A reflection of Indonesia's challenges in the future

As the nation turns 52 years old tomorrow, political scientist J. Soedjati Djiwandono of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies reflects on its challenges.

JAKARTA (JP): As never before, in this age of globalization because of the rapid advancement of information technology, has the world been so open, interconnected, and interdependent.

No nation, however powerful, can now afford to isolate itself. This is the kind of an era in which Indonesia finds itself in its 52nd year as an independent and sovereign nation-state.

In this country, still lacking in national unity and consolidation in its political system, its cultural tradition and identity, globalization of information and ideas is more often perceived primarily as a threat to its national culture and identity, and therefore feared, than as an opportunity for progress and advancement.

This is not to deny the possibility that the globalised flow of information and ideas may encourage certain negative values such as materialism, consumerism and hedonism. But these are basically universal human tendencies.

Indeed, there may be an influx of certain values that are in conflict with our "Asian" or "national" values such as those relating to family relationships and other social mores that thus far have been considered as our peculiar characteristics as a nation.

I do take issue, however, with the view that we have to preserve at all costs our national culture in its entirely - if indeed there are such a thing as "national" culture in Indonesia, in view of the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural nature of the nation. If there is, it is continuously in the making. As such, it is dynamic in nature, and forever open to change.

If that should be the case, then globalization is not necessarily a challenge, least of all a threat, to our national culture and identity. On the contrary, it may be an opportunity for progress.

I believe, for one, that at least some of what we often refer to as "Asian" or "national" cultural values may have also been Western values, others may even be of universal validity and applicability. Individual freedoms or liberties, democratic rights, or human rights generally, are values of universal validity. No nation can arrest the increasingly globalised and pressing demands for such inalienable rights.

At any rate, therefore, we need to be more critical, discriminate, and selective, not only as regards our own cultural values, but also as regards new or "foreign" values. Those of our cultural values that stand in the way of human progress should be gradually abandoned, while others that help the progress of our nation preserved. A modern system of representative democracy, for instance, demands the abandonment of certain mental, particularly feudal, attitudes.

On the other hand, it demands a more open and business-like attitude and way of thinking. It demands a sense of fairness, openness to criticism, and readiness to engage in discourses and debates without regarding political opponents as personal enemies, accepting political defeat with grace, and victory with dignity and magnanimity.

One aspect of globalization is the growing trend towards economic liberalization with its consequent increasing competition. But globalization also brings with it such values as efficiency, creativity, and productivity, which characterize the industrialized world. Learning to develop these qualities would strengthen our own competitiveness in the world.

Finally, I cannot but think of the increasing pressure for democratization as a result of globalization. Democracy as an ideal demanding for equality and justice for all is definitely a universal value.

Our founding fathers had the kind of vision and anticipation that would prepare the nation for the 21st century when drafting our constitution more than half-a-century ago.

The elucidation of the 1945 Constitution states, among other things, that "We must always remember the dynamics of the life of the Indonesian society and state. The Indonesian society and state develop, while time changes... Thus we have to ensure that the system of the constitution does not lag behind changing times..."

And "Cultural activities should lead to the advancement of civilization, culture, and unity, without rejecting new elements of foreign cultures which can enhance or enrich the nation's culture and raise the human dignity of the Indonesian nation."