Discovering a great friend in a newspaper<\/p>\n
Dominique Girard, New Delhi<\/p>\n
From 1992 to 1995, The Jakarta Post was for me much more than
\na source of information, even though it was convenient to rely on
\nsuch a well written and professionally managed English-language
\ndaily despite all my best efforts to improve my Indonesian.<\/p>\n
Actually, the Post was a real companion in my job as the
\nambassador of France. Indonesia was different then. Information
\nwas still controlled and transparency limited. In this context,
\nthe Post consistently strove to go as far as possible in
\ndelivering information and attempting comment on current affairs.<\/p>\n
It both reflected the official point of view and suggested a
\nsharper insight into things.<\/p>\n
But that was not all. The Post was also a full intellectual
\npartner in the life of Indonesia. Talking to the journalists and
\nthe editors was always a superb and efficient way to get
\nenlightenment on the state of mind and the reflections of the
\nJakarta \"elite\".<\/p>\n
And, for a change, they offered a perspective not only on the
\npolitical or economic elite of the New Order, but also the
\nthinkers, scholars and artists.<\/p>\n
Of course, the Post would not have been was it was, as such
\nand in my own opinion, without its extraordinary window into the
\narts, and its participation in and support of the artistic life
\nand the exhibition circuit of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
My wife and I discovered marvelous works in the Bentara Budaya
\nexhibition hall and met a number of creators who changed our
\noutlook on Indonesia and the Indonesians. Most of those
\nencounters did not stop there as the Post's choices were so
\nrelevant and competent that we very often followed up on them
\neven while we were exploring the cultural hubs of Australia, our
\nnext assignment.<\/p>\n
Seen from afar, Indonesia is more complex than it was in the
\nmid-1990s, more exposed, more insecure, but much freer too. I am
\nglad to know that my successors and all the lovers of this strong
\nand fascinating nation can still use the sharp eye of the Post to
\nrefine and improve their sympathetic knowledge of our beloved
\narchipelago.<\/p>\n
What we all know, and what is unfortunately so often
\nforgotten, is that nothing successful can happen in international
\nrelations - coexistence, cooperation, friendship, even enmity and
\nwar - without a genuine desire to understand your partner, or
\nyour foe.<\/p>\n
In The Jakarta Post, I found a great instrument to sustain my
\nown efforts, and, in the process, a great friend of a newspaper,
\nand great friends of flesh and blood.<\/p>\n
That is an excellent reason to wish The Jakarta Post an even
\nmore successful 20 years of existence, and to thank it for its
\ngreat service to the large community of Indonesia's international
\nfriends.<\/p>\n
(The writer is currently France's ambassador to India)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/discovering-a-great-friend-in-a-newspaper-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }