| October 1, 2009 | to | October 6, 2009 |
This is a Session among the series of negotiating sessions on the Bali Roadmap towards the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC / 5th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol in Copenhagen. I will be there as a member of an official delegation from Indonesia.
As Prepared for Delivery:
Good morning. I want to thank the Secretary-General for organizing this summit, and all the leaders who are participating. That so many of us are here today is a recognition that the threat from climate change is serious, it is urgent, and it is growing. Our generation’s response to this challenge will be judged by history, for if we fail to meet it – boldly, swiftly, and together – we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe.
No nation, however large or small, wealthy or poor, can escape the impact of climate change. Rising sea levels threaten every coastline. More powerful storms and floods threaten every continent. More frequent drought and crop failures breed hunger and conflict in places where hunger and conflict already thrive. On shrinking islands, families are already being forced to flee their homes as climate refugees. The security and stability of each nation and all peoples – our prosperity, our health, our safety – are in jeopardy. And the time we have to reverse this tide is running out.
And yet, we can reverse it. John F. Kennedy once observed that “Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man.” It is true that for too many years, mankind has been slow to respond to or even recognize the magnitude of the climate threat. It is true of my own country as well. We recognize that. But this is a new day. It is a new era. And I am proud to say that the United States has done more to promote clean energy and reduce carbon pollution in the last eight months than at any other time in our history.
We’re making our government’s largest ever investment in renewable energy – an investment aimed at doubling the generating capacity from wind and other renewable resources in three years. Across America, entrepreneurs are constructing wind turbines and solar panels and batteries for hybrid cars with the help of loan guarantees and tax credits – projects that are creating new jobs and new industries. We’re investing billions to cut energy waste in our homes, buildings, and appliances – helping American families save money on energy bills in the process. We’ve proposed the very first national policy aimed at both increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks – a standard that will also save consumers money and our nation oil. We’re moving forward with our nation’s first offshore wind energy projects. We’re investing billions to capture carbon pollution so that we can clean up our coal plants. Just this week, we announced that for the first time ever, we’ll begin tracking how much greenhouse gas pollution is being emitted throughout the country. Later this week, I will work with my colleagues at the G20 to phase out fossil fuel subsidies so that we can better address our climate challenge. And already, we know that the recent drop in overall U.S. emissions is due in part to steps that promote greater efficiency and greater use of renewable energy.
Most importantly, the House of Representatives passed an energy and climate bill in June that would finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy for American businesses and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One committee has already acted on this bill in the Senate and I look forward to engaging with others as we move forward.
Because no one nation can meet this challenge alone, the United States has also engaged more allies and partners in finding a solution than ever before. In April, we convened the first of what have now been six meetings of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate here in the United States. In Trinidad, I proposed an Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas. We’ve worked through the World Bank to promote renewable energy projects and technologies in the developing world. And we have put climate at the top of our diplomatic agenda when it comes to our relationships with countries from China to Brazil; India to Mexico; Africa to Europe.
Taken together, these steps represent an historic recognition on behalf of the American people and their government. We understand the gravity of the climate threat. We are determined to act. And we will meet our responsibility to future generations.
But though many of our nations have taken bold actions and share in this determination, we did not come here today to celebrate progress. We came because there is so much more progress to be made. We came because there is so much more work to be done.
It is work that will not be easy. As we head towards Copenhagen, there should be no illusions that the hardest part of our journey is in front of us. We seek sweeping but necessary change in the midst of a global recession, where every nation’s most immediate priority is reviving their economy and putting their people back to work. And so all of us will face doubts and difficulties in our own capitals as we try to reach a lasting solution to the climate challenge.
But difficulty is no excuse for complacency. Unease is no excuse for inaction. And we must not allow the perfect to become the enemy of progress. Each of us must do what we can when we can to grow our economies without endangering our planet – and we must all do it together. We must seize the opportunity to make Copenhagen a significant step forward in the global fight against climate change.
We also cannot allow the old divisions that have characterized the climate debate for so many years to block our progress. Yes, the developed nations that caused much of the damage to our climate over the last century still have a responsibility to lead. And we will continue to do so – by investing in renewable energy, promoting greater efficiency, and slashing our emissions to reach the targets we set for 2020 and our long-term goal for 2050.
But those rapidly-growing developing nations that will produce nearly all the growth in global carbon emissions in the decades ahead must do their part as well. Some of these nations have already made great strides with the development and deployment of clean energy. Still, they will need to commit to strong measures at home and agree to stand behind those commitments just as the developed nations must stand behind their own. We cannot meet this challenge unless all the largest emitters of greenhouse gas pollution act together. There is no other way.
