Merola believes in power of art

Merola believes in power of art

Christina Schott, Contributor, Jakarta

If you ask Italian Ambassador Alessandro Merola what he has
learned from his stint in Indonesia, "patience" would be on top
of the list.

"In Western countries we tend to rush everything. Everybody is
always stressed, only thinking about troubles and problems.
Indonesians look at things with a certain distance and have a
different notion about time. So the most important lessons I
learned in Indonesia is how to be patient."

Europeans, and especially Italians, are not renowned for their
patience. Merola will find his newly acquired patience helpful in
his next job. He will leave his post in Jakarta soon for a new
job at the Italian representative office at the European Union's
office in Brussels.

"I feel very sorry that I didn't have enough time to see again
more of this big and diverse country," said the ambassador, who
started his Jakarta posting in December 1999. "But I got an offer
I couldn't refuse."

Merola is a man who loves change and challenges. Born in 1947
in Rome, he studied political sciences at the University of Rome
and joined the diplomatic service in 1972.

"I'm very curious and open-minded," Merola said about himself.
"These are the basic gifts for a diplomat. Every job we do, is
synchronous with what we think or what we are. To become a
diplomat means you are looking for change. I never saw myself
sitting at the same table for 20 years -- and consequently I have
never done the same job longer than two and a half years."

Merola's first postings abroad were at the Permanent
Representation to the European Union in Brussels and at the
Italian Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela. When he returned to Rome
in 1983, he became the head of the desk for Asian Economic
Affairs. During this time he had the chance to travel around Asia
and discovered his affinity for Indonesia.

"That time Jakarta was still very quiet compared to Bangkok or
Manila. But there was already this breath of the capital of a
very big country," Merola says. "And I love big countries --
because of their variety, their dimension, their interest for the
region."

In line with his love for world capitals, Merola joined in
1987 the Italian Embassy in Mexico City as minister counselor and
later became the head of the Economic Department at the embassy
in Bonn, the former capital of West Germany. When he was
nominated to become ambassador, he chose Indonesia out of a
couple of options.

"My job is to explain to my country what Indonesia is like and
the other way around. The basic for every relationship in general
is mutual knowledge. But since I came here I noticed that we have
a terrible lack of exactly this point."

Merola experienced this ignorance especially after the Sept.
11 attack on the U.S. He recalled he was having lunch, when he
got panicky calls from Italy, telling him the Western media
reported huge anti-American demonstrations in Jakarta and
described the situation as dangerous as the one in Peshawar.

"What the Europeans don't understand is that this country
(Indonesia) is first of all very, very big. A regional conflict
in Maluku doesn't affect your daily life in Jakarta," the
ambassador said. "And second, Muslims here are very moderate.
Instead of being afraid of the biggest Muslim population in the
world we should consider Indonesia as a model for a possible
dialog between the religions."

To better the mutual understanding, Merola has looked for a
way for better communication between both countries. And the
compassionate fan of modern literature and cinema believes to
have found a common language for better understanding:
contemporary art.

Instead of showing Italian antiques, Merola prefers initiating
exhibitions of modern paintings -- not caring about the
objections of some of his compatriots.

And he fiercely defends a decision he has made. The thing that
he hates most is the stereotype that Italy is a mere former Roman
Empire, much the same as Indonesia is considered part of the
tourist island of Bali.

"I take for granted that most Indonesians know a lot about
Italy's past. I think, it is much more interesting for a young
and changing country like Indonesia to look at the new Italian
culture."

Merola has also been promoting between the two countries what
he calls the three f's: fashion, food and football (soccer). Both
countries have a very creative design and fashion scene. As much
as Italian food has become popular in Indonesian cities,
specialities from the Far East are liked by many Italians.

Even if the ambassador admits that he is not a big football
fan, he enjoys the Indonesians' enthusiasm for the World Cup. And
he was more than surprised to find an Indonesian magazine
covering nothing else but Liga Italia.

The father of one daughter, Merola says one of the most
difficult things in a diplomat's life is to find a balance
between profession and private life.

"Almost your whole life becomes a job. A new post for a
diplomat means not only professional challenges, but also life
experience. An ambassador who doesn't understand mentally or
psychologically the country where he works or even doesn't like
it personally, is in the wrong place," he insists

But despite all the flexibility, Merola acknowledges that he
cannot survive without some basic needs: cigarettes, a couple of
books in the Italian language, which help him understand the
concerns of his compatriots back home. And the thing he cannot
live without is Italian coffee.

Merola has addressed farewell gatherings over the past weeks
and shared a piece of wisdom: "A piece of every country where you
have been posted will remain inside you."