YOGYAKARTA-Noble values embodied in religion, culture and local traditions have failed in facing hedonism in Indonesian society today. Indeed, not all Indonesian people are bad. But corruption has hampered clean and good governance. Indonesia’s population which is 240 million people mostly do not have that bad attitude. However, the small presence of hedonist community has polluted governance, posing major obstacles to a nation, because that small presence lies in important positions in law, economy, and government.
"This is due to insufficient revenues they received to meet the demands of daily life, on the other hand it is because of greed and desire to live lavishly," a lecturer of Law Faculty of University of Indonesia, Erman Rajagukguk, said at a seminar, Exploring and Empowering National and Local Wisdom toward Clean and Good Governance, in the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM on Thursday (2/2).
Erman said that hedonism has infected Indonesian middle class, those with sufficient income beyond the needs of family life. Wanting to show off their success in life and consumerism have made them purchase unnecessary food products, fashion, electronics and cars.
"Look at when they are willing to queue, jostling to buy the latest mobile phone sold at promotion price," he said.
Not only hedonism, violence currently often occurs in some locations. Recently is the burning of Regent Office in Bima. This, Erman said, is due to life imbalances that spark community dissatisfaction. In addition, there is accumulation of problems among the political elite, public, local governments, and entrepreneurs.
"Finally, a number of local wisdoms as seen in old phrases that have become inherited life philosophy which are rooted strongly seemed to just disappear," Erman said.
In the same place, a lecturer of Faculty of Cultural Sciences, University of Indonesia, Saraswati, conveyed the severe condition of Indonesia concerning ethnic identity, religion and culture is always in thin equilibrium with national identity. Saraswati said if this delicate balance is not addressed by the state, there will be a clash between national interests and these particular interests.
"This becomes a challenge because on the one hand, local knowledge can be the cohesive means for the existing community, but on the other hand local knowledge and their particular identity can undermine national identity," Saraswati said.
Saraswati asserted that the current regional or ethnic identity is stronger than national identity. That is why the conflict based on racial intolerance still continues to occur in Indonesia. Multiethnic groups are more attached with their particular cultures rather than with Indonesia as an integral part of these cultures.
"Therefore this is a real challenge, the restoration of the nation’s identity in the middle of globalization attack and re-arrangement of Indonesia as a strong nation," she explained.
Meanwhile, the lecturer of Faculty of Philosophy of UGM, Achmad Charris Zubair, said the issue of diversity and pluralism in Indonesia should be developed into the nation’s potential and we should anticipate against the possibility that plurality becomes the cause of nation disintegration.
According to Charris, there are some things that need to be actualized in the education concept of values in the future, such as to harmonize between the mastery of the basics of disciplines with moral values based on religious and noble values of the society, younger generation must be introduced to the realities of Indonesia which is plural, while education of values should have a concept that builds awareness of the students to develop the potential optimally, both as individuals and social potential of the nation.
"The nationalism education that emphasizes pride of the nation’s potential should not necessarily be measured against other nations, this should be developed to anticipate the global era and cosmopolitanism," Charris concluded.