ROADMAP OF LIFE
Oleh: Imam B. Prasodjo
(Editor: Aam Bastaman)
One of the blessings of life is the joy of understanding the various events that occur in our lives. Every second, historical events occur. Whether we realize it or not, everyone experiences and experiences various events, whether they impact them personally, those closest to us, various groups, and even society at large.
If we position ourselves as "agents" or "actors" who can play an active role in influencing life, the sense of joy will be felt more deeply when we are able to play a good role and actively influence the course of history.
At the micro level, the habit of designing personal goals, formulating a personal life roadmap, and trying to develop a life plan will make us better prepared to fulfill our desired role. In living life, each person should be guided by their own self-formulated roadmap. In life, any plan made is never fixed. It can certainly change over time due to many external factors. The structure of the environment also determines the direction of our lives. Nevertheless, one must prepare oneself as an actor who can determine the path of one's life. The abundance of uncertainty and diversity actually demands that individuals become more intelligent in training themselves, adapting, planning their goals, and formulating a roadmap for their journey, taking into account various internal and external factors.
Integrity (honesty, responsibility etc., implemented in daily life) and capacity (knowledge and skills) must be honed. The goal is to become a trustworthy person. The pinnacle of achieving this quality of self is the ability to act wisely in life, namely, wisely managing one's relationship with God, with family and the surrounding community, and wisely behaving toward the natural environment at large. Indonesian human development should be focused on building "trustworthy people" capable of acting wisely in their lives.
At the macro level, efforts to build a map of the lives of society and the nation require imagination (abstraction) that is not easily visualized. The increasingly complex nature of life requires a detailed, integrated map. However, a general framework is necessary to facilitate action steps.
From discussions with many parties and extensive self-reflection, I have attempted to outline a roadmap for organizing the work of the change movement that we must undertake as a nation. There are three directions of work that need to be focused. These three are interconnected, illustrating the dynamics of life that must guide us in navigating the journey of life together. See Diagram.
1. The Work of Knowledge.
Humans are God's creatures gifted with the ability to absorb knowledge. With our five senses, we can observe natural phenomena, compile them, and organize them into a unified understanding. The resulting understanding is continuously tested and updated. That is the essence of science.
Because natural phenomena are as vast as the limitless sky, over time, scientific studies have undergone a process of specialization. Today, this process of specialization is so focused that we experience the growth of studies that produce compartmentalized scientific perspectives, as if confined to their specific fields of focus. We are beginning to realize that there is a paradox in the development of science—on the one hand, there is a process of "deepening knowledge" due to specialization, but on the other, there is a "shallowing of insight." Integrated science is not growing.
Based on this awareness, rescue efforts have emerged. The pursuit of knowledge through a cross-disciplinary approach is being pursued. A new term has even emerged, the "transdisciplinary" approach, which is considered the path to be taken now and in the future. This is crucial because it is increasingly recognized that life is increasingly complex and interconnected. Therefore, new ways of understanding life's diverse problems are needed. The transdisciplinary approach must be further developed. Future science is expected to be more creative, progressive, and integrative.
2. The Work of Education.
The wheels of education, in the broad sense of the word, cannot be operated segmentally. All elements of society must be involved. Moreover, the goal of education, in my opinion, has three basic components: 1) building good values, character, and integrity; 2) building knowledge and skills; and 3) fostering social and environmental awareness.
Of these three components, the priority must be building good values, character, and integrity. Good values need to be introduced to children from an early age and continuously developed into adulthood. Of the many good values, I choose to prioritize six that must be developed in Indonesia: 1) honesty, 2) responsibility, 3) justice, 4) tolerance in living a diverse life (although this does not mean losing one's identity/independence), 5) courage in expressing and upholding the truth, done with patience, and 6) a rational attitude in facing life. In this way, knowledge will be better able to lead us to a more creative, progressive, and integrative life. See the chart.
The work of introducing these good values is not merely about informing (to know); it must go beyond that, namely providing a deep understanding (to gain a deep understanding), providing an appreciation (to inspire), and even motivating (to motivate) to implement them in daily life. New character development will be achieved when these good values are embedded within a person and become a driving force for behavior. Meanwhile, the pinnacle of a person's mental development (identity) is only achieved when good moral values (understood, comprehended, and internalized) are embedded and integrated into daily behavior. What a person says must be in line with what he or she practices. Walk the talk. Therefore, honesty is not only understood as a noble value agreed upon as good, but must also be practiced in daily life, integrated with daily behavior. A person with integrity is someone who knows, understands, and believes in these noble values and then makes them a part of their behavior that they consistently practice. That is the most fundamental task of education. In other words, the primary mission of education is to provide a foundation for the growth and development of noble values that continuously become the soul of society.
When education successfully develops a large number of individuals with integrity and trustworthiness, a high-trust society will emerge. In a society where relationships between individuals are bound by mutual trust, strong social cohesion will naturally develop. Strong relationships will continue to grow not simply through adherence to applicable laws, but more than that, built on norms and ethics.
It's important to note that education cannot be left to just one or two institutions. Every place in society is an arena for education. However, the primary educational platform must be built within a community. Schools should not be considered the only important educational venue. Children's play spaces can be just as important. The existence of community organizations such as soccer clubs, art studios, nature conservation organizations, literacy groups, micro-business units, and others in every community can play a more significant role in the educational process.
Hillary Clinton, wife of the former US president, once wrote a book entitled "It Takes a Village." The book states that educating children requires the involvement of all parties, including families, teachers, religious leaders, businesspeople, and even those in power. In other words, we need "people from the same village" to raise children so they will be well-mannered, intelligent, capable, and grow into strong individuals. In African, "Omwana takulila nju emoi" means a child doesn't grow up in just one home. Children grow up in their hometown.
However, in this era of globalization, which has penetrated the world so intensively, the movement of people from all corners of the globe is rapid, and the exchange of information flows in a matter of seconds. Educating children seems to require the involvement of many global citizens. All of us must be prepared to work together in the process of educating children, developing their minds, understanding, knowledge, and skills, regardless of where they come from.
3. The Work of Society
......... (will be continued when I have time and energy)
NOW I AM TIRED OF TYPING ON MY OLD PHONE.. hehe
#Imam B Prasodjo