We must also energize our efforts to put other developing nations – especially the poorest and most vulnerable – on a path to sustainable growth. These nations do not have the same resources to combat climate change as countries like the United States or China do, but they have the most immediate stake in a solution. For these are the nations that are already living with the unfolding effects of a warming planet – famine and drought; disappearing coastal villages and the conflict that arises from scarce resources. Their future is no longer a choice between a growing economy and a cleaner planet, because their survival depends on both. It will do little good to alleviate poverty if you can no longer harvest your crops or find drinkable water.
That is why we have a responsibility to provide the financial and technical assistance needed to help these nations adapt to the impacts of climate change and pursue low-carbon development.
What we are seeking, after all, is not simply an agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. We seek an agreement that will allow all nations to grow and raise living standards without endangering the planet. By developing and disseminating clean technology and sharing our know-how, we can help developing nations leap-frog dirty energy technologies and reduce dangerous emissions.
As we meet here today, the good news is that after too many years of inaction and denial, there is finally widespread recognition of the urgency of the challenge before us. We know what needs to be done. We know that our planet’s future depends on a global commitment to permanently reduce greenhouse gas pollution. We know that if we put the right rules and incentives in place, we will unleash the creative power of our best scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to build a better world. And so many nations have already taken the first steps on the journey towards that goal.
But the journey is long. The journey is hard. And we don’t have much time left to make it. It is a journey that will require each of us to persevere through setback, and fight for every inch of progress, even when it comes in fits and starts. So let us begin. For if we are flexible and pragmatic; if we can resolve to work tirelessly in common effort, then we will achieve our common purpose: a world that is safer, cleaner, and healthier than the one we found; and a future that is worthy of our children. Thank you.
(This text was posted on the Front Page of The New York Times, September 22, 2009)
Little did he know when he sent a tweet on Tuesday, he was well on his way to make history. He just unleashed the whole potential of social network and what it could do to mobilize people.
Meet Joko Anwar (@jokoanwar). On a quiet Tuesday afternoon, he tweeted this:
If I got my 3000th follower today, I’ll go into a Circle K naked (1:56 pm)
(Circle K is a chain of 24-hour convenience store that is quite ubiquitous in Jakarta.) I was not sure what got into him that afternoon tweeting that. Whether he is serious or not, I didn’t know either. At the time, I think he had something like 1,000 followers. But what follows was hilarious, to say the least. Iwet Ramadhan (@iwetramadhan), a Hard Rock FM announcer, retweeted Joko’s tweet, encouraging his followers (by now amounting about 7,000) to follow him to get the desired number of followers.
Let’s follow him!!! RT@jokoanwar: If I got my 3000th follower today, I’ll go into a Circle K naked.
Almost immediately, Iwet’s tweet and those that followed spread globally, may be worse that the worst epidemy. The retweets spread virally and it might give Joko a cold feet. Indeed, he would need to swallow his words if he could get that many followers that night.
Please God, I’ll be a good moslem, christian, buddhist, scientologist, whatever. Just don’t let me flash my flabby flesh in Circle K (2:54 pm)
By then Joko might be sweating like mad. Soon enough, a couple of tweets came in from him, sounding desperate and hopeless.
Ok. It looks like it’s gonna happen. Damn youuuu…!!! I’ll do it at night, ok?? Happy????? (2:56 pm)
Have mercy. Let me do it at night. You’ll get the pics when you wake up tomorrow. Promise. *crying while doing push-up*
I hope you all will puke to see the pics tomorrow.
)) (2:57 pm)
That’s when he and everyone else were convinced that he reached (or would reach in no time) 3,000 followers as he desired. He got the desired additional followers in exactly one hour (1:56 – 2:56).
* * *
Thirty-years young, Joko Anwar has already been an extremely well-accomplished film maker. Born on January 3, 1976, he went to engineering school “because his family couldn’t afford to send him to a film school,” as cited in his Wikipedia page. His filmography includes Indonesian box offices such as “Janji Joni” (Joni’s Promise, 2005, writer / director), Arisan (2003, writer), Jakarta Undercover (2007, writer), Kala (2007, writer / director), Quickie Express (2007, writer), and Fiksi (Fiction, 2008, writer), and Pintu Terlarang (the Forbidden Door, 2009, writer / director). His films have been screened in various international film festivals, and they won raves from critics. He also has witty sense of humor, as he tweeted on like this.
