These All Are for My Nation

Explaining some stuff about Indonesia at CEC at NDSU

“In the same time, we are not only this nation citizen, but also a global one. In order that, we have to be able to express our idea in a global expression!” (Anies Baswedan)

Growing up in a little town Blitar, where Soekarno’s grave is located, I've learnt to dedicate my life to this nation. Bung Karno—Soekarno’s nickname—had stated that we must be an independent nation (bangsa yang berdikari). Also, my father, who is a local entrepreneur, always said that ever since I was a child, I have to have a strong willingness to be independent. Depending on others may be permitted at first, but at last, independency is the only way to stand firmly on my own feet. And, my mother said that do not ever forget to pray, because God never sleeps!

When I entered university, then I understood that I am now connected with global community. I am a citizen of the world. I also learn about how to strengthen my self in this world through three pillars: leadership, entrepreneurship, and ethics. Through these values, everybody can be more competitive to face many challenges of life.

With these all backgrounds and foundations, having a chance to go abroad, including the US, will be a very good time to enrich my way to get my objective as a global person. Based on its reputation, as a multiculturalism-based country, the US may really be a social laboratory of me and others to improve our views on the reality. In there, learned from Pramudya Ananta Toer, we do hope that we can learn directly how to experience three requirements to live within modernity: modern sciences, modern organizations, and modern devices.

Substantially, my life’s objective is to be an entrepreneur. Realizing that unemployment rate of Indonesia is recently still high, 7.41%; the existence of entrepreneurs is important. Economically, it creates job opportunities, but in reality, unfortunately, rarely found. While, through this program, Global UGRAD, I dream to be an entrepreneur that possesses global views but local impacts. With the view, as an economic-subjected student I believe that entrepreneurship will be a long term solution for developing countries. This helps them, including Indonesia, hold modernity well.

Looking at the goals of the program—to provide a diverse group of emerging student leaders, from non-elite and underrepresented groups in Indonesia and East Asia—, grabbing a modern view in order to accelerate nations progress to be really independent is the most important. This program will support many young people from Indonesia and East Asia, which are mostly developing countries, to make it real. It opens their mind to be more inclusive and then be ready to lead the change through dealing with many kind of individual or community.

Back to entrepreneurship, this program, of course, encourages us to be more creative to give off many solutions through much information and network we get. In the future, entrepreneurs who can be good leaders with good attitude (ethics) is the only one who can lead the people in order to make—Nurcholish Madjid said—a long-time-learning civilization that must be supported by a strong technology and economy.

These, all thoughts and efforts, are fully dedicated, certainly, to my beloved nation, Indonesia.

PS: If you find many things that are written incorrectly, I just want to let you know that this article was written in 2010, and was actually my essay to apply Global Ugrad Program for 2010-2012. And, importantly, this post is fully dedicated to my father who passed away recently (Nov/8).