Nurul fights for global justice

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Actress and activist Nurul Arifin has just been named a Young Global Leader for her passionate efforts in campaigning for social equality.

Nurul, a Bandung native, has worked with many non-governmental organizations in raising public awareness on HIV/AIDS and women's rights.

The World Economic Forum officially announced on Tuesday that Nurul was among the first 237 young leaders to have been selected and who had accepted the opportunity to take part in The Forum of Young Global Leaders, working in close cooperation with the World Economic Forum.

Among the young leaders selected from 8,000 candidates are Nicole Kidman, Tiger Woods, J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame, soccer player Zinedine Zidane and Yahoo! cofounder Jerry Yan.

"It's a surprise. I'm glad that I was appointed among many big names, including world-famous celebrities. I still don't know how the committee got my name," Nurul told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

She said she received a phone call two months ago from a nomination committee member, who told her about the selection of Young Global Leaders.

Due to her poor English ability, Nurul asked her 10-year-old daughter Maura to take the call and give her e-mail address to the committee.

Nurul came to appreciate the prestige and aims of the forum when Maura told her about the institution.

"Now, I'm taking intensive English lessons. I often declined invitations to speak abroad because of my English. I'm not confident enough to speak in English," she said.

It seems the former model is not daunted by anything and, instead, relishes challenges.

"I shall concentrate on globalization and fundamentalism as well as AIDS and women's issues in June at the Forum of Young Global Leaders in Davos, Switzerland."

She expressed concern that the rise of fundamentalism in the country was a response to globalization, which the poor perceived to be a mode of domination by developed countries.

Nurul said the poor were vulnerable to fundamentalism, especially religious fundamentalism, as the only way to resist the injustices of globalization.

"Right now, I fear an increase of fundamentalism. This did not happen in the past, when people respected pluralism," said Nurul, who had just returned to the capital after a four-day visit to Aceh.

Nurul said she was happy the international community was working hand-in-hand with Indonesians to help tsunami survivors without any political or religious discrimination, but was saddened to learn that a Christian political party had been prevented from contributing to the relief effort.

She was also dismayed by rumors that a local Islamic political party had accused many Christian groups of taking advantage of the aid effort as a cover for proselytizing.

"Helping victims should not be done in the name of any political party. I refused when the Golkar Party wanted its name to appear on clothing worn by our volunteers," she said.

The mother of two joined Golkar to include AIDS and women's rights among the party's focus.

"Entering the system is one way to effect change," she said.

Nurul's dedication led to her nomination as a Golkar legislative candidate in last year's general elections. Although she had many supporters within the party, she did not make the cut to the national-level elections.

She said the stigmatization of people living with HIV/AIDS was still the main obstacle in the campaign against AIDS, and lauded the recent decision by former South African president Nelson Mandela to announce that his son had died of an AIDS-related disease.

"I agree wholeheartedly that AIDS should be spoken about openly. It would make AIDS like any other disease. It's not a moral issue," she said, adding that AIDS was just one small aspect of the broader injustices faced by women in Indonesia and the world.

"Many urban women may say that they have no problems in their lives. They should look at the data and reality here that show that many women still suffer."

Last year's global campaign on HIV/AIDS focused on women of all age groups, since they were most vulnerable to infection.

Nurul's commitment to these social issues led her to the University of Indonesia, from which she graduated with a degree in political and social sciences.

Meanwhile, Nurul is also an acclaimed film actress with five Indonesian Film Festival nominations for best actress under her belt, and acts in several soap operas.

She plans to pursue a Master's degree next year.

She said she became aware from her studies that many notions of a woman's duty were really social constructs.

Although many cultures still discriminate against women, Nurul said she would struggle for gender equality without abandoning her own culture.

"Feminists in the West are different from those here, although we also struggle for women's equality. I respect multiculturalism."

Nurul hopes that the future world would be better for all and uphold the principles of multiculturalism.

"Hegemony, injustice or monoculture, or the large gap between developed and poor countries should no longer persist.

"They should be replaced, instead, by greater tolerance and respect for different cultures," she said.