Day 2

Theresa and Shannon

After a restful night, I was ready for Day 2 of our Indonesian Partnership Program. Our day started with our Indonesian Language lesson. Ibu Agustini drilled us on yesterday’s lessons, and encouraged us to practice as much as we can. Today’s language lessons included learning about conversational topics such as likes and dislikes, how to ask about where someone studies or what one studies, and very useful questions and statements for socializing. I really enjoyed our language lessons and hopefully with some reviewing, I can speak a little in Indonesia!
 

Next, we had a lesson about Indonesian Politics which was taught by Michigan University’s Allen Hicken. This lesson was really interesting as it taught us basic fundamental historical aspects about Indonesia. Furthermore, it broadened our knowledge about the diverse ethnic groups and historical background of Indonesia. Soon after, we had a lesson on Indonesian civil society; what civil society is and how we know what civil society is. It was a very interesting lesson because we were able to discuss our beliefs on what civil societies are and their role in the government. 

In addition to this topic, we also had a lesson with Rachel Rinaldo, a visiting professor at Michigan University. We learned much about women and activism in Indonesia. I think this lesson was really important because it broke down misconceptions about how Muslim women are simply oppressed, when this may not be the case in Indonesia.
 

Beyond our more formal lesson is our session about etiquette with Kate and Rachel. I am very excited about practicing what we have learned and to meet our Indonesian partners!

--Theresa Mejia, Lehigh University

Gamelan

  Day 2 was equally as interesting as yesterday. We started the day off with another Indonesian lesson, which thankfully is a lot simpler than learning Spanish which has tons of conjugations and tenses. That was followed by a lesson about Indonesian politics taught by UM's Allen Hickman, which turned out to be a really interesting and dynamic discussion. I learned a lot about past and current political systems as well as a brief history of rulers/presidents and colonization. 

Afterwards, visiting professor Rachel Rinaldo taught us a lesson on women activism in Indonesia that was coupled with discussions about dress, marriage, and social customs. All the professors thus far have been incredibly engaging and very willing to sometimes drift off topic to answer our often complicated questions. 

We finished off the day with a fantastic dinner at a Turkish cafe with Kate. Definitely looking forward to tomorrow--especially because we get to fly to Indonesia!

--Ellie McGuire, Lehigh University

With their Gamelan instructor

 The second day of our adventure was even more exciting than the first. We began with our last language lesson with professor Agustini in which we learned practical conversation such as asking for someone's school information or if they are married. Then we ventured into a very interesting discussion of politics and regime history by the fascinating professor Hickman, who also took the time to explain our questions about government, etc. in Indonesia. 

After that we had another eye opening discussion with professor Rinaldo who explained what it is like to be a woman in Indonesia; what is expected of them, their activism and involvement in government, and also what liberties they enjoy. Next we had a useful discussion of etiquette and what to expect once we are in Indonesia which was really a relief. Glad to know that spiders won't be an issue. 

We also had a delicious Turkish dinner before we came back to the courtyards. All in all it was a really productive day. I can't wait for tomorrow when we leave!!!! woo hoo!!

--Shannon Cassidy, Lehigh University

 

Selamat Pagi! 

 For our second day of orientation, Allen Hickens carried us through Indonesia’s historical narrative. In order to gain a better understanding of how this nation took shape, he analyzed its political evolution under six regimes until the success of its first national elections in 2004. After Sukarno assumed the role of President for life in the 1950’s, Indonesia began flirting with Communism. Then in 1965, General Suharto motivated the military to stage a coup against the President. What is interesting about this affair is that there is no universal agreement on who led the events, was it the PKI or the Army? Regardless of interpretation, Suharto took power and led Indonesia into the period of the New Order. Though Suharto aimed to prevent communist expansion, his government was far from ideal. These years were infiltrated with corruption, political unrest, and a floundering economy. It wasn’t until the overthrow of Suharto in 1998 that Indonesia began to exhibit the dynamics of a growing democracy with a strong economic team at the head of government, which has brought more macroeconomic stability. 

We then raised the question: How does Islam fit into this mix? Islam was politically marginalized when Suharto came to power. In fact, between the 1970’s and 1990’s, veiling was deemed illegal. This law propelled a large number of demonstrations led by female students who wanted to wear their veils. So, the decline of the New Order not only sparked the Islamic revival, but it was also a modernizing force for women. Nonetheless, there were and are still great complications with the compatibility of Islam and women activism today. We raised the debate over whether or not Islam can be interpreted in ways that emphasize gender equality. Islam recognizes that men and women are naturally different, but it is acceptable for women to work and participate in politics. However is this just an idea or is it put into practice? It will be interesting to witness the role of women and men in Indonesia first hand. Only one more day!

--Angela Farren, Lehigh University

 

USIPP 2012 Day 1 and 2, Enjoy! :)

--Cindhi Cintokowati, Gadjah Mada University

Wow you guys've learnt a lot already! I'm sure you'll be happy to know that we'll be having discussions with some of the most prominent Indonesian Reformation figures, so you can ask them what it was like back then... *So stoked* you have a safe flight to Jakarta guys! :)

                                                                   --Zafira Rahmania Nur Shabrina, Gadjah Mada University

You will hear more about the New Order and the Reformation phase here, with our scheduled Prof. Amien Rais. Surely (we hope) he will elaborate deeper about this issue.. :-)

--Fikar El-Hazmi, Gadjah Mada University