Archipelago- INDONESIA MERDEKA (Journal #2)

MERDEKA

2022

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FictionalStory:ZitsHitsDifferent

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Article #1: From Djuanda Declaration to Archipelagic State

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Fictional Script: Spin Your Spinners

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Discussion Piece: Media: Let's Talk! And Get Real.

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Special: Word Search

KEYWORDS DEFINTIONS

A way in which something is usually done, especially within a particular area or activity.

An agreement between countries covering particular matters, especially one less formal than a treaty.

of another or

on,

only

of

or

ZITS HIT DIFFERENT

“Aaaah…What is this? Last night you weren’t here!” Jamila screamed to her new red zit on her forehead

“What is it?” Asks mum from the other room.

“Mum, look! What is this? Why does this zit have to be in the middle of my forehead? I have to read a poem in front of everyone and I can’t have this zit here! I’ll be embarrassed!” Jamila replied to her in one breath.

“But it’s normal..Everyone in junior high school goes to puberty which means everyone gets zits too.” Mum said as she walked towards Jamila.

“Should I pop it?” Now talking to herself while looking at the mirror. “No, never pop it! Do you understand me? That’s dangerous and it could have done you more harm than good.” Mom exclaimed, from beside Jamila.

“

Jamila looked exasperated. “I do not want to go to school looking like this! What can I do mum?”

“Look, what we can do now is to put an acne ointment on it, and let it heal. I know you’re embarrassed. And I know it seems like everyone is going to make fun of you by having a pimple. I totally understand you.” Mum explained.

Jamila tears up and interrupts to say something. “But what if they do make fun of me?”

“Listen.” Mom said firmly, while looking into her daughter’s eyes. “People should not judge others by their physical appearance, that is wrong and hurtful. If something like that happens to you, you should smile back and never put their words in your heart, Alright?”

“Know that this does not define you, the way you treat othe inside and out.” Continued mum.

Jamila nodded, while wiping the tears that started to well u

"At the end of the day, having a pimple is a natural occurrence sweetheart, and if people don’t understand it now, they will, when they get older.” Mum said while reaching out to give her daughter a hug. “Alright let’s see if we can get some acne ointment on it before you go.”

“But mum, it doesn’t make it disappear. I want it to be gone now. Can you do that?”

“Sweety, nothing is instant. This ointment will take effect in 2 or 3 days.”

“But..” Says Jamila looking sad

“Alright, just this once…I will let you wear make-up. Let’s see if we can cover it up with a little foundation and a concealer and some powder.”

“But I heard if you put too much make-up on it will make acnes worse mum” explains Jamila.

“It’s all about the cleansing part afterwards. After school you ought to come straight home and I will teach you how to clean it off.”

“Alright mum, I’ll try”

***

After her mum put some ointment on her pimple, Jamila prepared her school bag and went downstairs to eat breakfast.

“What’s that on your face?” Asks Jamila’s brother.

“A pimple, if you must know.” Jamila huffed.

“Okay Okay, I was just asking politely.” Jamie said while holding his hands up to show surrender.

Jamila is one confident girl but when it's time to present and read out loud in front of her classmates, she somehow gets very nervous. This month’s theme is to write a poem about the heroes of the nations.

“Hey, your turn is next, good luck!” Says Diana, who sits beside her. “Hang on, what's that?” pointing to her head.

Jamila panics and feels very insecure about the pimple. Are they all looking at it too? Is the pimple too big? and over thinks all the possibilities of what could happen if everyone spots her pimple. And all this makes her head go all over the place. She’s next but all she thinks about is her face instead of her poem.

“Jamila, you’re up” calls Ms. Erlin, the English teacher

“What? Already? No, I’m not ready. What did Diana want to say about my head? Is my face okay? Or could it be my hijab or something?” speaking under her breath.

“Yes, Ms. Erlin” replies Jamila while she hurries to the front.

“Independence day, Oh Independence day How we are grateful of freedom everyday Countless words have been spoken Prohibiting any promises broken If it’s not because of our heroes We will still be hopeless…

Thank you” Read Jamila out loud and then goes back to her seat.

“Good job Jamila, your voice was very nice and clear” says Diana

“Thank you! Btw what did you want to say about my face earlier?” asks Jamila

“Face? What do you mean?...ohh I pointed to your head before because I thought I saw ants or something on your hijab”

“Right, hehe”

So all her worries turned out to be nothing. It was all in her head. Nobody commented about the pimple even until she came home. She also got a good approval from her teacher and classmates about her poem. All in all it was a good day. Better than Jamila had even expected. She thanked her mum by surprising her with a fresh strawberry and blueberry smoothie made by herself.

“Here you go mum, one for you and one for me” says Jamila while hands in the smoothie

“Why, thank you honey.” smiled mum

“Hey where’s mine?” asks Jamie frowning

“Oh my! I forgot Jamie! So sorry” “Lol, you can have some of mine” replies Jamila

“Eww, no..fine I’m alright. I don’t feel like cold drinks at the moment anyways”

Jamila and mum both laughed and enjoyed the evening watching TV together.

FROM DJUANDA DECLARATION TO ARCHIPELAGIC STATE

Indonesia is a state made of thousands of islands. Although Indonesia has five major islands, the small ones are just as important to them as the big ones. As an independent country, they have legal rights to exercise power over each one. However before 1957 the water between the islands did not belong to Indonesia. Indonesia was made of many islands with its own territory separated from one another by the big ocean (Butcher and Elson, 2017, The Strategist). As a result, activities such as trading or fishing became easier to do for other nations but harder for Indonesia to keep their safety.

When you are a country that is made up of two-thirds (⅔) water and lots of small islands, you need sovereignty and security within and just on your outer border. So in response, the Prime Minister of Indonesia then (1957), Djuanda Kartawijaya, made a unilateral proposal and promoted that from now on Indonesia from its outermost part of the Islands are a one in unity. This was called The Djuanda Declaration (ibid.).

They then extended the zone to 12 miles from the coast line, which America back then was not too keen on. However, prioritizing the unity of the nation, Indonesia still insisted on the Djuanda Declaration which young diplomats of Indonesia, such as Prof. Mochtar Kusumaatmadja helped fight on the International front, which would later be introduced as Archipelagic States.

United Nations Flag

FROM DJUANDA DECLARATION TO ARCHIPELAGIC STATE

It was until the United Nations made a convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS I) in 1958 which stated that the sovereignty of a country is extended to its waters, called the Territorial Sea (United Nations, 1982, pg 27). However it was only in UNCLOS III in 1982, that the Territorial Sea was described in more depth. In this case, for Archipelagic Statescountries made up of thousands of islands that have interconnecting waters and other natural elements can exercise power within the Territorial Sea limit which goes up to 12 nautical mile. This also mentions the country has jurisdiction through the above air and underwater, therefore states are free to legislate any type of law in order to prevent or protect its territory from any harm.

Another important concept you must know is the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It is a zone beyond but also includes the Territorial Sea of each country that extends to 200 nautical miles. In this area, the country is allowed to explore and manage the natural resources existing for their own economic purposes (United Nations, 1982, pg 43).

When we hear diplomatic stories of the past, we are constantly amazed by the effort they have put for the Independence of Indonesia. Even though Indonesia was free of colonization by the year 1945, it has been proven that we still need to fight for other rights, such as the rights on our own sea territory, and it has been fought for really hard by the generations before us! Otherwise we would probably need some sort of ‘pass card’ to travel to Sumatra.

We, as the next generation, should maintain our independence not only for the sake of respecting the past heroes, but solely for our own freedom in the future.

YOU NEED: 5 ACTORS/ACTRESSES & A narrator

KEY:

A: ACTOR/ACTRESS A

B: ACTOR/ACTRESS B

C: ACTOR/ACTRESS C

D: ACTOR/ACTRESS D

E: ACTOR/ACTRESS E

Narrator: Will read the content in the brackets [.....].

Props:

4 Spinning Top (Gasing)

1 hula hoop

SCRIPT:

[The sound of laughter and chatter fills the air whilst 4 friends are standing at the edge of the field observing the activities and competitions that are going on around them.]

A: Happy Independence Day everyone!

B, C, D: Happy Independence day!

B: Look at all these activities we get to do this year!

C: It's nice that we are able to do this after 2 years because of the restrictions from Covid.

D: It is, and it's nice to see everyone respect the social distancing rules and keeping their masks on.

A: That's right, better be safe than sorry I say.

[The 4 friends nodded and hummed in agreement.]

[Just then, a loud cheer comes from the right of them]

D: Look! They have a Spinning Top competition going on. Let's go and give it a try!

A, B, C: Let's!

[The 4 friends approach the Spinning Top set up]

[The Spinning Top officer -Character E- is walking around supervising the groups that are having the Spinning Top competition, and walks up to the approaching friends.]

E: Hello everyone! Would you like to have a try at the Spinning Top compeititon?

B: We'd love to!

[Character E gives each of them a Spinning Top each, and led them to an empty space beside other people playing the Spinning Top.]

E: Alright, so you are going to release the Spinning Top at the same time in this small area marked off by the hula hoop. The last one standing is the winner.

A: Cool, let's do this!

[Character A, B, C and D moved to stand around the hula hoop and get ready to release the Spinning Top.]

E: Ready, Set, Go!

[On the word 'Go' Character A, B, C and D released their Spinning Top, and started cheering and commentating on what's happening to their Spinning Top.]

...

[Once the mini Spinning Top competition is finished, the 4 friends thanked the supervisor and starts to walk to the food stalls for some snack.]

B: That was so fun!

C: It was a close one!

D: Oooh there's Kerak telor, let's try some.

A: Sure! and let's buy some Cendol as well.

B and C: Delicious

MEDIA:

Hey! let's be real for a second. The power that social media and the media (both traditional and new) have over our opinions the public opinion , and our knowledge about the world around us, is huge. Media is a powerful communication tool. People refer to news reports for credible and balanced information. That is why being a professional journalist is a very big responsibility. There are ethical codes that they should abide by as well, did you know that?

LET'S TALK! AND GET REAL.

News reports* should have information that is accurate, credible and neutral/balanced, however it's not always the case. There are countries that does not have Freedom of the Press. However, for the countries that do have Freedom of the Press, we still see news contents that is biased, and news that is not up to standards, e.g. News reports that create sensations. Sadly, this is the reality.

*Note that news reports are different from the gossip columns, and opinion pieces.

There is a standard that journalist need to uphold shown in the Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists from the International Federation of Journalist (IFJ). In Indonesia, there is also the Undang Undang Nomor 40 tahun 1999 tentang Pers. However, it seems that some journalists and news media companies don't practice it anymore. Either blinded by personal objectives, influenced from their stakeholders or the media company's own objective/propaganda, amongst other reasons. What happened to the integrity that journalists & news media companies need to uphold?

On the next page are some of the Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists, that journalist should have as their guidance whilst reporting news. The rest can be viewed on IFJ's website or through the link stated below which leads to the Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists from IFJ.

S GLOBAL CHARTER OF ETHICS FOR JOURNALISTS (SOME OF)

HTTPS://WWW.IFJ.ORG/WHO/RULES-AND-POLICY/GLOBALCHARTER-OF-ETHICS-FOR-JOURNALISTS.HTML

#6: The journalist shall do the utmost to rectify any errors or published information which is found to be inaccurate in a timely, explicit, complete and transparent manner.

#8: The journalist will respect privacy. He/she shall respect the dignity of the persons named and/or represented and inform the interviewee whether the conversation and other material is intended for publication. He/she shall show particular consideration to inexperienced and vulnerable interviewees.

#9: Journalists shall ensure that the dissemination of information or opinion does not contribute to hatred or prejudice and shall do their utmost to avoid facilitating the spread of discrimination on grounds such as geographical, social or ethnic origin, race, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, disability, political and other opinions.

#10:The journalist will consider serious professional misconduct to be:

Plagiarism

Distortion of facts. Slander, libel, defamation, unfounded accusations

#13: The journalist shall not use the freedom of the press to serve any other interest and shall refrain from receiving any unfair advantage or personal gain because of the dissemination or non-dissemination of information. He/she will avoid - or put an end to - any situation that could lead him/her to a conflict of interest in the exercise of his/her profession. He/she will avoid any confusion between his activity and that of advertising or propaganda. He/she will refrain from any form of insider trading and market manipulation.

