Gus Dur warns on social apathy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Moslem scholar Abdurrahman Wahid has warned
\nagainst the development of human resources for the sake of
\nnational development alone, citing a growing social apathy as the
\nresult of obsession with this goal.<\/p>\n
The improvement of human resources for the sake of physical
\ndevelopment alone would turn people into mere components, akin to
\nother instruments of development, such as natural and capital
\nresources, he said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman addressed 200 youth activists attending a
\nreception to mark the 25th anniversary of the inauguration of the
\nCipayung Group, an influential student group comprising several
\nnationalist and religious-based organizations.<\/p>\n
He compared today's approach to human resource development
\nwith that of the New Order administration.<\/p>\n
\"During the early years of the New Order, we said we needed
\npeople with determination and high morality. Now we say the
\nnation is in need of quality human resources,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman said the shift in the approach to human resource
\ndevelopment was indicative of a shift in values. He said people
\ndid not now place as much importance on ideals, a willingness to
\nsacrifice, a common view or social solidarity, but were more
\nconcerned with the skills needed to survive.<\/p>\n
Development<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, said people now believed
\n\"the most important thing is that the wheels of development roll
\non, and that there should be as many skilled people as possible.\"<\/p>\n
\"Members of this high quality workforce will then be put into
\nan invisible machine, slotted into their respective positions and
\nall move according to a market mechanism that will breed a
\nproduct of its own,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Social apathy was the result of this approach, he said. \"This
\napproach will create a socially-ignorant society,\" he concluded.<\/p>\n
Such human resources policies would, for instance, remain
\napathetic to the point of ignoring monopolistic practices.<\/p>\n
He cited the United States, Singapore, and Japan as countries
\nwith high quality human resources but also with the \"symptoms of
\nsocial apathy.\"<\/p>\n
\"They neglect their minority, such as the homeless, whose
\nnumbers are great,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He suggested Indonesia learn from these countries and called
\nfor a more integrated and holistic approach to human resource
\ndevelopment. \"It should not be only for the sake of national
\ndevelopment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile the Cipayung student group warned the highly
\ncentralistic government is nurturing social, political and
\neconomic injustice.<\/p>\n
Indonesian people were losing their wisdom and maturity -- the
\nquality they were most proud of -- because they could no longer
\nbear the country's worsening injustices, the group said in a
\npress statement.<\/p>\n
\"There is a worrying tendency that elements in this society
\ncan easily discredit others, that these people can resort to
\nviolence,\" they said.<\/p>\n
\"This is perhaps because the injustices are so bad they
\nsurpass the people's limits of tolerance. The recent outbursts of
\nviolence were expressions of their frustration at this structural
\nunfairness.\"<\/p>\n
The group referred to the recent spate of religious and ethnic
\nviolence that happened in Situbondo, Tasikmalaya and Sanggau
\nLedo.<\/p>\n
The political statement was signed by the five student
\norganizations that make up the Cipayung group: the association of
\nCatholic Students, the Association of Islamic Students, the
\nChristian Students Movement, the Nationalist Students Movement
\nand the Islamic Students Movement.<\/p>\n
The Cipayung group pointed out that the government had often
\nnot shown common sense in handling social matters, and coercively
\nused laws and regulations to justify its actions.<\/p>\n
\"People who used to be apathetic and passive now become
\naggressive and anarchic when facing certain conditions,\" the
\ngroup said.<\/p>\n
The widening social, political and economic disparities were
\nironic because they were rife when Indonesia enjoyed economic
\nsuccess and political stability, they said.<\/p>\n
\"Politics and economics are concentrated in the hands of an
\nelite few and some consider this as something normal in a process
\nof development; this is indeed ironic,\" the statement said. (08)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-warns-on-social-apathy-1447893297",
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