Damn. It’s so hard to get people to watch my movies, yet it’s so easy to make people want to see me naked. Just wait for pics tonight. (3:13 pm)
So later in the afternoon, he gathered his friends, among others Nitta Noer (@tigerlilybubu). They devised a plan, which includes finding the right Circle K to go naked to. They visited a number of them. Rumor had it that he would do it at the Circle K on Jalan Panglima Polim in Kebayoran, Jakarta. He ended up eventually in Bintaro.
Meeting @zekekhaseli @tigerlilybubu and @leonardoringo tonight for the execution. *damn damn damn* (3:37 pm)
It’s gonna happen you tweeps. No worry. (4:19 pm)
Be patient. Looking for the right Circle K. (6:17 pm)
With @zekekhaseli @tigerlilybubu @leonardoringo making a battle plan. (7:49 pm)
Please guys, I’m otw to a Circle K now. Be patient. Live reports from @tigerlilybubu @culapo @leonardoringo @zekekhaseli @molskee @ramaadi (9:55 pm)
From here on, very few tweets actually came from Joko. The live-tweeting was taken over by Nitta. Joko ensured everybody that, yes, he was going to do it. He was going to walk into a Circle K naked.
By then, Circle K was already number one trending topic on Twitter (it went to number two long after, i.e., when active twitteratis from the rest of the world woke up. Not bad for an Indonesian topic, given the number of Twitter users in the country), and his and Nitta’s tweets were among the most retweeted in the world (Joko’s number one, and Nitta’s number five).
Nitta and other eye-witness then reported the proceeding blow-by-blow. The suspense and the emotions were reported. Hundreds, maybe thousands, observed their Twitter timelines without blinking. I had to write a report and instead of writing it, I actually observed my Twitter timeline and tweeted some comments. My friend Amir Sidharta (@senirupa) even said, at 0:23 pm on his tweet, “Video killed the radio star. Twitter killed the TV star. Who would have guessed?” At the time, indeed, TV felt so last-era. Tweeteratis observed diligently. All the suspense. With many ROTFLs and LOLs.
For a while the tweets stopped, and everyone started sending comments asking what happened next. Nitta might have her battery died because she eventually emerged “fully charged.” Then, the time comes.
We’re here. I’m going in… (0:07 am, Wednesday already)
In he went, buck naked. A tweet mentioned something about two police cars passing by. And the Circle K guy were so shocked that he dropped his coffee, but Joko went in calmly. He did his dues.
* * *
He came out of the Circle K probably as a new guy. A new guy? Yes. A hero to many of his new and old followers for “walking his talk.” For being responsible for what he said he would do. My favorite among his last tweets was this one. And I believe this was also the one most retweeted afterwards. The tweet came with a photograph of himself, buck naked inside the Circle K. This was my favorite tweet because he mocked the politicians for not walking their talks. (Context: the country just went through two general elections this year where apparently the elected politicians didn’t keep their promises.)
A promise is a promise, Mr. Politicians! .
By now, at 3:45 am on Wednesday morning, Joko Anwar has more than 16,000 followers. At least three articles including in detik.com and the Examiner were written of this saga. I certainly look forward to the promised YouTube “behind the scene” uploads, and not to the long nights and days I had to keep awake for finishing my reports that didn’t get finished because I was too busy following my timeline and writing this article. Oh well.
Jakarta, September 2009 – Smarter Indonesians will have better livelihoods, more resilience to crisis, and less susceptibility to twisted violent ideologies of terrorism. Better educated Indonesians will also allow the poor Indonesians to have dreams and hopes to have better lives (and afterlives) within their lifetimes. Key: access to affordable and improved education system. Can we do it?
In the enrollment year of 2004/5, more than 50 million students enrolled in more than 270,000 schools in the country, almost 60 percent of which are in preschool and primary education levels. In 2005, enrollment rates were 93 percent, 75 percent, and 42 percent in primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary levels respectively. But access and quality differ from one region to another (The World Bank).
Indeed, Indonesia has increased its spending on education recently, making it on par with most other developing countries in terms of its percentage of government spending. In 2006, public expenditure for education was close to Rp 80 trillion (about US$8 billion) per year with continuous upward trends in the years that follow. But compared to some neighboring countries, this expenditure is still considered low. According to the data cited by the World Bank, Public expenditure on education compared to total public expenditure was 14.2, compared to 16 percent in the Philippines, and 27 percent in Malaysia and Thailand. Similarly, public expenditure on education compared to gross domestic product (GDP) was a mere 2.8 percent, compared to the Philippines (3.1 percent), Thailand (4.6 percent), let alone Malaysia (8.1 percent) (The World Bank).
