“Sexy Killers” documentary:

Cleaning-up Civilization’s Combustion Chambers

Most of us in a modern society take electricity and clean air for granted. An hour of blackout and we will scramble to charge our mobiles, complain about the dysfunctional air conditioning, or missing a favorite television show. We feel we are entitled for the electricity services because we duly pay our monthly dues. As […]
Posted in Business & Society, Editorial, Indonesia |
A Documentary Shows Political Maturity of Indonesian Grassroots

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Resilience

Several international friends have asked the question, how come Indonesia managed a relatively peaceful transition of power over the years? Even following the 1997-98 regime change that involved some dark violent episodes, the country quickly re-established order and peace. Why is that despite the bitter political fights amongst the factions, the nation has not disintegrate […]
Posted in Editorial, Indonesia | Tagged , , |
Contemplation of a believer

Creed in a Loving God

I believe in a loving God. A God whose love is infinite, and whose love works in ways beyond human comprehension. I believe that we experience God and his love unconstrained by time and space. I believe that God grants us all intelligence and talents to be progressed and to help other men. He made […]
Posted in Contemplations |
The Antarctic Series

Part 3: Looking Back at the Preparation

Like any trip to the wilderness, good preparation counts for over half of the success of the expedition. Preparing for this trip brought some sense of deja-vu to the times when I was in the mountainering club in my high school in Jakarta many years ago. The difference is that I always went to somewhere in the tropics, and I was quite a few kilograms less back then. Fortunately this trip will not be as physically demanding compared to the mountaineering trips I did (I surely hope I am right on this).
Posted in Climate Change |
The Antarctic Series

Part 2: Antarctic Trivia

This post is really just some random trivia about Antarctic that I found interesting. Just to be clear, Antarctic is the one in the south. Arctic is the one in the north.
Posted in Climate Change |
The Antarctic Series

Part 1: Childishly Excited

The Antarctic series will touch upon issues of climate change and energy challenge, but also the experience of being part of the International Antarctic Expedition 2011.
Posted in Climate Change |

A Democracy Can Overcome Extremism

The closing of houses of worship, assault on an orphanage and stabbing of a religious leader all happened in front of our eyes and under full media coverage. We cannot say that we did not see this coming. As a democratic society, the blame rests with us. The government that has done little to prevent such acts — even possibly provoking hostility toward a certain group in some instances — is, like it or not, a democratically elected one.
Posted in Editorial, Indonesia |

Seandainya Saya Penulis Pidato Presiden RI …

Tulisan pidato ini adalah fiktif belaka yang diandaikan sebagai pidato Presiden RI. Dalam andaian itu, pidato ini dibacakan untuk menjawab keresahan masyarakat yang memilihnya untuk menjadi Presiden atas tindak kekerasan yang terjadi menjelang bulan suci Ramadhan dan peringatan hari Kemerdekaan Republik Indonesia. Tindak kekerasan diluar hukum sebagai wujud intoleransi seharusnya tidak memiliki tempat di negara yang serius menerapkan Pancasila. Pidato ini bukanlah serta merta sebuah kritik, tetapi lebih merupakan pengharapan–pengharapan bahwa 65 tahun adalah umur yang cukup bagi sebuah Negara dan Bangsa untuk mulai beranjak dewasa; dan juga pengharapan bahwa seorang pemimpin yang terpilih secara demokratis dapat pula menegakkan asas-asas demokrasi yang fundamental, termasuk melawan dengan tegas mereka yang berusaha merusak tatanan demokrasi.
Posted in Editorial, Indonesia | Tagged , , |

The Strategic Case of Climate Change for Indonesia

It is critical to frame the issue of climate change as a problem to the population. It should not be seen only as a problem to the environment, since it also poses grave challenges to social and economic development. Planet Earth has been in existence for more than four billion years and has gone through solar storms, meteor impacts and several ice ages. Several dozens of high-grade hurricanes and meters of rising sea level will not jeopardize the planet as much as it will demolish the people living on it.The window of opportunity for Indonesia to embed climate change considerations into its development plan and muster international support to undertake a low carbon development is still open – but not for long.
Posted in Climate Change, Editorial, Indonesia | Tagged , , , |