Political education is something I have never formally been exposed to, it has always been informal encounter and engagement and a topic I claim no expertise on. True, the broad theme of my PhD research revolve around politics, economy and ecology. Yet, in the process of learning, and attempting to comprehend the relationship between economic growth, political will and environmental degradations, one is forced to admit and accept how complicated and sensitive such issue is.
At this point in life I have spend great amount of focus, energy and attention to everything that is going on in my homeland in Aceh, a very place I felt incredible emotional attachment with, the place that I choose over a person that represent the love of my life. Odd, isn't it?
The thing is, this is the kind of love that is draining and consuming. My love for Aceh has continuously push me to the brink of insanity and exhaustion. Each news piece is another heart break; segregation between man and woman, injustice over religious freedom, environmental destructions, poverty and a politicians pushing back against progress. Its shameful, its painful, and for me, its emotional. Despite the efforts I gather to be indifference.
I wish I could see Aceh being led by someone with a vision, someone who genuinely love the place and fuelled by the desires to see the people transformed into a developed, dignified, resilient society. I want a leader with a vision.
Politics is something that still beyond my grasp, its still beyond my comprehension, the ability to link cause and effect in a very abstract, indirect manner; the ability to forecast people's reaction towards one's action; the ability to manipulate and play the unfair game. Yet, I do know that if there is a political will to push certain agenda into public policy domain, such agenda is bound to be realised. My questions then be.. how do we generate political will? is it through the creation of peaceful mass movement? like the history of ending racial segregation in the US? is it through economic incentives and market demand? like the development of reforestation policy in Costa Rica and Palm Oil boom in South East Asia? is it through shifts in paradigm? in the same way slavery is no longer acceptable in modern world? but hang on a second, slavery is still happening, albeit taking different forms..
thinking thinking thinking..
The questions then breed another questions, and it open up a whole lot of a pandora box but at this point I am questioning myself, am I asking the right questions? should I be seeking more of a "why" questions and pound on the quest to understand instead of continuing with the "how" questions that will take me to technical answers that doesn't solve the problems?
open ended little notes of thoughts..
At this point in life I have spend great amount of focus, energy and attention to everything that is going on in my homeland in Aceh, a very place I felt incredible emotional attachment with, the place that I choose over a person that represent the love of my life. Odd, isn't it?
The thing is, this is the kind of love that is draining and consuming. My love for Aceh has continuously push me to the brink of insanity and exhaustion. Each news piece is another heart break; segregation between man and woman, injustice over religious freedom, environmental destructions, poverty and a politicians pushing back against progress. Its shameful, its painful, and for me, its emotional. Despite the efforts I gather to be indifference.
I wish I could see Aceh being led by someone with a vision, someone who genuinely love the place and fuelled by the desires to see the people transformed into a developed, dignified, resilient society. I want a leader with a vision.
Politics is something that still beyond my grasp, its still beyond my comprehension, the ability to link cause and effect in a very abstract, indirect manner; the ability to forecast people's reaction towards one's action; the ability to manipulate and play the unfair game. Yet, I do know that if there is a political will to push certain agenda into public policy domain, such agenda is bound to be realised. My questions then be.. how do we generate political will? is it through the creation of peaceful mass movement? like the history of ending racial segregation in the US? is it through economic incentives and market demand? like the development of reforestation policy in Costa Rica and Palm Oil boom in South East Asia? is it through shifts in paradigm? in the same way slavery is no longer acceptable in modern world? but hang on a second, slavery is still happening, albeit taking different forms..
thinking thinking thinking..
The questions then breed another questions, and it open up a whole lot of a pandora box but at this point I am questioning myself, am I asking the right questions? should I be seeking more of a "why" questions and pound on the quest to understand instead of continuing with the "how" questions that will take me to technical answers that doesn't solve the problems?
open ended little notes of thoughts..
