since in this month they have to do fasting means to reduce their desire for eating, drinking, and sexual conduct. Unfortunately, there is one desire that seems very hard to remove: a desire for doing violence and harsh action.

Even though the desire is not conducted by all Muslims, it has successfully given Ramadhan month an opposite essence. It can be clearly seen by what had been done by FPI in Makassar when they did raid upon a restaurant that opened in Ramadhan. What does make it worse is several days ago they vowed to not conduct any harsh action. Another case can be seen in Aceh when Sharia police had to arrest three men for buying food.

The month is then no longer considered as a month full of grace and peace; instead it is the month when extremist can do more harsh action in the name of religion in order to establish the ”true” Ramadhan and many people haunted. Is the condition above really expected and should happen regularly in Ramadhan?

The essence of fasting
A question does rise here: what is the truly essence of fasting in Ramadhan month? Is it true that the aim is to only reduce of flesh desire?

Whatever religion that is used as a basis for conducting fasting, the essence of fasting is never altered absolutely. There will always the same ground where every kind of fasting places its own root. And the ground is fasting is essential for doing reflection. Thus another question does rise: why fasting should be a moment for reflection?

What does lack now is the truly essence for rebuilding one soul to be a better person, not only for himself and religion, but in a broader sense: for their surrounding society. Thus, fasting is a moment for doing a reflection. Have I done something useful for society or on the other hand, had only always done something useless and harsh? That is the question that actually should be answered by those who are conducting fasting.

What is actually conducted in fasting is thus not merely to reduce flesh desire. Furthermore, it is also about how people can control themselves properly. And this can be measured not through them alone; instead through how they treat other. If fasting can only bring hatred feeling toward other especially with using violence, it can be no longer considered as fasting. Fasting in this respect is only appearance. It looks like fasting at outer shell but tainted inside.

Unfortunately, this “appearance” fasting is regularly repeated in Indonesia. Extremist can easily tear down night club, massage house, and other night entertainment place, even restaurant that opens in afternoon. In their view, this kind of activity can defile Ramadhan month. But, is there anyone who can precisely determine the level of purity of Ramadhan month? What is more expected: fasting with harshness and violence upon other or doing fasting with bringing peace with other?

Problem of regulation
Another important issue beside the essence of Ramadhan, which actually lost in the hand of those who conduct violence, is regulation. In Indonesia, many regions regulate that in the Ramadhan month, night entertainment must stop their activities and restaurants should also do the same thing but in more limited times, namely in morning until evening.

This regulation undoubtedly raises many protests since it is considered to give significant contribution to their income depreciation since not every Indonesian conduct fasting so actually they can still earn money in fasting month.
Another reason is raised by people who work at such working house since they have to also suffer lower income, even do not earn money any longer because they cannot work as usual.

Economy thus has become another problem in Ramadhan month.
Hence, what should be done is making a regulation that can compromise with both sides. On one side, the regulation can provide Muslims for conducting their fasting and on the other, it has to also welcome with restaurant and night club business that provides economy condition for several people.

One thing that should be done regarding the regulation is through a win-win solution. Restaurant can operate in Ramadhan month but with some limits that absolutely constraints their appearance in public. This kind of regulation is implicitly applied by many food stalls by using curtain for closing their stall so outer people cannot directly see what is inside.

Regarding night club, what is imperative to be regulated is about operational time. Absolutely closing them in Ramadhan month is considered as a one-sided policy. Thus, regulating their operational time is necessary. These steps can be used as a win-win solution.

Another accentuation should be placed regarding law enforcer role in Ramadhan month. What makes the above problem worse is, as thejakartaglobe.com reported, that police there just gave his concentration upon the traffic jam.

In the future, this kind of harsh domination should be avoided in order to make hard-line mass organizations do not violate the Indonesia constitution. In this respect that law enforcer should have more power to avoid harsh action done in Ramadhan month.
These several steps actually can be applied in every Ramadhan in order to not make fasting a mere appearance of reducing flesh desire act and in reality the soul is not treated properly. What make Ramadhan month purer are not about how many food stalls and night clubs that can be successfully closed down. If those things are always used as a parameter then Ramadhan is always to about appearance.

