Kang GURU
Travels to Yogyakarta and ACICIS — September, 2007
Maggie from Kang Guru visited Yogyakarta to meet with ACICIS participants and to attend International Symposium on 'Revisiting the Developing Spiritualism of Youth in Indonesia and Australia'.
After a phone call from Rebecca Kelly of ACICIS in Yogyakarta to the Kang Guru office inviting someone from KGRE to attend an International Symposium on Revisiting the Developing Spiritualism of Youth in Indonesia and Australia the following day, Captain Kang Guru decided that I, as an ex- ACICIS student, could attend. Great! I love Yogya! As quick as a flash, Ogi and Tjok had tickets and accommodation organized, Alwi had organized KGRE promotional material and I was on my way!
|
After an early departure and a really smooth flight I landed in Yogya and headed straight for the spread-out campus of UGM. The Symposium was organized by UGM students from the department of Strategic and Public Policy and a committee of ACICIS students.
ACICIS is the Australian Consortium of In Country Indonesian Studies , hosted by Murdoch University for Australian university students studying for a semester or more at an Indonesian partner university. In its 12 years of operation in Indonesia, over 700 students have studied, honed their language skills and experienced Indonesian life at a grass roots level. There are currently 27 Australian students studying with the ACICIS programme.
The symposium, held in the MM building at UGM, began at 9.00 with an opening address delivered in English by an Indonesian student and in Indonesian by an Australian student. The participants included Indonesian and Australian students, lecturers and teachers, education observers and other interested parties. Following a stunning, traditional welcome dance by 2 dancers from Swagayugama UGM, the deputy rector declared the Symposium open.
|
|
The first session ‘Introduction to Spirituality’ was presented by an Australian social researcher, Dr Peter Waterworth and Professor Dr Ahmad Mursyidi, an Indonesian Muslim scholar. Issues raised included the different understandings in Indonesia and Australia of the meaning of spiritualism, the differing roles of religion and spirituality in Indonesia and Australia and the need for people in both countries to be aware of the differences for greater bilateral understanding.
After a delicious lunch we listened to a wonderful performance by the UGM student choir. This was followed by a duet with guitar accompaniement by an Australian and Indonesian student. The afternoon session featured a paper by the ACICIS resident director, Dr Philip King and ACICIS student Emma Vickers on ‘An Australian Youth perspective on Grassroots Diplomacy: Is there a spiritual basis?’. Also, two students, who had previously done secondary school studies in Australia and are currently studying Accounting at UGM , both delivered papers about their ideas of youth-focused spiritual democracy. A lively question and answer session about their views and experiences studying in Australia followed.
|
Amy Astika spent 3 years studying at high school in Victoria before graduating in 2006. Amy proposed greater bilateral co-operation and more youth exchange programmes, as relationships between everyday people were likely to be more honest and realistic than impressions from the media. She also suggested a youth camp for Australian and Indonesian students where a better understanding of each others’ cultures could be developed.
Aldo Simon, who successfully completed year 12 at Taylors College in Victoria with AIYEP ( Australian Indonesian Youth Exchange Programme), stressed the importance of not judging people without getting to know them properly first. He thought youth exchange programmes were a great way to develop youth based spiritual democracy.
The session ended with a reading of the youth declaration which aims to build greater co-operation and understanding between Indonesia and Australia.
The following day I went to the ACICIS house in Bulaksumur where I met a group of ACICIS students and interviewed them about their impressions of studying in Yogya, favourite Indonesian food and thoughts in general about the benefits of student exchange programmes.
ON the way to the airport after my brief but well-worthwhile trip to Yogya meeting both Indonesian and Australian students, I reflected on the high quality of future ambassadors and leaders for both Indonesia and Australia.
|
|
