Globalization and National’s Identity
Globalization, if we view it from social-culture’s perspective will be very interested to discuss. Because, from this perspective it will be much easier to observe and analyze the phenomenons. Social Culture’s phenomenon is obviously, everyone not only see and know it but also discuss it in daily life. Its reflect directly on what people have talked about and what kind of action which they do as a respond of it. That’s why I love and interested to stay and want to observe deeper a social phenomenon from this aspect. ble
As we know, on this end of 2010 our “trending topics” was AFF Champhionship. On the final match, Indonesia should meet her closest neighbour on this South-East Asia Regional, Malaysia. Of course this AFF’s final match has predicted to create high tension opinion among each citizen and we can found there was an opinion war among these two countries on several sites on internet. Some of them wrote about sportivity and optimism that sport can increase the two finalists relationship especially appreciated to their National Team who successed to increase it performance on previous match. But the others also talked about negative matters as a respond of how unstable was Indonesia-Malaysia’s relationship in this following years. Each countries shared the culture, national resources and even sea and ocean...we shared together. Of course these factor also playing significant role on these countries billateral relationship added by differences on social culture, economy and political condition. Public maybe focused on Indonesian Migrant Workers (Tenaga Kerja Indonesia abbreviated as TKI)’s fate who often exposed in media are treated brutally by their Malaysian master, including unjustice system who trapped them in this sircumstances; public of course still remembered on case such as Batik, Reog, Angklung, Rasa Sayange Song, etc. I do not write about the final score and some incident around it on this article. Its just out of my purpose to write about it.
This phenomenon raised question: what really happen in Indonesia and Malaysia’s relationship if we are correlate it with this global era and national identity. Both Indonesia and Malaysia found theirselves united as Melayu. Although they often involve in debatable problem such as teritority, actually they also realize it. Share the same identity can create negative impact since society in both of these countries find difficulties to identify clearly who is the real owner of their cultures. Globalization as seen as an event, no matter from where perspectives we start to view, has also shaped the dynamization of Indonesia and Malaysia’s billateral relationship. This effect has already been felt by us like: the emergence of non state actors, developing in IT’s. States no longer have so powerful authority to control their citizen activities on foreign countries. For example : nor Indonesia and Malaysia can exactly controlled their people’s activities, interaction among people now are more complex than if we compare it with the previous decade. A time when state’s border only distinguished teritorial and “physical” sovereignity. No more.
Then, where is our identity as Indonesia? Although we are united as Malay race with Malaysia, as a nation it will be still have diffenences. But, where these differences stand, and what kind of diffenences whom distinguised us from them? We has different dialects, different sub-cultures diversity. I am not intended to expose these differences on negative aim. But I wonder, a Javanese will refused if he/ she are identified as Melayu. I guess he/ she will said : ”No, thanks. I am a Javanese not Melayu.” Even that he/she realize and know that Javanese as a tribe are a part of Melayu race. Should we defend our identity as well as posible until the last of our blood, to prove it that we are different from Malaysia?
It will be better if we keep this question and try to re-define again: what is our problem with Malaysia? Are we grudging about claims that they have made for their tourism’s interest? Or, actually we find difficulties to understand our own identity and local wisdoms in this global era? Is there anyone who are able to explain simply our nation identity and its implementation on daily life, so we can easily said : o yeah, this is actually the real characteristic of my country!” Let’s go flashback to see through ourselves....this kind of identity has already taught to as (as I am a Javanese, I take this example from my own experience) from elementary school such as a thought than Indonesian are friendly people with gemah ripah loh jinawi tata tentrem kerta raharja (Java’s or nusantara which always fertile and properous)’s lands, and has andap asor (friendly attitude wich alwas put respect to each other we meet) and menang tanpa ngasorake (win a “competition” without beating our rivals)’s philosophy. Come back again...Have we already implemented all of these mores and values, from whom our ancestral leave, well? Why we seemed look have unproper attitude when we faced problem that our neighbourhood state are take out “our culture”? Where was our attention to these heritages (both tangible and intangible such as local wisdoms, mores, etc) before the other country claimed them as their own? What can we do at least to show to International Society our truly positive character when we faced a situation like this?
I try to offer this: let’s recognize again our identity from our own culture. As a nation we are blessed with wonderful cultural difersity from Aceh in West until Papua in East. All of them are our duty and right all at once to maintainance it so our children will able to enjoy it too. Knowing our culture, it does not mean that we must involved our self so deeply on there, because contribution is not only defined as being the actor. Something that missing in here is the contribution in role and initiative. At least, from know, we started to be more concern and knowing them. We can repackaging our culture depends on our favourite ways and media like animation, graphic design, poem, music, paintings etc. Let’s combine them with global unsure that we can easity get now. I was impressed by Iranian’s youth who composed a rap song which inspired from their Persian classical epos by Firdausi (National Geograpic Indonesia August 2008).
Culture is not a thing we left it, because we think that all of them are out of date and uncompatible to our modern lifestyle. If we start to re-knowing again our own culture, I belive slow but sure we will find important yet priceless messages and reflection about what is IndonesiaI. We can learn from them, for example Angklung and Gamelan taught us about harmonyty and the power of collectivism. So do Mahabarata epos, Pendet dance, process making of batik, ...they only a sample from the whole population of Indonesia diversity of cultures. Each of them contain thousand of priceless local wisdoms. Our ancestor never leave them all to us without any meaning. These norms have already passed out time, and it proven that their wisodoms are timeless. Globalization is not a barrier to us not only maintenance but also to introduce our cultures to International Society. We will never neglect todays life, but if we can take all the meaning of this. I believe it will help us when we need to show to our neighbourhood in this whole world about truly Indonesia. So we can proudly say Yes, this is Indonesia, and I proud to be part of her. I hope.
