Winning hearts and minds

It is with compassion and generosity, not guns or recrimination, that hearts and minds are won. That is certainly so with regard to the US$468 million grant in development funds provided for Indonesia by the United States. It is even more encouraging that over one-third -- $157 million -- over the next five years will be allocated to improving much-needed elementary education in the country.

The allotment of educational grants will take in traditional religious schools, madrasah and pesantren, which in the past had often been precluded because they did not conform with the national public school curriculum.

The grant could not have come at a better time. The UN Human Development Report earlier this year placed Indonesia in the bottom third of the list of 177 countries.

The disbursement of a total Rp 1.44 trillion (at current exchange rates) by the U.S. in the next five years, if used properly, will help significantly in overturning a decline in education that has seen enrollment in primary, secondary and tertiary education, not to mention the literacy rate, all fall in the last year.

The remainder of the grant will save lives as it will be directed at the provision of basic necessities such as food assistance, health care and clean water.

This is not the first time that the U.S. government has extended such assistance, and we hope it will not be the last. Under current circumstances, such no-strings-attached aid is a breath of fresh air in the wake of the Bush administration's persistent hectoring and unilateral action over the past three years.

Indonesians love America: We love American music, movies, culture, sports and other icons. We look to the "American dream" as a catalyst to spur our own manifest destiny.

What Indonesian's have increasingly come to resent, and, for some, even detest, is the U.S. government's apparent "holier-than-thou" attitude in imposing its will through coercion, often without consideration of the historical or cultural sensitivities of the diverse cultures of the subjects concerned. Indonesians also rightly despise Washington's repeated disregard for international norms and institutions, which Indonesians hold dear.

When the world was still ruled by monarchs and sultans, and isolated in tribalism, America was giving birth to practical democracy. The soft nature of democratic governance resonated around the world. Two hundred years later, democracy became the preeminent system of government. The U.S., whether intentionally or not, had shaped the world in its own image.

Today's leaders in Washington would do well to remember their own successes and mistakes. Not only the contained values in one of the world's greatest democracies, but the nature in which it permeated.

Aggression only leads to conflict and war. Education and dialog bring about acceptance.

We remember a past U.S. ambassador who wagged fingers at our disagreements with him. He courted personal dislike and hardened our hearts. We compare that with the mannered approach of the current envoy. While we may have disagreements, we are still willing to listen with an open mind.

In similar fashion, the grant extended to us will go a long way to opening our minds and softening our hearts, following feelings of disgruntlement toward the U.S.

The focus on education touches on one of the core pillars for a democracy: A democratic society will thrive only when people can responsibly make educated decisions. The inclusion of pesantren and madrasah as part of the project also helps to dispel the erroneous myth that the U.S. is anti-Islamic.

If certain religious boarding schools are considered to be a breeding ground for extremists, the pragmatic solution is to provide them with a better options that can enlighten them with more open and compassionate values. All, of course, with the caveat that there should be no direct intrusion into their teaching methods and curriculum.

It is a point that other nations, as well ourselves, should always remember when dealing with fellow sovereign states. Shouting does not always get the message across.

The contribution of the U.S. will sit well with the population here. This is public diplomacy at its best. It will, in the long run, widen understanding of policies and remind people that the U.S. can generate kindness as well as aggression.