Going Abroad and Appreciation

Several appreciations will be granted upon whom does really deserve. But, what are the criteria those are actually applied in this respect?

In several cases, many different modes of criteria will be applied. Amid the differences, what I try to criticize is the mode when people can be appreciated just because they have money for doing the “acknowledged as proud” deed.

People may think that I am an envy person since I never have much money for achieving such accomplishments. But, whatever they thought about me let them try to consider what I try to explain below. If their final conclusion still makes me become hated, then I will let people to bear carefully in their mind that I am not that kind of person. But, it is again up to them.

I am actually confused with several appreciations those are granted upon them who can easily achieve something by money. I will take one example: for joining in an international organization, I firstly have to pay several amounts of money.
After joining in, I then can go abroad in order to make socialization with people across the world and doing some projects. And then, I can go back to my motherland and sharing some interesting stories in front of people. And some people will say: “I thought that you are very great since you can build up an international relation with other people.”

Furthermore, this kind of people will be granted some appreciations by several organizations just because they can go abroad and thus bear the Indonesia upon their shoulder.

What I try to explain in this real example is not to show how dull they who can go abroad. I never try to do this. As a free person, we can also freely choose what suits us the best. As Kierkegaard noted that people actually live in the sea of choices so to live is to choose. As long as they consider what have been done is useful, I try not to make justification that they have done something wrong.

My criticism comes when several organizations will grant this people. Why should it be criticized? Firstly, in case of going abroad. Indonesians do often think that going abroad is a private prestige. It can lift up their reputation among their peers. What I thought here is not merely shared by me.

I have talked to woman who has concern upon sexuality and woman affair. In our conversation, she once said about Indonesian workers who are often tortured. She said that what should be done actually was to alter the paradigm that going abroad was your prestige. She found many cases of Indonesian worker try to go abroad just because prestige. “They can do anything better in their country without has to suffer any torture.” That was what she said to me.

Bearing Indonesia upon their shoulder cannot also be used as a valid consideration since all Indonesians are doing the same but in contrast condition since there are several people who do not make any intensive contact with abroad people. Hence, it is imperative to bear in mind that actually in daily life behavior, Indonesians will always be monitored by other Indonesians and even outer people. Hence, to bear Indonesia is actually a daily life duty that should be bore by every Indonesian. Is it not a paradox when we know that people can be a good person with abroad people and doing the opposite unto the fellow peers? How can it be named except the mode of faking?

Secondly, the criticism comes from money that is used for going abroad. Is it true that the money comes from their daily and continuous effort or it is only a grant from their parent? If the money is only a gift, a further question does rise here: is it true that people who have not enough money for joining in several organizations and thus cannot going abroad to bear Indonesia in international circumstance cannot receive any kind of appreciation? I thought there is a false logic here.

If this kind of consideration is always applied, then there will be no room absolutely for appreciation upon people who are misfortune in financial condition even though it is often happened that the effort that is made by this kind of people is greater than the fortune one. But, their effort is never appreciated just because it is not an external effort.

It is always questionable then for granting “the fortune” people just because their advantageous circumstances. Nobody can choose in what kind of family that they will be born and poor upon the misfortune since they cannot receive any appreciation if this kind of criteria is always applied.

Hence, in my consideration, it is imperative for people to just not appreciate other just because they can go abroad. Moreover, it is done not by their truly effort. I do not blame if the appreciation that is given has a valid criterion and will be a contingent for granting it upon them who can go abroad. But, taking for granted assumption that people who can go abroad are better than the rest is absolutely a false one.

There are many people who have given their best effort so they truly deserve for the appreciation. Taking as an example: I have one friend who can go abroad not because she has much money for paying accommodation and visa. She loves to dance and this activity that actually has delivered her unto some countries. I think that actually this kind of people that should be fully appreciated. It is only by her talent then she can go abroad for dancing. In this respect that I will say that people are really deserve to be appreciated.

Equality: a Prerequisite for Building Indonesia Political Condition

Which appropriate side should be used as a basis for buildingIndonesiapolitic atmosphere? Many answers are offered to satisfy this question but only one exists which can properly satisfy this question: equality.