On a per student basis, Indonesia is among the lowest in allocating government budget to education. For primary level, Indonesia spends $110 per student per year, compared to $396 in India, $491 in the Philippines, $1,897 in Malaysia, or $4,294 in the rich countries. For secondary level, Indonesia spends $315 per student per year, compared to $452 in the Philippines, $712 in India, $2,923 in Malaysia, or $7,002 in the rich countries (The World Bank).
This may explain the different characteristics of economic development between that of Indonesia and its neighboring countries. Reportedly, it is very difficult to fill semi-skill- and skill-intensive job openings in Indonesia even when the unemployment rate is still high. Moreover, the constitutional target of allocating public spending on education (excluding salaries of teachers and the like) at 20 percent is deemed unrealistic.
Worse yet, the quality of government-run schools are rather abysmal. Many have turned to private schools for alternatives. But here, too, the options are also limited. The choices are either low-quality private schools (sometimes even of lower quality compared to the state-run ones), religion-based private schools (with mixed quality, sometimes poor sometimes so-so), or very good but very expensive international schools.
The number above shows that it is difficult to rely on the government to increase access to and quality of education for the Indonesian poor. Outside the government, a number of initiatives have also been carried out. The World Bank has poured $830 million towards supporting the National Education’s Strategic Plan (World Bank). The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) poured $157 million under the Presidential Education Initiative. This initiative has reportedly helped 1,272 schools, 21,069 educators, and 345,983 students. By 2010, the initiative is expected to reach 9,000 schools (USAID). The Australia – Indonesia Basic Education Program aims to raise the rates of enrollment in junior secondary schools from 75 percent to 95 percent by 2010 (DFAT)
Corporate funding has also been poured. Coca-Cola Foundation assisted through its Learning Center Program Initiative while ConocoPhilips and Chevron teamed up with USAID to support USAID’s program. ConocoPhilips accounced the completion of the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 35 public schools and other facilities in Central Jawa and Yogyakarta Provinces destroyed during the earthquake of 2006 (Examiner).
But are these enough? Not yet, I guess. The accessibility, affordability, and quality of the school system in the country remains quite appalling. The quality and availability of good teachers are also of concern. An awful lot needs to be done. What? I am not sure yet. Gimme ideas. But let’s see what I can come up below.
Prioritize on the junior secondary level. It appears that the priorities should be to increase access to junior secondary schools while continue making elementary schools being accessible, affordable, and of reasonable quality. Almost every kid can go to primary school now, with primary education reportedly already close to being universal in Indonesia. But enrollment rates in junior secondary school are low. Ninety-two percent of primary school students graduated, but only 60 percent of them continued on to junior secondary school as reported by USAID. According to the Central Agency for Statistics, only slightly more than half of the Indonesian population older than 10 years old attain junior secondary schools (BPS).
Moreover, the social return to education for junior secondary schools, at 25 percent, is significantly higher than that of primary schools at 4 percent, and only slightly lower than that of senior secondary school of 28 percent. The World Bank reports that allocation of education budget for junior and senior secondary schools are 15 percent each, much lower than 56 percent for primary level. The Australian initiative that I mentioned above targets junior secondary level. But a lot more needs to be done.
Prioritize on the poor. Even when educational facilities exist, the poor may not be able to afford it. This may be the cause of the low enrollment rates in the junior secondary schools. As such, the 2000 Indonesian Poverty Map (Peta penduduk miskin Indonesia) is very useful. The map shows the poorest regions in Indonesia to the level of the kabupatens (districts). Additionally, there are also pockets of poverty even in rich areas. In Jakarta, for example, where in general it is a rich region, there are pockets of poor slums for which citizens education is unreachable.
Increase educational quality, including the quality of the teachers. Teachers are key to the education system. Getting high-quality teacher comes at a cost, obviously. These teachers need to be well-trained, and they need to be well-paid. It is unfortunate, however, that teachers in Indonesia are very underpaid. Moreover, corruption in this sector is quite rampant that often the low salaries of the teachers made even lower by “voluntary cuts” to pay many things involuntarily. Often, these cuts are misused.
For more information regarding Indonesian Education: Indonesian Education Network http://www.pendidikan.net/eindex.html.
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