Sam Ratulangi, RI's first futurologist, says expert<\/p>\n
By Santi WE Soekanto<\/p>\n
MANADO, North Sulawesi (JP): Long before John Naisbitt and
\nPatricia Aburdene became famous for their sharply-defined
\npredictions about future social, political and economic
\ndevelopments, Indonesia already had Dr. Sam Ratulangi.<\/p>\n
"Sam Ratulangi should be declared Indonesia's first
\n'futurologist'," said Dr. Andi Hakim Nasoetion yesterday.
\nNasoetion is a prominent statistician at the Bogor Institute of
\nAgriculture.<\/p>\n
During a seminar yesterday Nasoetion and several other
\nprominent scholars discussed the life and work of Sam Ratulangi,
\nwho came from the small town of Tondano, North Sulawesi, and
\nbecame a model for Indonesian leaders.<\/p>\n
The seminar investigated the significance of Ratulangi thought
\nfor present-day Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Held by The Jakarta Post in cooperation with the Manado-based
\nUniversity of Sam Ratulangi, and opened by North Sulawesi
\nGovernor C.J. Rantung, the seminar was one among a number of
\nactivities conducted to mark annual National Press Day.<\/p>\n
The government has recognized Ratulangi's great contribution
\nto both the national struggle for independence and to the
\nnational press. Born in 1890, Ratulangi was the first man to use
\nthe name "Indonesia" to refer to the thousands of islands and
\nethnic groups in the archipelago.<\/p>\n
Moderated by Indonesian Ambassador to Australia, Sabam
\nSiagian, the seminar heard from Dr. Mochtar Buchori, Dr. Lucky W.
\nSondakh, and Dr. Daniel Dhakidae.<\/p>\n
Sondakh said Ratulangi's predictions were recorded in his book
\nIndonesia in den Pacific: Kernproblemen van den Asiatischen
\n(1937), written during the four months for which he was
\nimprisoned by the Dutch colonial administration for his
\nresistance activities.<\/p>\n
A mathematician by training, Ratulangi published the Nationale
\nCommentaren newspaper. He predicted the dramatic economic growth
\nthat took place after World War I, which was driven the growth of
\nthe Japanese and United States economies.<\/p>\n
Ratulangi foresaw the potential for war in the region as a
\nresult of the "shift in world trade and economic centers from the
\nAtlantic region, prior to World War I, to the Pacific, after the
\nwar," Sondakh said.<\/p>\n
Ratulangi also predicted the emergence of "regionalization" of
\nthe strong economic forces of the globe. "This is exactly what we
\nare observing now in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), and the
\nAsia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)," Sondakh said.<\/p>\n
"AFTA and APEC came into being in the 1990s and will come into
\nfull effect in the year 2010, but Sam Ratulangi predicted them as
\nfar back as in 1928, in his speech before the Volksraad (people's
\ncouncil)," according to Sondakh, who is a professor of economics
\nat the Sam Ratulangi University.<\/p>\n
Mochtar Buchori, rector of the Muhammadiyah Jakarta Teachers'
\nInstitute, focused on Ratulangi's "intellectual leadership"
\nwhich, he said, contemporary leaders would do well to emulate.<\/p>\n
Mochtar challenged contemporary politicians to be intellectual
\nas well as political leaders, as Ratulangi was.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that those leaders would soon have to explain
\nto the people the global trends that will squeeze Indonesia from
\nvarious directions.<\/p>\n
"Will our politicians be able to act as intellectual leaders
\nas well as political leaders? Will they able to improve our
\nsociety's intelligence?" he asked.<\/p>\n
"Will they be able to explain what will happen to the country
\nwhen the APEC agreement comes into effect?"<\/p>\n
Daniel Dhakidae, from the Kompas daily's research center,
\ndiscussed Ratulangi's role in the national press and also his
\n"predictions" concerning domestic political developments,
\nincluding the revival of Islam.<\/p>",
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