Unfortunately, nowadays condition gives another side of politic. Money and religion are often be used as a basis for establishing an appropriate political condition inIndonesia. Sovereignty can be easily bought by some amounts of money and it can be clearly seen in many cases of taxation mafia. Public policy can be legally brought out even it does not accommodate all of people’s background as policy for banning Ahmadiyah immediately which had been shouted neither by hard-liners organizations nor government itself with the statement of religious-affair ministry few months ago. Politic in this sense then has been successfully underestimated. Politic is just trapped between both money and religion.

Equality

Jacques Ranciere once said that actually people have their same capability of thinking; thus each of them also has a same opportunity to be a political leader. Furthermore, he also noted down that actually equality is not a beyond ultimate goal of politic; instead it has actually exists in society since each people can think freely. Thus, politic should be started from equality in every sense.

How canIndonesiaadopt this theory? InIndonesia, as had been noted above, politic does not have its equality in another sense: religion and money. Those who are very rich and grasp majority religion can be easily lifted up to be a political leader or to publish publicly their own interest without have to face impediments as minority suffers.

This condition absolutely brings inequality inIndonesiapolitical atmosphere and making a gap between two divisions of people that can be never bridged easily.Indonesiagovernment may claim about the cleanness of their government and also about equality between majority and minority; on the other hand realities show the different.

For proving this hypothesis, let this question be answered appropriate unto within nowadays conditions. After many in-toleration incidents were happened, haveIndonesiagovernment taken a firm step for disbanding any anarchistic organizations? It has been three times until now thatIndonesiapresident shouted his will to disband such organizations. Still about intolerant action, how successIndonesiagovernment protect minority in doing their worship, especially in Ahmadiyah case whereas they are often be an object for repression for any hard-liner. How do these realities talk to Indonesians?

Secondly, in dealing with corruption case, is there any further progress for clearing this huge problem? Even reality has to show Indonesians that people who did not know anything for outing such money in Century case had to face her jail. And how about Gayus case which cannot be clearly solved until now but on the other hand Ariel case seemed very easy to be cleared up.

Equality thus never plays its important role inIndonesiapolitic; if it wont to be hyperbolic for saying that actually equality is never be placed deliberately to play its important role. Minority inIndonesiahas to face many impediments for shout their interest when on the other hand money and mainstream religion can do more even better. And the result has also been concluded: building politics throughout money and religions does not give any significant contribution for a betterIndonesia.

Communication

In order to stop this awkward condition, it is clear what should be done. Firstly,Indonesiahas to start its political atmosphere with equality, that politic cannot be placed in a narrow sphere; religion and money. And also in this sense, it is hoped thatIndonesiagovernment can know exactly what is needed by their people.

Secondly, it is imperative forIndonesiato erase the gap between majority and minority, between rich and poor, and also between mainstream religion and other religions. In dealing with this occasion,Indonesiacan adopt Hannah Arendt’s perception, a Jews woman philosopher and also throughout Jurgen Habermas’ model of deliberative democracy.

Hannah Arendt once said that actually politic is not built throughout a birth of many political institutions such as representative body or president. Furthermore, politic is about communication that happens between each of people. Politic means nothing if communication that is happened has been stopped. Jurgen Habermas’ view of deliberative democracy also emphasizes the urgent need of communication in democracy to make a rational consensus. Hence, both of this thinking has the same basis: communication in an equal atmosphere for building a good political condition.

It is clear then what should be done to fix upIndonesiapolitical condition: it is to build an egalitarian society and reject any kind of politic that always uses money and religion as a prerequisite. And building this equality also means to build a rational communication that is free from domination or any kind of repression between every people and Indonesia government should have not reject a consensus that can be successfully achieved or letting its deafness for people’s interest. It should be used as a source of consideration for making public policy.

Emmanuel Levinas once said that every people has their own unique sense then make them can never be the same as other. This difference actually makes them equal since they are actually unique in their own way. In politic, Emmanuel Levinas also said that appropriate condition in dealing with neither people who we had known well nor other who had been stranger for us should be built in order to prevent any inequality exists. HaveIndonesiagovernment nowadays done it well? If equality can never be built successfully,Indonesiaonly has a big dream for making a good political atmosphere.