One Nation, One Pride

One Nation, One Pride

Red describes a courage, and White describes a pureness. Those both colors were blended to be the basic side of our symbol, our spirit and our struggle. The hard fight, blood sacrifice, and tears which never stop getting down are appropriate descriptions to know how Indonesia People took their freedom back from colonies. Our freedom is never made by a giving surely as despicable as our noisy neighbor country (Aisyalam) but by fighting and sharing struggle in a whole region of country.

Once Indonesia revealed their independence day on August 17^th 1945 by reading proclamation text, our nation immediately became one of the biggest countries in the world below our founding fathers leadership Mr. President Soekarno and Mr. Vice President Moh. Hatta. Furthermore, in several years later we were called as The Tiger of Asia. We all can’t deny how good Soekarno’s diplomatic strategies and approaches are with several leaders in other lands.

But, a few last years, Indonesia looked like having no power any longer. We aren’t feared anymore by other nations as good as the past. I don’t know exactly what causes which made this, and which a correct answer is. Other nations which have a good and fast growth or we were getting a decline of national development? Maybe the answers have been known exactly by us. The biggest problem we had is about corruption. Yup, actually Indonesia is a rich nation, having not only various cultures, but also many languages, ethnics, and religions. We also have many precious natural resource, and good human resource but honestly there are also so many bad people who abused the position and power to enrich themselves, their group and family. 

Indeed, corruption has been our first enemy in this country for last several years. We must commit to stop it by resisting this bad behavior living in this country starting from ourselves, family to other people. We can’t pretend that this is not a big problem, and this circumstance is still okay then realizing that apparently this sickness is the first factor that makes a destruction for our development. The people and government must conceive then issue strict rules to restrict a chance for anyone who wants to do corruption. 

Another phenomena which is happened in Indonesia currently is hoax and SARA contents that appears in social media and have a big potency to break our harmony among fellow citizens. Furthermore, these contents have become a new business for people who abuse the advance of high technology. Basically it looks not dangerous as bad as the corruption but apparently it will become a big problem if we don’t concern about this. So that, our president Mr. Joko Widodo commanded to cut these threats seriously by making social movement with tagline Mentality Revolution and I am Indonesia, I am Pancasila to unite Indonesia. 

Actually, everyone knows that we can bring back our glory as like as the past time and so do I. We should realize that in fact, we are a big nation, and rich country. We must be united again. Just stop stealing nation wealth, stop bullying each other, and start thinking and acting positively to rise and get our pride. All of you guys must not be having an intention to continue some bad things growing in our country and neither do I. 

Keep our nationalism and kinship between you and I well as good as it should be. Just reminding about our national heroes who were dead in battlefield to give us a freedom. We just need to keep our freedom by making our country better and bigger in future. So much so that we show to the world who we really are as a big nation.

Come on, we are absolutely able to do it. Unity in Diversity. Together we are stronger. 

Long life Indonesia Raya!

The Spirit of Bhinneka

THE SPIRIT OF BHINNEKA

More than 17.000 islands, 250 millions people, 1300 tribes, 5 religions, 700 languages and a thousand cultures remarkably describes that Indonesia is one of the biggest countries in the world. Having various cultures can be an advantage for a nation, but it is possible to be a disadvantage if people in there can’t respect the difference one another. 

I am an Indonesian and so proud of being the people of Indonesia. Feeling the differences and varieties which have become the identity of Indonesia has made me more grateful. My blood divided by two cultures, and two traditions –Java and Gorontalo- always teaches me to believe that the differences can be united and beautiful.

All along of my life, I met many friends having the different ethnic groups and religion with me. I am a muslim, and have a good relation with Christians, Buddhists and Hindu people. The experience was so amazing, moreover I spent my time mostly with Makassar, Bugis, Toraja and Tionghoa people, because I lived in south Celebes since I was a kid. As long as that time, I never got bad treatment from the others -the native people there - about the culture. Also, never watching occasion which showed disrespectful behavior between the minority and majority by my own self in my socialization. 

Even though we can’t disprove that in every difference occurred will give the challenge and problems to us to face. In the real moment, occasionally a number of Indonesians still don’t understand yet how to act and tolerate wisely with the thing which is different with them and they disagree with the other people.  But, still exist until the number appointing 71 years as a one nation today has proved that we have successfully answered most of the challenges. 

We can’t resist and must admit that Indonesia built by our heroes from a whole of nation many years ago contains of various and a lot of cultures and differences. According to the history, it’s easy for us properly to accept the difference among us by convincing Indonesia would never be Indonesia even if losing just one ethnic/tribe of us. Because nobody is perfect, so that we need the others to complete us. That’s why our founding father created a motto ‘Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” which means unity in diversity as our guidance to develop our nation with the spirit of togetherness. 

This nation will never be great if its people can’t still appreciate the difference among us such us the others’ ethnic, language, tradition, and definitely religion. Don’t want to be involved in every situation such as politic issue and self or group-interest which has a bad purpose and bad effect to destroy our harmony in national society.
 

We should assume the difference we had as our positive opportunity to soar aloft as a big nation. We have to see our variety as the precious asset we must watch over. We must make our diversity become our advantages for us to live in peace. And we must implement the true spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika as well as what our founding father think and hope to us.

“Kemerdekaaan adalah hasil dari segenap perjuangan rakyat. Maka itu pula menjadi pikiran Bapak, negara Republik Indonesia ini bukan milik satu golongan, bukan milik sesuatu agama, bukan milik sesuatu suku, bukan milik sesuatu golongan adat-istiadat, tetapi milik kita semua dari Sabang sampai ke Merauke! Perjuangan untuk merebut kemerdekaan ini dijalankan oleh semua bangsa Indonesia.

Alat perekat batin yang utama bagi bangsa Indonesia adalah Pancasila. Ingat, kita ini bukan dari satu suku bangsa, bukan dari satu suku adat istiadat. Ingat, kita bukan dari satu agama. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, berbeda-beda tetapi satu jua, demikianlah tertulis di lambang Negara kita. Ingat, kita ini ‘Bhinneka’, dan untuk mempersatukan bangsa yang berbeda-beda itu diperlukan satu ‘semen batin’ yang dapat menyemen seluruh bangsa Indonesia yang beraneka warna itu, dari Sabang sampai Merauke, dari Miangas sampai ke Numodale, adalah Pancasila.”

-Ir. Soekarno-

So let’s make all of differences become a beauty and unity for our Indonesia.

May God blesses Indonesia! 

MERDEKA!