Frans Seda stresses dignity
Frans Seda stresses dignity
JAKARTA (JP): In a collection of articles to celebrate his
70th birthday, former cabinet minister Frans Seda notes the
importance of human dignity in developing a skilled and
productive labor force in Indonesia.
In a lavish dinner reception attended by a select list of 500
guests at the Hilton Hotel yesterday, Seda launched his book
Kekuasaan dan Moral: Politik Ekonomi Masyarakat Indonesia Baru
(Power and Moralityz The Politics of Economics in Indonesia's New
Society).
Over 550 pages long, the book is the second compilation of
Seda's writings.
The first was launched five years ago and titled Simponi Tanpa
Henti: Ekonomi Politik Masyarakat Baru Indonesia (Uninterrupted
Symphony: The Political Economy of Indonesia's New Society).
In the latest book, 116 of Seda's articles are compiled. They
cover three main subjects: the political situation and condition
of the 1990s, the state of national economics in the 1990s and
challenges to Indonesia's education system.
In his articles on educational challenges, Seda points out
that the potential of Indonesia's natural resources will only be
tapped if the human mind is allowed to be creative in doing so.
The failure to develop human resources is the failure of the
nation's education system, he argues.
"It is proven by the many unemployed from the ranks of the
freshly graduated, while on the other hand we also see many
vacancies," writes Seda.
To improve human resources, Seda urges that human beings not
be evaluated solely in terms of productivity.
Sociologist Ignas Kleden, who spoke on the book at the dinner,
said that manpower productivity has assumed so much importance
that man risks reducing his dignity to the point where he becomes
a mere economic consideration.
"Man is not just a production factor, and he therefore is
eligible for special treatment, one which is different from the
treatment of other production factors like capital and
technology," Kleden said in his oration.
Success story
Franciscus Xaverius Seda was born in Flores, East Nusa
Tenggara, on Oct. 4, 1926. His rise to power is a success story
often cited as a model for young people coming from Indonesia's
eastern regions.
He held several political and cabinet positions during the
administration of first president Sukarno and during the New
Order government.
He served as head of the now defunct Indonesian Catholic Party
in the early 1960s and has held four cabinet posts, including
minister of finance, minister of agriculture, minister of
transportation and minister of tourism.
Seda also served as Indonesia's ambassador to Belgium and the
European Economic Community for three years starting in 1973. He
later earned a position on the Supreme Advisory Board.
A devout Catholic and innovator in the education field, Seda
founded and is the head of Atma Jaya University in Jakarta.
The weight of Seda's work was reflected by the distinguished
guest list at the dinner which included former minister and head
of national development planning board Widjojo Nitisastro, who
also gave an address.
Others attending included ousted Indonesian Democratic Party
leader Megawati Soekarnoputri, former governor of Jakarta Ali
Sadikin and former Armed Fores commander L.B. Moerdani.
Kleden also touched on Seda's political beliefs, which he said
should not be rooted in a wariness of the past.
"As such, according to the book, politics based on political
trauma is not good politics. An obsession with political trauma
is equal to closing oneself off from a bitter reality and
prevents someone from accepting new possibilities," Kleden said.
The discussion on economics in Seda's book looks at market
mechanisms and their relation to morality.
Seda points out that while power and economics are
intertwined, economic actors are prone to market forces which
include responses to human factors and cultural values. (mds)