Monday, December 10, 2007

As mentioned previously, it is old people who are usually able to think and act wisely, but there is a psychology theory stating some characteristics of man in interpersonal communications. For example, there is a person with an important position but people in general don’t respect him, while there is an ordinary person who is socially honourable. Furthermore, there is a intelligent person whose advices never be considered, while there is a person with average intelligence to whom others often consult about various things.

According to a role theory, there are three characteristics of man:
Children. Children don’t understand responsibility, tend to be spoiled, if they ask for something, they want to get it soon, otherwise they will mope or weep and roll over the floor. We can take them as they are.

Adults. They tend to be to the point and understand responsibility. When they think they’re able to do something, they will say so. On the contrary, when they think they’re not able they will say it. If failed in doing their tasks, they would usually ready for the consequences.

The elder people. Dominant things among the elder people among others are understanding and forgiving. They understand flaws of younger people and tend to forgive other’s mistakes.

The problem is that getting older is a certainty, but becoming adult is a choice. We sometimes see a young person whose attitude like his elders (mature), instead, we also sometimes see elder people acting childish.

Strategic Steps in Developing Families of the Nation.
Based on assumption that in its one century old of age (in 2045) the nation of Indonesian will have to had manifested itself to be a nation of sakinah families, strategic steps as continuation of or correction on reforms that should be planned are as follow.

1. Guaranteeing the implementation of good governance. The character of a good governance among others is people participation, arranged by a system to, supervise the governing activities so that information on all things regarding governance can be accessed by the public (transparent), so that not only the window of participation will open but political processes in all strata of the government will proceed in accordance to their schedules, not stagnant. If the system is effective, then a clean government will manifest itself. This has something to do with culture of openness that should be socialised, as a contrast with feudalism that is tending to keep secrets. Javanese feudalistic culture in the new order government has made corruption practices like an iceberg phenomenon, widespread but difficult to prove. Removing feudalistic culture in the government is done by clearly separating state (public) affairs from personal affairs. Secrecy of personal life is respected, but governmental affairs should be things that can be accessed by the public, and it is indeed a right of the public to get informed on them. Regarding family lives, matters between a husband and his wife are secrets “concealed in a closed room” not to be known by other members of the family, but policies and economy on the family should be understood by all members of the family.

2. Enhancing security in the society and defence of all of Republic of Indonesia’s territories. These have something to do with professionalism and dignities of The Police and the Army Forces. Professionalism’s of those two institutions have something to do with education and equipment required. Meanwhile, their dignities have something to do with recruitment and career position guidance systems. Transparent and logical education and recruitment systems will lead to spirit of dedication. On the contrary, education and recruitment systems burdened by corruption, collusion, and nepotism will produce officers who are easily seduced to become oppressors, “Mafia” members, and crime backers. Furthermore, sufficient equipment will enhance personnel self-esteem and effectiveness of tasks in accordance with large amount of population and the total width of all Indonesia’s territories.

3. Enhancing National Economy in a Democratic Way. The government should have a strong will to enhance the national economy through the spirit of siding with common people. National economy policies should make a balance between accepting free trade, as a consequence of globalisation, and protecting national interests. Even USA as a developed country still protects its national economic interests.

4. Enhancing commitment of law enforcement. This should be done by making a balance between improving law apparatuses and indiscriminate law enforcement. We should learn from China in which strict law enforcement on political elite has drastically reduced crime level and has improved economical welfare spectacularly only within a decade. We should develop and strengthen pillars of democracy, and distribute clearly separated tasks and authorities among the governments, representative institutions, and judicature institutions.

5. Determining national educational strategy oriented to be implemented within 50 years from now. It should be admitted that existing generation is a product of wrong education system of the past and that its negative impacts on qualities of human resources will not disappear within the next 10-20 years. China has always been sending its students abroad, although only 10% of them are returning, the rest are still living and working abroad. Chinese immigrants are not regarded as traitors of the country; instead, the emergence of Chinatowns in many countries is an advantage for China’s economy in the global economy system. Meanwhile, India implements an educational strategy in form of providing a huge educational budget only for 10% of the population. As the result, 10% of 1 billion of India’s population or 100 millions people are highly educated human resources, and they are dominant in the skilful workers market in developed countries and in middle-level trades in various countries, meanwhile our human resources are losing in their own country’s competitions and only sending servant abroad. In the period of petrodollar about 30 years ago, Malaysia didn’t use its money to develop buildings but to send their youth abroad to study, while we used up the money for developing “jungles of concrete” in various cities, while budget for education was still 10% from the total national budget. At present, Malaysia is enjoying qualities of their human resources while we are lamenting over qualities of our human resources.

6. Intensifying international diplomacy. As a great nation, Indonesia should often participate in international forums, respond important occurrences around the world, and play an active role in collective efforts of creating world peace. Initiative of Hasyim Muzadi (Chairman of PBNU) to act as a mediator in Thailand conflict should be admittedly praised. The paradigm of placing of ambassadors as a form of respect and exile for senior officials should be replaced by paradigm of diplomacy and forming a new cadre of diplomats. Ambassadors should not necessarily consist of older people, but they may be also consisting of younger people. Ambassadors shouldn’t also always perform “gracefully” but they also may or should become a kind of “salesmen” of domestic products.

7. Continuing National Reconciliation. We should learn from mistakes in the past as an invaluable learning, as a basis for preparing the nation’s future, and then we should dare to determine that from this day our past is closed and from now on all policies should be oriented to future programmes.