As we have read some of the Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists listed above, it is disappointing how some journalists and news media companies nowadays disparage these values and act the opposite of what it is to be a journalist. This in turn can lessen the credibility of the news media companies & journalists, and create prejudice and hatred against one another in societies and the world. For the journalists and news media companies that does not uphold these ethics, they make a bad name for other journalists who tries their hardest to give a balanced and credible news that upholds these ethics.

ACTIVITY:

What are some of the articles/news that you have read or watch that goes against the Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists?

Can you distinguish between news that are bias and non biased? and why is the article that you've chosen is biased or non biased?

What is the danger of the widespread dissemination of biased news?

What can YOU do as the audience, to get a balanced information and avoid bias or prejudice?

Why do you think it can be difficult for journalists to report balanced news? What pressure do you think the journalist and news media companies have?

How can we ask for neutral and balanced news from the news media companies?

In the media, Agenda Setting theory can be found. “Agenda setting is the process of the mass media presenting certain issues frequently and prominently with the result that large segments of the public come to perceive those issues as more important than others.” (Coleman, McCombs, Shaw & Weaver (2008).

This can be done by the media to push certain rhetoric or propaganda to push a certain agenda. These topics may not be of public interest. In this context, public interest does not mean what is popular in public, but what is important for the public to know. One of the examples here that we can see in Indonesia, is how certain media channels tend to publicise one presidential candidate more than the other- it can also be seen in America -and probably other countries as well.

Another point to understand is when we see a case/topic that is of great importance that deserves the spotlight is not reported on -or rarely reported on and publicised, but a topic of lesser importance catches the spotlight, Agenda Setting might be at play.

ACTIVITY:

Can you write in your own words what Agenda Setting means?

Have you seen where an event/issue/topic that had happened that is of great importance but it was not in the news, or rarely publicised? If you have, what what was it? and why did you think that it did not get the spotlight it deserves?

What impact does agenda setting have on important events such as the presidential elections?

Do you think in Indonesia right now, we have a balanced report of credible and neutral information of various topics?

Citizen Journalism: "Journalism that is conducted by people who are not professional journalists but who disseminate information using Web sites, blogs, and social media." (Albarado, Sonny., n/a form Britannica)

There is a term called citizen journalism, wherein anyone who has a platform can share information. Especially now with the widespread use of social media compared to decades ago, information is more readily available. Information from what's happening on the other side of the world can reach us in seconds.

Through this we can get a wide range of information, as opposed to just relying on news companies It allows us to get unfiltered information that is not gatekept* by the news media companies. However this information can still be biased not shown both sides of the story. It can also be untrustworthy and inaccurate.

Thus it is vital for us audience to search for the truth and seek out a balance of information from all sides, and see who and what is the source of information - to get the most credible information.

*Gatekept/Gatekeeping: "The activity of controlling, and usually limiting, general access to something." (Oxford Languages)

ACTIVITY:

What impact (both positives and negatives) do you think Citizen Journalist have on professional journalists and the news media industries, and how information is spread?

How are YOU going to make sure that the information you receive is accurate, balanced and credible? e.g. Get information from a variety of sources.

THINK CRITICALLY.

REFERENCE

Albarado, Sonny. (n/a). Citizen Journalism. Accessed on September 2022 through https://www.britannica.com/topic/citizen-journalism

Butcher, John G and Elson, R E.(2017). How did Indonesia become an archipelagic state?. The Strategist. https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/indonesia-became-archipelagic-state/ accessed 17th August 2022

Coleman, Renita., McCombs, Maxwell., Shaw, Donald., & Weaver, David. (2008 or n/a). Agenda Setting. In Wahl-Jorgensen, Karin. & Hanitzsch, Thomas. (2008). The Handbook of Journalism Studies. Accessed on August 2022 through https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/978020387768520/agenda-setting-renita-coleman-maxwell-mccombs-donald-shaw-davidweaver

International Federation of Journalist. (2019). Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists. Accessed on September 2022 through https://www.ifj.org/who/rules-and-policy/global-charter-of-ethics-forjournalists.html

United Nations. (2005). Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone 1958. United Nations https://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/8_1_1958_territ orial_sea.pdf accessed 4th September 2022

United Nations. 1982. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. United Nations https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e. pdf accessed 5th September 2022

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