January 29, 2006. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! May you have good fortune this year and always!
January 30, 2006 @ 4:35pm. Saturday and Sunday were busy for me. I attended a workshop on the domestic and foreign policies, specifically regarding terrorism, of Indonesia and the United States. The workshop was held at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. It was a closed meeting, however, so I can’t give any quotes without the permission of the participants. I can say that I met some very interesting, influential people and heard diverse opinions on a range of issues related to security, education, religion, mass media, and the state.
FYI: “The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta is an independent, non-profit organisation focusing on policy-oriented studies on domestic and international issues. It was established in 1971.” More information may be found at http://www.csis.or.id
I went to another workshop this morning at one of the Muhammadiyah (one of the largest Muslim organizations in the world) buildings. The panels focused on “Religion, Radicalism, and Multiculturalism: Indonesia and the UK Experience.” The discussions tended to center on multiculturalism more than the radicalism part, though. There were speakers from the British Council and British Embassy. The Indonesian speakers were from Muhammadiyah, Nahdlatul Ulama (another of the largest Muslim organizations), and scholars from local universities. One important question raised by an audience member (and heard previously at the CSIS workshop) was the meaning of “pluralism.” For example, is pluralism the acceptance of or simply respect for multiple truths? This is an issue because many Muslims believe that Islam is THE truth. If they are made to accept other faiths, they are not being true to their own religion. If it’s a matter of respect, not necessarily agreement, then perhaps there is more room to negotiate boundaries and relations with others.
At both workshops, I was a quiet observer. I am taking in all that I can and trying to process it the best I can. Though I have already been asked to provide my personal opinion on a variety of topics, I am holding back because I want a clearer, more complete picture of my environment before I speak, and I think it will take a long time for me to develop my positions on certain issues, particularly controversial political matters.
On a more personal note, I am happy to report that I got a new mattress. I thought it was going to take a lot longer than it actually did to get a new bed, so I feel pretty lucky. The original one was too old and sank in the middle. In the grand scheme of things, this is probably not a big deal, but sleep is important and this felt like a small victory. 
I also had a great time last night hanging out with some new friends for the new year. We went to a mall, a special traditional Chinese restaurant (Babah Restaurant), and spent some time at the Millenium Hotel where one of the workshop participants was staying. The hotel had barongsai (dragon) dancers and musicians for Chinese New Year. It was loud and fun!
